• 21Dec 12

  Are video games to blame? Or are humans?

  This is my first blog and haven't felt the need to start one until now. The articles on Gamespot about some politicians or organization leaders blaming video games for the tragic shooting has created quite a storm in the comment sections. You'll see some blaming guns and others blaming violent video games. I personally believe in both the First Amendment and the Second Amendment, but this is not what I am going to blog about. I'm here to start a discussion at looking at the cause through a different point of view: the possibility that it is human nature rather than video games that is the true cause.

  Violence has been with our species, homo sapiens, for a very long time and most likely with previous species of human. I believe, unfortunately, that violence is a part of human nature. Now, of course, more individuals are much more violent that others and others do not act out violently. But voilent acts are commonly heard of. War is one such example. Humans have been warring with one another for who knows how long, and we are not the only ones who do so. Even our closest relative, the chimpanzee, have been obserbed with war-like behavoir.

  I would also like to point out with regards to media is that when such atrocious acts are commited, the video game and film segments are popular targets to point the fingers at. Yet, why is not one other popular form of media not mentioned: literature. When you hear of a massacre, you don't often hear people advocating for book burnings. One can get sucked into the world of a book just as much as a film or video game. If violent video games and film are to be banned, why not violent books?

  So to finish off, any ban of media entertainment such as video games will be futile. Why? Because they are not the root cause of the violence and tragedies. It is our human nature and sadly, this trait will be with us for a long time.

  • Posted Dec 21, 2012 11:37 pm GMT
  • Category: Editorial
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