Poll: Violent videogames more dangerous than guns

By compl3x
in Gamers' Hangout

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

+Gary7 Subscriber²

Posted
  • Subscriber²
Posted

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.

Grand Master

Noir Angel

Posted
Posted

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.

Grand Master

Stoffel

Posted
Posted

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.

Grand Master

seta-san

Posted
Posted

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

Grand Master

TheLegendOfMart

Posted
Posted

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.

Grand Master

seta-san

Posted
Posted

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.

Grand Master

Rohdekill

Posted
Posted

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.

Grand Master

+Eternal Tempest MVC

Posted
  • MVC
Posted

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.

  • threetonesun
  • Like 1
Grand Master

AsherGZ

Posted
Posted

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.

Grand Master

threetonesun

Posted
Posted

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.

Grand Master

LUTZIFER

Posted
Posted

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.

Grand Master

compl3x

Posted
  • Author
Posted

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"

  • +hedleigh and threetonesun
  • Like 2
Grand Master

Noir Angel

Posted
Posted

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.

Grand Master

seta-san

Posted
Posted

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.

Grand Master

The Evil Overlord

Posted
Posted

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?

Grand Master

spaceelf

Posted
Posted
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.

Grand Master

seta-san

Posted
Posted

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.

Grand Master

TheLegendOfMart

Posted
Posted

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.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Posts

    • WinXDVD 20th Anniversary Sale: Up to 64% Off DVD Ripper and AI Video Tool (Lifetime License)

      By olavinto · Posted

      DVD only? What kind of self-respecting optical disk backup/ripping tool doesn't support Blu-ray these days? I burned all my DVDs like 15+ years ago...
    • WinXDVD 20th Anniversary Sale: Up to 64% Off DVD Ripper and AI Video Tool (Lifetime License)

      By olavinto · Posted

      I'd love to hear your dad's opinion?
    • Hi my name is Olivia and I am from Australia

      By Jim K · Posted

      ...but you're Johnny, from Australia?    
    • Glow 26.9

      By Copernic · Posted

      Glow 26.9 by Razvan Serea Glow provides detailed reporting on every hardware component in your computer, saving you valuable time typically spent searching for CPU, motherboard, RAM, graphics card, and other stats. With Glow, all the information is conveniently presented in one clean interface, allowing you to easily access and review the comprehensive hardware details of your system. Glow provides detailed information on various system aspects, including OS, motherboard, processor, memory, graphics card, storage, network, battery, drivers, and services. The well-organized format ensures easy access to the required information. You can export all the gathered data to a plain text file, facilitating sharing with others for troubleshooting purposes. No installation needed. Just decompress the archive, launch the executable, and access computer-related information. Glow runs on Windows 11 and Windows 10 64-bit versions. Glow 26.9 changelog: New Features The processor hardware detection engine has been significantly enhanced beyond traditional Intel and AMD architectures. Native support is now available for modern platforms such as Apple Silicon (M-Series) and the newly introduced NVIDIA Spark. In addition, all ARM-based processors can now be accurately distinguished between ARM32 and ARM64 architectures, providing precise hardware reporting. This marks a major milestone for Glow's hardware detection capabilities. The RAM manufacturer identification algorithm has been expanded. JEDEC vendor codes for popular brands such as Patriot, PNY, Team Group, GeIL, Lexar (Longsys), and Asgard/Gloway have been integrated into the database. This significantly reduces the likelihood of incorrect or "Unknown Manufacturer" results and improves overall hardware detection accuracy. New Public IP Address and Internet Service Provider (ISP) features have been added to the Network section. To ensure reliability, this information is retrieved from the trusted service ipwho.is. When Hiding Mode is enabled, no requests are sent and these features remain hidden, as they may expose sensitive information. The search engine used in the Installed Drivers, Installed Services, and Installed Applications sections has been enhanced. You can now perform more flexible and accurate searches using initials, partial matches, and loosely arranged character sequences. The TS Preloader loading bar has been rebuilt using our modern TS Custom Controls graphics library, developed entirely in-house. As a result of this infrastructure upgrade, the loading bar now features smooth rendering and rounded corners that align with the visual style of Windows 11. [TS Updater] A new validation algorithm has been added to check whether the target application is currently running before the update process begins. Bug Fixes Resolved a condition that could prevent TS Preloader from shutting down safely during rare application crash scenarios. Fixed a text alignment issue in the Network section affecting the display of DNS addresses. Alignment is now rendered correctly. [TS Updater] Fixed an issue that could prevent the updated application's executable "*.exe" file from being located after the update process. [TS Updater] Fixed a bug that could leave outdated "*.sha256" files in the application directory after an update. [TS Updater] Fixed a rare issue that could cause subfolders to be moved into the root directory after an update. [TS Updater] Fixed an issue during the first launch that could cause flickering and a temporary white window appearance due to Windows Defender interactions. Changes A small improvement has been made to the internet connectivity detection algorithm. Connectivity checks are now performed in the background with minimal impact on the user interface thread. The keyboard shortcuts in the top menu have been reorganized and simplified to provide a consistent experience across all Türkaysoft applications and to avoid potential conflicts with standard Windows shortcuts. The TS Preloader splash image has been updated with a Türkiye-themed stadium design to celebrate Türkiye's qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup—its first appearance in 24 years. Congratulations, Türkiye! The TS Custom Controls module has been updated to version 26.6, delivering improved stability and a more polished visual appearance. [TS Updater] The application icon has been redesigned to provide a more modern and refined look. Note: Always unzip the program before using it. Otherwise you may get an error. Download: Glow 26.9 | 1.8 MB (Open Source) Links: Glow Homepage | Screenshot | Github Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • DWARF mini review: the world's smallest smart telescope for night and day sky captures

      By Steven P. · Posted

      DWARF mini review: the world's smallest smart telescope for night and day sky captures by Steven Parker DWARFLAB reached out to me asking if I was interested in checking out the DWARF mini, which is a portable astronomy telescope designed for amateur astronomers. Why do I say it's for amateurs? Well, for starters, it's not what you'd call "high end"; it's more of a professional-grade starting point for amateurs serious about capturing what's up there in our night and day skies. A typical amateur astronomer is most likely thousands of dollars deep into the hobby, and I will make no claims that this DWARF mini (at a fraction of the cost) could replace it all, okay? Well, if you read on, it will be clearer what I am trying to convey. Disclosure: DWARFLAB provided a free sample without any editorial input or review pre-approval. I have always been interested in looking up and observing the night sky. I see satellites crossing the sky above my garden most nights, and I am always looking at the moon. Yeah, I have a 200MP camera on my phone, but at 200X zoom, AI takes over and makes the pretty moon pictures that I snap, the DWARF mini does not, you get an actual true picture of what you can barely see with the naked eye. Before we start, let's share the highlights of the DWARF mini in bite-sized format: Pocket-Sized & Ultra-Lightweight Weighing just 1.85 lbs (840g), the DWARF mini easily fits into a backpack or large pocket. Its all-in-one, compact design makes it the ultimate grab-and-go digital telescope for hiking, camping, or traveling to dark-sky locations. Intuitive App Control & Built-in Sky Atlas Go from unboxing to your first shot in just 3 minutes! The DWARFLAB App provides a seamless experience with an interactive star map. Simply select your target and start exploring without the steep learning curve of traditional setups. Auto GOTO & 360° Pivot Freedom Enjoy pinpoint automated tracking with full 360° rotation. Powered by a high-sensitivity Sony IMX662 sensor (1/2.8-inch, 2.9μm pixels), it captures amazing, low-noise astro details, bringing faint nebulas and star clusters to life with stunning clarity. Pro-Level EQ Mode & Long Exposure Unlock advanced deep-space imaging with Equatorial (EQ) Mode. Supporting impressive single-frame exposures up to 90 seconds and featuring built-in light pollution filters, it easily cuts through city glow to reveal intricate celestial structures. Smart Cloud Processing & All-Ages Fun Effortlessly enhance your raw data with integrated cloud processing for professional-grade results. Perfect for beginners, kids, and adults, this telescope makes exploring and sharing the wonders of the universe an exciting, family-friendly adventure. The packaging is a pretty minimal affair with the outer box opening like a flap to reveal the plastic mould of the DWARF mini sitting in it. Below, the Sun filter, charging cable, cleaning cloth, and documentation can be found. DWARFLAB also provided a Mini Hydraulic Tripod ($89.99), and I highly recommend getting it if you plan on purchasing the DWARF mini, as it fully supports the motorized tracking feature of the telescope; plus, at 840g, the weight of the telescope, you will need a tripod that supports more than the weight of a smartphone anyway. What's in the box DWARF Mini Smart Telescope × 1 Sun Filter x 1 Type-C to Type-C Cord x 1 Cleaning Cloth x 1 User Guide With that out of the way, here are the full specs: DWARF mini Dimensions (DWH): 60.70 mm x 100.38 × 183.61 (2.39" x 3.95" x 7.23") Weight: 840g (1.85lbs) Aperture diameter: 30 mm (telephoto), 3.4 mm (wide angle) Image Sensor: SONY IMX662 1/2.8" (Telephoto) OmniVision OS02K10 1/2.8" (Wide-angle) Focal length: 150 mm (telephoto), 6.7 mm (wide-angle) Equivalent focal length: 1016 mm (telephoto), 45 mm (wide-angle) Shutter Speed: Tele - 1/10000-90s, Wide - 1/10000-30s Maximum exposure time: 90s (telephoto & wide-angle), Both in EQ mode Rotation range: Lens: 225°, Base: 360° Effective Pixels: 2.07M Maximum Resolution: 1920 × 1080 (Telephoto & Wide-angle) Built-in filters: Astro, Dark, Duo-Band (Telephoto), Astro (Wide-angle) Output: JPG, FITS, TIFF, MP4 Shooting Mode: Photos, Videos, Astronomy, Burst Shooting, Time-lapse Photography Storage: 64 GB Battery: Built-in 7000 mAh, supports external USB charging Charging Port: Type-C NPU: 1 TOPS Features: WiFi, NFC NFC One-Touch Connection Astronomy Post-Processing/Appointment Shooting/Astronomy Mosaic Wi-Fi Transmission Range: 15m (open environment) Color: Black Compatibility: iOS & Android smartphones/tablets Warranty: 2-years (24-months) MSRP: $399 Design Charge port On/off button Lens On the DWARF mini itself, it is a pretty minimal affair. On one side, there is a Type-C USB port to charge the non-removable 7000 mAh battery, and on the other side, a large button to power on or off the telescope. The button is flanked by an LED that is green when connected via the DWARFLAB app, or lights up red when being powered off. Below the button, there are four LEDs that indicate battery power. The DWARF mini does not have any sharp edges as all sides are rounded off; it has a good heft to it, but the weight of it feels quite balanced in the hand, so it isn't top or bottom-heavy. On the front there is the DWARFLAB logo which is quite small and there are no other markings on it. The tripod offers full 360° rotation of the motorized base, which allows for tracking for the time-lapse mode, but also for the 90-second captures of nearer objects in the sky, such as the Sun or the moon. Usage To get started, simply power on the DWARF mini and open the DWARFLAB app, tap on Connect, and it will scan for the DWARF mini over the Wi-Fi network. The device supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, as well as Bluetooth for discovery, so connection issues were minimal in my experience with it. As previously noted in the specs, the DWARF mini will stay connected with a phone or tablet up to 15 meters in an open environment, such as a backyard. Lighting status Powering on: The green circular light will rotate and breathe in turn Powering off: The red circular light is gradually extinguished Connecting: Green light strip rotating Connected: Green light strip solid/always on 4 lights 1= 0-25%, 2= 25-50%, 3= 50-75%, 4= 75-100% battery power To view the full lighting status, such as tracking mode and connection failure, you can check the user guide on the official DWARFLAB page. DWARFLAB app Above, you can see the steps undertaken to connect the DWARFLAB app to my Galaxy S26 Ultra. Weirdly, I got an alert that a firmware update failed to get uploaded to the DWARF mini the first time, but upon retrying, it worked. Then place the DWARF mini outside, make sure your smartphone or tablet is connected to it, and then head back inside, because you can manage it from the comfort of your home. Simply enter the Atlas tab in the app and search for what you want to capture, and then tap on the camera icon; the DWARF mini will then attempt to track the object and give you a live view right on your connected device. Results I've had the DWARF mini since April, but even though my garden is south-facing, I had a lot of trouble trying to capture a good image of the moon. In the end, it was possible after I took it with me on a trip to my parents in Southend, UK, at the end of May. Here is a capture of the moon, resulting from 20 stacked images over a 90-second exposure. What you are seeing here is not AI-assisted. A good example of what I mean is the latest flagships with their 200MP cameras claiming to capture things like closeups of the moon, and while they are not as good as the above example on the DWARF mini, the resulting image on smartphones is actually AI-assisted above 30X zoom. Here is an example of a similar shot at the moon at 200X zoom using an HONOR Magic8 Pro. The difference is clear. Next, here we have a shot of the daytime moon. Here is a shot of Arcturus, the red giant star, which is the fourth brightest in the night sky. As previously mentioned, it could be a bit clearer, but clouds passing in front of it muddied the shot a bit. The Sun The DWARF mini also ships with a sun filter, meaning you can take great shots of the sun as well. Tracking Sun Resulting (stacked) shot Live zoom The pictures themselves are limited to Full HD, and some of the examples actually came out in HD (1280x720), but this is because the standard telescopic result is in 720p while "Wide" is in 1080p. Above you can see how in the app the Sun is tracked, the resulting capture, and Live zoom. I have only scratched the surface of what is possible with this telescope; I found several examples online of shots of the Milky Way, among others, such as nebulae and galaxies. All of this requires patience and knowledge, although if you know what you are looking for, simply enter it in the Atlas tab in the DWARFLAB app, tap the camera icon, and the telescope will attempt to track it. Conclusion The good The DWARF mini definitely places itself in a price point that makes astrology accessible to anyone looking to get started in the hobby. Say you want to have a closer look at the moon, simply enter it in the Atlas, and the Live view also lets you zoom in and snap pictures. The bad Some issues I came across while operating the DWARF mini were that it sometimes failed to connect unless I held my smartphone right next to it, and finding and tracking sometimes took several attempts to get it calibrated. I discovered that it helped if I sort of positioned and pointed the telescope in the general area it was supposed to detect, but this obviously wouldn't work with objects you can't see with the naked eye; more testing is required for that. Another bit of advice is to ensure that the lens is clean. While making the examples of live zooming on the sun, I discovered that the telescope lens and sun filter were not completely clean, and only after cleaning with a microfiber cloth was I able to get a decent shot of the sun. Where to buy and a coupon Okay, $399 is not cheap for a side hobby, but nor is a $1,500 smartphone flagship that you'll most likely have for a couple of years. This is a one-time entrance into astrology, and it won't become obsolete in one year like a smartphone. It's a thumbs up from me. The DWARF mini is available to buy right now in the U.S. and U.K. at the links below. DWARF mini for $399 on the official site DWARF mini for $399 on Amazon U.S. Use the NEOWIN5OFF coupon code for an additional 5% off at checkout (expires June 21) As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Recent Achievements

    • One Month Later
      lamborghiniv10 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      lamborghiniv10 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Reacting Well
      X-No-file earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • One Month Later
      pestcontrol46 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      pestcontrol46 earned a badge
      Week One Done

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      504
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      270
    3. 3
      +Edouard
      75
    4. 4
      Skyfrog
      74
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      71
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!