Poll: Violent videogames more dangerous than guns

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

The question was actually "What do you think is a bigger safety threat in America: guns or violent video games?". It doesn't go into detail by asking how big, and what kind, of a threat they believe it actually posses.

Also, they didn't only poll republicans, so it's not just republicans who believe this. In fact looking at the numbers... 86% of those people who describe them selves as "Very Liberal" said chose video games over guns. The other 14% chose not sure (nobody chose guns). But sure we can read into these numbers however we want.

Ask Pellosi and the other one what they think.

[Noir Angel]

Idiotic insanity. Games don't make people violent :/ If this poll were put forth in any other country though I wager the results would be pretty different.

[Stoffel]

So would it be wise for those few people who do get violent from playing games to own a gun? I don't think so.

In the US they can easily apply for a license and probably get it fairly quick because a background check would never show his violent behavior.

That's why so many of us are in favor of more thorough checks before you get a gun license.

[seta-san]

you people are messed up.. all i said was that between video games and gun... that video games are far more dangerous.

a gun needs someone stupid or violent enough to pull the trigger.

a video game is an interactive art where most of the time you're interaction is violence that is ever more violent and realistic. Ideas and desensatation to violence are far more dangerous than a gun. A game like Modern Warfare could inspire someone to pick up a real gun to begin with. I know alot of people who purchase katanas and replica weapons(buster sword, frostmourne) based solely on the inspiration of video games

[Athernar]

People who serve in the armed forces may become desensitised to violence, clearly as a precaution all veterans should be pre-emptively euthanized on the off-chance they might go on a rampage as a civilian.

[TheLegendOfMart]

Idiotic insanity. Games don't make people violent :/ If this poll were put forth in any other country though I wager the results would be pretty different.

They will do anything to keep hold of their guns, even spout lies.

[seta-san]

They will do anything to keep hold of their guns, even spout lies.

it seems like you'll do anything to keep your games. You're lying to yourself and everyone here if you can honestly say that video games hasn't desensatized you to violence.

[Rohdekill]

I think people were thinking of "immediate availability" of the source and "mental impact" when participating in the poll. For instance, one may think a game is more dangerous as they are readily available to a child, typically left laying out. If not in the house the child lives in, then available at a friends. And, since both adults typically work these days, minimum supervision or explanation that it is a fantasy game and shouldn't be reflective of real life. Yet, a firearm may be secured away and not available, nor have ammunition available; posing absolutely no danger.

[+Eternal Tempest MVC]

This has happened with comic books, (pre-McCarthy / Communism witch hunts) a physiologist when to prisons with trouble youth and tried to find a common thread, and it turned out to be comic books, and that was the "issue" that corrupted society, comic books were destroyed, get punished if you got caught having one by parents, etc. industry almost collapsed, and after that blew over, eventually recovered.

The pen and paper / dice role playing games Dungeon & Dragon's were vilified and "link" to satanic cults murdering people and were blamed (and attacked by the church).

Video Games been in these situations off and on.

I feel the right is trying to use video games as distraction / scapegoat the left's attack on gun control.

I really feel that the root of problems is the individual.

A normally adjusted comic reading, dnd playing, video game playing, legal gun owner doesn't go out and kill people.

A trouble person, that goes out and do horrible things, acquires a weapon (legally at the time or illegally) and may also partake in comic, dnd, video game, etc.

I doesn't help the media focus on the 1% extreme stories and brings it in your face day after day until your sense of reality get's jaded thinking the exception to the norm is the norm, which feeds in to fear, paranoia. That's not to say bad things don't happen, just not as common as you believe. If it does happen to you or someone you know it's understandable to have strong emotions / reaction, because you were in / close to the situation.

[AsherGZ]

I remember this documentry I watched a while back, Fahrenheit 9/11 if any of you remember and I especially remember a scene where when the newly recruited marines, who are basically 18-19 year old kids, went in to bomb Iraq they'd plug in heavy metal music to the tank's charlie box so everyone could hear it through there helmets and then go about wrecking havoc with their newly acquired toys to the soundtrack. And I couldn't help but think this looks oddly familiar to what we do in games like COD.

[threetonesun]

it seems like you'll do anything to keep your games. You're lying to yourself and everyone here if you can honestly say that video games hasn't desensatized you to violence.

Towards what, turtles? Invaders from another planet? You make it sound like all video games are horroshow deathfests, when in reality the few that are are basically armed forces simulators... which, in case you were unaware, said impressionable young adults can join in real life.

Go back as far as you want, people will always blame "media" as being violent. Look at the Bible... it's a bit old, mind you, and the first story tells tale where there were only 4 people on Earth, and one decided to kill another.

[LUTZIFER]

So what video games were being played in the early 1900s, the 1800s, 1700s, etc. etc?

There was probably more killing back in the old days/centuries than nowadays.

Either way, it's not the games that kill, it's the messed up head the psycho who's doing or gonna do the killing has, and would do whether he played the games or not.

[Azusa]

Over the years I've been gaming less and less and I have noticed one thing that games or modern ones at least seem to make people boring.

[Shadrack]

Seems irrational.

Which is consistent with the party platform.

[compl3x]

you people are messed up.. all i said was that between video games and gun... that video games are far more dangerous.

a gun needs someone stupid or violent enough to pull the trigger.

a video game is an interactive art where most of the time you're interaction is violence that is ever more violent and realistic. Ideas and desensatation to violence are far more dangerous than a gun. A game like Modern Warfare could inspire someone to pick up a real gun to begin with. I know alot of people who purchase katanas and replica weapons(buster sword, frostmourne) based solely on the inspiration of video games

As I mentioned earlier, gun culture seem to me to be far more influential on people than video games. American's masochistic relationship with guns never ceases to amaze me.

The only time video games are mentioned is when some criminal uses them shift blame for his/her behaviour.

"I killed those hookers because you can do it in GTA"

[Noir Angel]

you people are messed up.. all i said was that between video games and gun... that video games are far more dangerous.

a gun needs someone stupid or violent enough to pull the trigger.

a video game is an interactive art where most of the time you're interaction is violence that is ever more violent and realistic. Ideas and desensatation to violence are far more dangerous than a gun. A game like Modern Warfare could inspire someone to pick up a real gun to begin with. I know alot of people who purchase katanas and replica weapons(buster sword, frostmourne) based solely on the inspiration of video games

Christ, get in the real world. Gun owners are responsible for a hell of a lot more violence than gamers, in fact I can only even recall one case of a guy ever being inspired to violence by a game and he was completely crackers to begin with.

[seta-san]

Towards what, turtles? Invaders from another planet? You make it sound like all video games are horroshow deathfests, when in reality the few that are are basically armed forces simulators... which, in case you were unaware, said impressionable young adults can join in real life.

Go back as far as you want, people will always blame "media" as being violent. Look at the Bible... it's a bit old, mind you, and the first story tells tale where there were only 4 people on Earth, and one decided to kill another.

yeah. now imagine your in 7th grade. You don't fit in and friends come and go. You're bullied daily. You feel you have no control of your life. The only little bit of control you do feel you have is when you get home you play Call of Duty. It makes killing people so satisfying. It rewards you for kill streaks and head shots. In fact, the only real "achivements" you feel in real life is shooting the heads of digital heads.

Then one day you snap. You decide to live your in-game fantasy in real-life and try to get a record breaking kill streak.

The gun was tool. The game was the inspiration.

As I mentioned earlier, gun culture seem to me to be far more influential on people than video games. American's masochistic relationship with guns never ceases to amaze me.

The only time video games are mentioned is when some criminal uses them shift blame for his/her behaviour.

"I killed those hookers because you can do it in GTA"

"The only time guns are mentioned is when some politician uses them to shift blame for some criminal's behavior" -fixed

also it's nothing to do with "gun culture". it's the drug-war.

[The Evil Overlord]

yeah. now imagine your in 7th grade. You don't fit in and friends come and go. You're bullied daily. You feel you have no control of your life. The only little bit of control you do feel you have is when you get home you play Call of Duty. It makes killing people so satisfying. It rewards you for kill streaks and head shots. In fact, the only real "achivements" you feel in real life is shooting the heads of digital heads.

Then one day you snap. You decide to live your in-game fantasy in real-life and try to get a record breaking kill streak.

The gun was tool. The game was the inspiration.

Riiiiiiight!

scapegoat all you want, what about when all violent media is abolished, and people still go on killing spree's, what then?

[spaceelf]

yeah. now imagine your in 7th grade. The only little bit of control you do feel you have is when you get home you play Call of Duty.

Now imagine people stopped buying M rated games for their kids or giving them free reign to play whatever.

You know, imagine parents being responsible.

Yeah.

[seta-san]

you guys are funny. i'm not even really saying that video game do cause killings. This whole time i've just been explaing that blaming guns is even more illogical than blaming video games... which is also pretty damn illogical.

a gun is just a tool. It doesn't cause murders. A deranged mind causes murders. That is all.

[spaceelf]

I don't think many arguing for gun control in the US want them removed entirely. It'd just be nice to have some better standards in place.

While I can't personally elaborate, I think for the most part what needs to be said has been.

[gameboy1977]

this is so liar! I know. I am very smart that I know better how fun game is! I enjoy video game. the real gun is very dangerous than video games!

[The Evil Overlord]

this is so liar! I know. I am very smart that I know better how fun game is! I enjoy video game. the real gun is very dangerous than video games!

lol

You are much well articulated in responsiveness

[TheLegendOfMart]

it seems like you'll do anything to keep your games. You're lying to yourself and everyone here if you can honestly say that video games hasn't desensatized you to violence.

You don't know me, I don't enjoy violent games that don't have a reason to be violent, same goes for movies, tv shows, etc.. I don't enjoy mindless killing or brutal physicality including gore, I've never been in a fight in real life and I don't enjoy seeing fights in real life.

Yet I will quite happily play Grand Theft Auto or Battlefield.

Don't call me a liar when you don't know the facts.

I agree the gun is a tool, but if a person "snaps" and doesn't have access to that tool then lives are saved, and I bet right about now you are writing a post about 3d printed guns, or making bombs, or some other kind of RIDICULOUS argument.

[Som]

PEOPLE are more dangerous than violent videogames and guns, maybe we should ban people, it would save a lot of bother...