You Think The Internet And Violence In Games Has Accelerated Child Corruption?

M

MR.KAZ

Lurker
Hi All!

My opinion on this topic might rub a few members the wrong the way,but I'm curious to hear what the forum thinks about this.

I'm inclined to say that video games and the internet has done more harm than good.A lot of parents are sick and tired of their children sitting in front of the TV for hours on end playing video games and online sometimes just as long if not more.
I've had people tell me that because of the internet children aren't outside playing catch and other activities that children use to do when they were young.The violence depicted on the internet is truly disturbing in every sense of the word.I also believe that violence in video games is increasing at an alarming rate,and shows no signs of stopping.
I'll be honest,I like violent games as much as the next guy,but I'm 34 not 9.It's my belief that humans are predisposed to finding violence interesting and sometimes attractive,that's why Boxing,MMA,Wrestling,and internet violence are so popular.
This is a serious problem for which we have no apparent solution.Simply telling the parents to keep more of an eye on their kids is just a drop in the bucket.Children are innocent when born.We as adults and society corrupt them.All efforts to stop this are failing,because of today's influences from TV and the internet.The companies that crank out games like "Left4Dead" and "GTA" don't give a crap about anything except money.
Parents that don't agree with the violence in games are the same ones who are buying them for their children for Christmas and Birthday gifts!Even if some parents won't allow their children to view these horrific and absolutely disgusting things online fail because their kid's friends are more than happy to let them check out the sites that their parents won't allow.
I know this topic has been touched upon before,but this subject needs as much attention as possible.It's getting worse and worse every year.How can we as society stop this kind of material from getting into our children's minds if we as society are the one's responsible for this violence.
I don't see any 7 year old child creating a "Shock Site" for all of us to see and never forget the brutality that is seen on them.No child programs games such as "GTA:San Andreas" or "Left 4 Dead".Too many people in the world are passive aggressive.We complain,but do nothing.Too many people just pass it off because they feel that with all the info out there they're powerless to stop it.
How are we to stop this if we keep passing the buck?Simply saying we can't stop it so why even bother to try is bull.We as adults are responsible.The law throughout most of the world is too soft when it comes to this kind of problem.Retailers seldom ask for I.D. when a kid decides to buy a game like "GTA" or "MK",yet when their shift is over,and they settle down for the night they see on TV info about this problem and shake their heads at the horrible nature of this kind of thing.
The only solution for violent games I think would help is much stiffer laws.They're too lax.It's off the topic,but this is a good example of lax.Charles Barkley when he was an active ball player,frequently showed up late for practice.His punishment each and every time was a $1000 fine.Are you kidding me?The man is a multi millionaire,that amount of cash means nothing to him.Make the fine $100,000 and then see how often he shows up late.It's the same thing as the laws for violent games and alcohol are.Too lax.
As far as the internet,I truly don't know of any effective way to eliminate children from visiting disturbing and adult sites.This worries me a great deal,but sitting around and doing nothing but passing the buck when it comes to a solution isn't working.I love the internet even though it's the tool that will be responsible for the end of the world.

Your thoughts?

Kaz
 
Re: You Think The Internet And Violence In Games Has Accelerated Child Corrupti

If parents wouldn't be stupid and buy their kids m rating games, the violence that 9 year olds see would be a non-issue. However that's not going to happen since the general public is a group of keeping-up-with-the-joneses zombies.
 
Games have ratings for reasons, parents are smart (or should be), and parental controls can always be set. The kid doesn't always have to be in complete control of the situation here. :-\
 
Kids aren't playing outside because it is cold.

If parents don't like their kids watching TV, why do they sit them in front of TVs as babysitters/distractions. Parents can always turn the TV off, but they choose not to do so. The same goes for internet.

This debate is old and tired.

/done
 
Kaz, where did you get this article from? Btw, leave Left 4 Dead out of this.

For the record, if parents cannot read the rating label on it like a movie by this time, they should be shot.
 
It's not an article.The small point I'm trying to make is that relying on the parents isn't working.I was hoping to get some feedback on some potential methods you might suggest to help this problem with respect to young children being exposed to this.
 
MR.KAZ said:
It's not an article.The small point I'm trying to make is that relying on the parents isn't working.I was hoping to get some feedback on some potential methods you might suggest to help this problem with respect to young children being exposed to this.

Well, it's funny you mention that. If it isn't working, the same goes with movies as well.
 
I still think our imaginations are a little more violent than video games and movies. :lol Perhaps.
 
Re: You Think The Internet And Violence In Games Has Accelerated Child Corrupti

I am honestly sick and tired of people blaming video games or other media for violence and "corruption". You could take a group of 10 kids, let them all play violent video games, and time and time again it will be the same kids who commit violence against each other. It will be the kids who grew up in fatherless homes, abusive households, neglectful households, etc,. And the kids who were raised properly will not turn into violent people because of exposure to violence in a video games. It's really that simple for the most part, yet people always want to blame something else instead of looking at the core issue.

Edit: With your comment regarding developers of GTA and Left 4 Dead only caring about making money. What are you implying by that? That they should stop making adult games because some parents don't know how to raise their kids? Honestly, we have enough censorship in this world, we don't need any more. Just my 2 cents.
 
If video games don't harm a child's mind,then why have the rating systems on games?Why have NC-17 rated movies?Why age restrictions on adult titles?It's because a child's mind can be introduced to these kinds of things far too early in their already impressionable minds.I saw a video online so disturbing that I will never forget it.Can you imagine what the effects of that shock vid would do to a child's brain?
 
Re: You Think The Internet And Violence In Games Has Accelerated Child Corrupti

Well I hate to break it to you but that is the world we live in. You could live in a box for your whole life and never be subjected to something disturbing, but chances are if you live in the real world, you're going to see bad stuff, really bad stuff. That is why you raise your kids to understand violence is not acceptable and you ingrain proper morals in their brain at a young age. There's really no way you're going to prevent anybody from seeing something disturbing in this day and age, so your best bet is to just raise them right and try your best to make them a good person. It worked for me and most of the people I grew up with, and I can tell ya we watched plenty of violent movies far younger than we should have.
 
Kaz, your statements are coming off as idealist and authoritarian. Those words are those of someone who would give up liberties for protection. If you want the parents to have no say, then who would have say in what children do, the government? What gives you, or anyone else for that matter, the right to dictate what others do outside of causing bodily harm to other individuals?
 
I'm not dictating anything.I'm merely trying to open the possibility of other methods that society could use to help control this problem.Don't you feel that stiffer laws on selling games with blood guts to minors would help the parents out?I'm not trying to tell anyone how to do anything,I'm just trying to open a doorway to deeper thought on this issue.If you had a child that came home with a mature rated video game he or she bought at a local store would you not be a little ticked off at the sales clerk that sold it to them when they are clearly too young?
 
a) I don't have kids.

b) The store clerk has some responsibility. More accurately, restricted items are the stores' responsibility to not sell to minors.

c) Parents need to take responsibility for their kids instead of blaming it on the stores, the media, society, the schools, etc.

If parents find that their children have restricted items, they need to punish their children for possessing those items. If the child bought it from a local store and it was noted as an age restricted item, the parent needs to take it up with the manager of said store.

Placing more laws is just a bureaucratic way of trying to shelve responsibility. Adding more laws does not change that someone needs to just take responsibility.

The argument that laws need to restrict manufacturers from making adult material is simply passive aggressive jargon spewed by parents who don't take responsibility for their kids' actions.
 
Grindspine said:
a) I don't have kids.

b) The store clerk has some responsibility. More accurately, restricted items are the stores' responsibility to not sell to minors.

c) Parents need to take responsibility for their kids instead of blaming it on the stores, the media, society, the schools, etc.

If parents find that their children have restricted items, they need to punish their children for possessing those items. If the child bought it from a local store and it was noted as an age restricted item, the parent needs to take it up with the manager of said store.

Placing more laws is just a bureaucratic way of trying to shelve responsibility. Adding more laws does not change that someone needs to just take responsibility.

The argument that laws need to restrict manufacturers from making adult material is simply passive aggressive jargon spewed by parents who don't take responsibility for their kids' actions.

b) The store clerk has some responsibility. More accurately, restricted items are the stores' responsibility to not sell to minors.

That's what I'm saying in part.There should be stiffer laws for the store clerks and such.I believe this would help a great deal.Parents could certainly use the help,however little. :)
 
Stiffer laws mean nothing if the laws aren't being enforced in the first place.

Parents don't need a break, they need to take responsibility, as do most people.
 
Grindspine said:
Stiffer laws mean nothing if the laws aren't being enforced in the first place.

Parents don't need a break, they need to take responsibility, as do most people.

That's why they need stiffer laws to make the store clerks follow the law.If the laws weren't so lax then they would certainly smarten up and obey.That's why so many people get away with speeding and not paying their tickets.They know that all they're going to get is a slap on the wrist.Fine speeders $5000 then they'll think twice about speeding again,just as store clerks would think twice about selling mature rated games to kids.
 
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