[stackcollision]

Parenting is the real issue here. If you can't teach your kids the difference between reality and fantasy, you have failed.

I had caring parents who love video games. I have been playing violent games since my dad got Doom for our N64. I am a well-adjusted individual with a good job, a happy relationship, a stable living condition, and plenty of friends.

Why didn't video games turn me violent? It's probably because while my parents love games, they didn't let me sit in front of them 24/7. They made sure I did my work, had an after-school job, was involved in clubs, etc. The same applies for any other medium, like TV. Everything in moderation.It's not the job of the video game industry to make sure kids are only playing x-hours per day, it is the parents'.

[tunesmith]

It might also be because video games have a poor correlation towards gun violence in general. Video games exist in other countries that don't have our style of gun violence. Of course, I suppose it's possible that those other countries have superior parenting, as well.

[dobbsbob]

My parents were never around I played ultra violent games all the time, would watch porn with my friends (stole his dads porn cache), would watch ultra violent movies and listened to gg allin and any other extreme bands like the mentors plus a healthy dose of gangster rap and I've never killed anybody nor did I end up some crazed sexual deviant. None of my friends from back then have murdered anybody either.

These people do this because they are certifiable fruitcakes. Their brains don't work and if Batman doesn't exist it would be something else like religion or catcher in the rye. Crazy people are crazy.

Every spree shooter is exactly the same a flaming narcissistic nutjob. Except those 2 colombine kids they were sort of the combo breakers then it was back to monotone speaking, thousand yard staring wackos like Cho/vtech

[mistercow]

I don't think there is a real issue here, because there's a lack of good evidence that video games are linked to real-life murders in the first place, regardless of parental influence.

Sure, there's some evidence that playing violent video games increases aggressive play in young children, but to connect the dots from that to shooting sprees is like concluding that because baby dolls encourage maternal role play in young girls, exposure to dolls will lead to higher teen pregnancy rates. It's an insane generalization in the first place, and there's no reason to even bring parental responsibility into the discussion.

[btilly]

Arguing that good parenting obviates the need to restrict violence in games is like arguing that good driving obviates the need to wear seat belts.

Just to be clear, I am not arguing for restricting violence in video games. I am pointing out that demanding eternal vigilance from everyone is generally an ineffective solution for systemic issues. Indeed current trends towards single parents and two working parents trend towards worse parenting on the whole - not better.

[pekk]

There is no evidence that sufficient experience playing (say) Doom deathmatch will turn anyone into a mass killer. 'Moderation' is probably a red herring.

[Firehed]

Indeed. I think the best correlation may be that if someone is already inclined to commit mass violence, they may be able to improve their technique for practicing murder with a violent video game by studying various reactions by human and computer players.

This, of course, is equally true for watching any violent movie, and even just the news these days. But don't let that get in the way of some good sensationalism.

[OGinparadise]

Why didn't video games turn me violent? It's probably because while my parents love games, they didn't let me sit in front of them 24/7. They made sure I did my work, had an after-school job, was involved in clubs, etc....

I agree with what you are saying but compare apples to apples. The Senator tried to blame (maybe also blame) games for the shootings when many are calling for limiting gun /gun variety ownership. So to be fair, we should mention that not everyone with a gun shoots his classmates either.