Anyone who watches CNN has seen the countless times they blame video games for real-life violence. Most recently the channel insinuated that a game called Silent Scope for PlayStation 2 teaches kids to shoot sniper rifles and was being blamed for the Washington Sniper. I for one am sick of hearing the media run their mouths, hypocritically blaming something like video games for violence in America. How much sense does it make that CNN is constantly blaming video games for violence, but have absolutely no problem showing two weeks of non-stop disaster coverage after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 or airing live coverage from the latest gruesome killing or crime spree?
CNN is not what pisses me off the most though. Instead, it’s the teenagers that use violent video games as a scapegoat for their own crimes. Just recently, on November 14th, Yahoo! News ran a story about a 19 year old that was caught breaking into cars and stealing whatever was inside. In his statement he admitted to breaking into at least 150 cars and stealing one. He also blamed the game “Grand Theft Auto 3” for giving him and his friends the idea.
The only reason that teens blame games is because they know that it will give them massive media coverage. Anytime that a teenager blames a video game for a crime the media eats it up and airs tons of reports on the effect of violent games on teenagers. What I find funny is that if someone were to blame the news for giving them the idea to commit a crime they would just be laughed at. Why is it that the media is so accepting of violence in a fictional world affecting teenagers, but shuns the idea that real life violence and crime depicted on TV has any affect? If I were to go to the local convenience store, pull out a pistol, shoot the guy at the register, and steal all the money, then go and say that I got the idea from watching CNN Headline News, I would be laughed at and given a huge sentence… While the asshole that blamed video games gets off on probation and some minor therapy because it wasn’t his fault that video games corrupted his mind.
I have no problem agreeing that violent video games can desensitize us to violence, and I also have no problem agreeing that video games can affect an already mentally unstable person. However, the majority of gamers are 17-28 and by that time I would hope that you’d be smart enough to know that video games are not real, and if you kill someone in real life they actually die. If someone under the age of 18 gets a hold of a violent video game then blame the parents, not the gaming industry. There are games ratings for a reason.
I think that Eminem puts it best in the song “Sing for the Moment,” when he says, “They say music can alter moods and talk to you, but can it load a gun up for you and cock it too?” Well the same is for all media, including video games. I play a lot of video games, both violent and nonviolent, but that doesn’t mean I am able to shoot a gun. In the miniscule chance I could actually get my hands on a real gun, I wouldn’t have a clue how to load it and keep the thing from blowing up in my hands. There is a huge difference between shooting a gun in real life, and pressing a little electronic button shooting at some random pixels on a TV or computer screen. If I wanted to commit a crime, you’d probably end up seeing me on one of those TV Shows depicting the world’s dumbest criminals after shooting myself in the foot. I would imagine that the same is true for most gamers. Video games offer an escape from the real world and are viewed as that way by a huge majority of the gaming population.
The Electronic Software Ratings Board (ESRB) was created for a reason. That reason was to allow gamers and parents to know what kind of content was in a game before buying it, and to give a good idea of an age group that the game would be appropriate for. The same goes for the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and movies. I’ve heard of news reporters referring to links between people who play violent games and those who go see violent movies, and that this was further proof of kids being influenced by violence in the media.
Think back to when “The Matrix” was released. News reporters had a frenzy saying that this movie was going to corrupt our youth and cause more violence, then went and linked it to violent video games saying the same people who saw the movie play these games. All I have to say is, “Well DUH!” I mean seriously, if violent video games are made to appeal to gamers 17 and up, and a movie that is rated R is meant for that same exact audience, of course the same people will do both.
To me, there is only one possible solution to this problem of pointing the blame. Pass a bill through congress. Make it illegal to sell or rent rated M games and rated R movies to anyone under 17. I know, all you 12-15 year old gamers who claim you are mature are going to hate me, but it’s the truth. I’ve fought against the notion that violent games make violent people for a long time, even before I turned 17 and to me the only way to stop this blaming would be to pass such a bill. Think about it. No longer will anyone be able to blame some stupid punk kid for playing a violent game, because his parents would have had to buy it for him. For those 17+ guys who decide they are going to blame games on some crime spree, they would have no excuse because by the age of 17 you are old enough to know the consequences for your actions. Maybe then my favorite pastime could finally get some respect.
Matt Schraeder
