As a wise Ice-T once said, “Don’t hate the Playa.” The problem is, after more tragic mass shootings in Dayton and El Paso, people want answers for why this happened. Video games ended up coming up more than once, and not for the first time. For decades video games have gotten a bad rap (sometimes self-inflicted thanks to ill-thought out advertisements), blamed for horrible tragedies such as mass murder, but this argument is no longer simply tired and wrong, it’s hurting actual debate. While we won’t be looking at what the actual cause/solutions to this recurring horror is (if for no other reason I don’t feel qualified in the slightest to do so), we will look at just how much this argument stinks after all this time, as well as the less-stated problem it causes. And for those that want a meme, here’s one featuring Eric Andre and Hannibal Buress.
So why do people blame video games in the first place? There’s plenty of reasons, really. First up is the fact that it’s a fairly new artistic medium (though it should be pointed out we’re now hitting over four decades since the video game panic began). While social media has become the fresh punching bag on the block, video games still fit into the digital media umbrella that is often blamed for society’s ills. Second up we get the fact that games can depict violence (as well as how to give good boys the good pets), and fairly graphic stuff at that. This depiction of violence of course isn’t unique to games (anyone reading this ever watch Cube?), but there’s been concerns about sex and violence going on for such a long time that one of the pilots for the Muppet Show was called ‘Sex & Violence’. Third, video games can give the player control when violence does occur, which is indeed a unique part of gaming. Even if the simulation the game offers is unrealistic (such as being able to stack dead bodies in a bush with no one noticing), death is happening and you are in control of it. This, in a vacuum, can seem scary. It’s not hard to see where this concern comes from.
Now, do video games cause violence? No. There’s some quasi-exceptions to the rule of course, such as people getting into actual fights at game tournaments, or the very nature of swatting, but the basic argument that anyone who plays a video game will automatically have an inclination to cause harm is utter balderdash (that’s right, pure BD). There’s the fact that violence has actually gone down since video games starting rising to prominence. Consideralso the fact that countries like Japan have statistically less violence when scaled compared to the US despite it’s huge game market. Then there’s studies like the one done by the United States Secret Service in 2004 and the University of York in 2018 which both offer no real evidence of a connection between violent video games and violent aggression. There may still be anger, since human beings tend to get frustrated when we can’t achieve goals. That, however, isn’t unique to video games, as anyone who has ever witnessed a sports brawl will tell you. The Supreme Court of the United States has weighed in on this, and while they argued we might need to revisit this in the future, right now, still a bunch of BD.
So why are these arguments hurting debate? Well, besides the case against the video games cause violence being pretty strong (again, balderdash), it takes away time that could be used on other discussions. On the understanding mass violence situation, by attacking a false scapegoat you’re just wasting precious time that could be spent trying to stop more shootings from occurring through legislation or other means. That requires real, honest debate, not a rehash of tired arguments. Beyond that, the video game industry gets super defensive when this comes up, and not without reason. The problem is, everyone’s so busy defending video games, there’s less discussion and debate over other issues. Major console companies are having a look at the nature of loot boxes. Take-Two reportedly sent people to a Youtuber’s house to stop leaks on Borderlands 3. Netflix’s Patriot Act examined worker practices in the video game industry. Agree or disagree with any of these developments, these are the stories that should be the focus of gaming news sites, not the tired balderdash.
Bottom line, it’s frustrating that an article like this should even have to exist. However, there is still an unfortunate need for it and others of the same cloth. Please remember, the argument is pure balderdash. Be sure to use that word to respond to someone claiming it too, as hopefully they’ll respond better to language from the era of their bygone youth.
