your opinion: Violent Video Games linked to Real Life Violence?

**ghosthunter** · July 17th, 2009 12:29 AM

What is your opinion on this?

Are violent video games linked to teen/adult real life violence?

**Negus** · July 17th, 2009 12:52 AM

Nope.

Best explained by watching the recently aired Penn and Teller's Bullsh!t episode where they tackled video game violence.

here's a low res flash version of the episode:
http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/168812/detail/

**roninblade** · July 17th, 2009 03:35 AM

generally, i don't think video game violence is in any way connected with real life violence.

but you never know what whack job is playing a violent game, and thinking its cool, goes out and does it in real life.

**niky** · July 17th, 2009 12:41 PM

It's the old chicken-and-egg argument.

Do serial killers become anti-social psychopaths because they play violent games? Or do they play violent games simply because they're anti-social psychopaths?

While playing violent games and listening to death-metal may be traits of juvenile shooters, that's like saying car-ownership is a trait of a road-rager or stock-trading a trait of a middle-age suicider. They're part and parcel of the environment.

One funny commentary on this subject comes from Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine"... where he pointed out that one commonality between the two shooters is that they both loved to bowl. Does that make bowling a possible cause?