Tragedy strikes at a school, a shooting occurs and the assailant is a fan of video games, violent video games. Therefore, the hours the assailant spent enthralled in this fantasy world morphed a killing machine at least that is what some would claim. Violent videogames like Doom have been in the hot seat because according to some reports this was the favorite video game of the Columbine school shooters. Violent video games are not to blame for creating violent tendencies or creating confusion between fantasy and reality. There are many factors that can contribute to such behavior and to blame just one influence is irresponsible. Although some of those factors may have validity others seem as ridiculous as blaming a violent video game. After
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In 2010 Amy Bishop a forty four year old professor killed three colleagues at her university, prior to that attack she had other violent outburst towards her brother, neighbors and even strangers. Amy Bishop had a history of violence, the cause for her behavior is simply referred to as disturbed and crazy. In 2012, shortly after the Sandy Hook massacre sixty two year old William Spengler killed two volunteer firefighters, the act was not blamed on violent video games but his mental illness. When you read about an adult over twenty that went on a killing spree you never read that it was initiated by the assailant playing violent video games. The reason would seem to be that society can accept the reasoning of mental illness or other factors with an adult assailant, but not when it comes to a child that …show more content…
“However, there is no concrete evidence that has shown a convincing, consistent connection between violent media and gun assaults". If research did confirm the correlation that books, games, music that contain violence can invoke aggressive behavior and killers, then bans should be put on the bible, classic novels such Romeo and Juliet or Lord of the Flies. If music evokes killers then ban AC/DC’s Dirty Deeds done Dirt cheap, the songs imply if you’re having trouble call a hitman. Its’ doubtful that anyone who has listened to that song can say it provoked violence in them to the point they actually called a hitman to kill someone. But that might be what some would assume since there were those who blamed Marilyn Manson and his satanic identity as one of the main influences for the Columbine Massacre. Supposedly the two assailants were fans of Marilyn Manson and his music. “Violence has been persistent across storytelling media of all kinds” (Jenkins). Blaming violent video games for violent teen attacks is no more productive than blaming the news media for bringing crimes of violence into our homes night after night.
In 2010 Amy Bishop a forty four year old professor killed three colleagues at her university, prior to that attack she had other violent outburst towards her brother, neighbors and even strangers. Amy Bishop had a history of violence, the cause for her behavior is simply referred to as disturbed and crazy. In 2012, shortly after the Sandy Hook massacre sixty two year old William Spengler killed two volunteer firefighters, the act was not blamed on violent video games but his mental illness. When you read about an adult over twenty that went on a killing spree you never read that it was initiated by the assailant playing violent video games. The reason would seem to be that society can accept the reasoning of mental illness or other factors with an adult assailant, but not when it comes to a child that …show more content…
“However, there is no concrete evidence that has shown a convincing, consistent connection between violent media and gun assaults". If research did confirm the correlation that books, games, music that contain violence can invoke aggressive behavior and killers, then bans should be put on the bible, classic novels such Romeo and Juliet or Lord of the Flies. If music evokes killers then ban AC/DC’s Dirty Deeds done Dirt cheap, the songs imply if you’re having trouble call a hitman. Its’ doubtful that anyone who has listened to that song can say it provoked violence in them to the point they actually called a hitman to kill someone. But that might be what some would assume since there were those who blamed Marilyn Manson and his satanic identity as one of the main influences for the Columbine Massacre. Supposedly the two assailants were fans of Marilyn Manson and his music. “Violence has been persistent across storytelling media of all kinds” (Jenkins). Blaming violent video games for violent teen attacks is no more productive than blaming the news media for bringing crimes of violence into our homes night after night.