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Study Shows Violent Websites Linked To Violent Behaviour
Posted by Nick Broughall at 4:00 PM on November 6, 2008
Why is it that there are people out there who spend their days trying to prove a correlation between violence in movies/games/online/tv and violent behaviour? You'd think that after almost half a century of TV and still no final conclusion, these researchers would realise that they will never be able to prove anything.
The latest, courtesy of News.com.au, comes from Pediatrics, and was conducted by a group called "Internet Solutions for Kids". Yeah, like they don't have an agenda. They surveyed 1,588 young people aged 10 to 15 years old about their online media habits and predilection towards violent behaviour. The researcher then went on to claim that the interactive nature of the internet could mean that its influence is more powerful than other media... wait, isn't that what critics say about games?
So, even though I'm not a scientist or a professional researcher, I do have a small amount of common sense, (which the people who conduct these studies always seem to lack) and I'm going to use it to explain why every single one of these studies is a waste of time, money and effort and only diverts attention away from the real problems of the world. You ready? Here goes:
Humans are, by their very nature, violent. There, I said it. Any study trying to link violent behaviour with violent media is impossible to prove because we, as human beings, are inherently violent. Don't believe me? Then tell me, what TV show caused World War I? WWII? Vietnam? Or what if we go back further - The American Civil War? The Crusades? The Crucifixion of Jesus? Don't tell me that happened because of some book/TV show/movie/video game/website.
Humans have been violent since they first walked upright. Trying to find a convenient media to blame it on is stupid. The best course of action is to try and understand that fact and use "violent" outlets, like video games or team sports, to manage and contain our natural violent urges. That, and responsible education for children about the consequences of violence.
Feel free to argue with me in comments.
Comments
feral
Posted November 6, 2008 4:29 PM
No argument here, although I think parents are more to blame than any website or game...
brian
Posted November 6, 2008 4:41 PM
I would agree with you there. These 'studies' semm to play the blame game, whereas the actual problem is untouched.
Parents and children both need to be educated more about how to control that inner beast that lurks inside us all.
Wow I've said it too - ultimate cliche!
Anyway, I'll continue to play comical TF2, blowing poor Scouts into many pieces and some 'team sports'! All is well and good.
Howard
Posted November 6, 2008 5:20 PM
Agreed.
Gaming & the internet is getting negative attention just as other forms of media in the past have as well. Rock or metal music was once considered to cause violence, I'm sure when the television was introduced people thought it was Satan's creation or something similar.
Catharz
Posted November 6, 2008 6:06 PM
I'm totally with you on human beings having an inherently violent nature. But there is a common thread in all the examples you've listed.
Both WWII and Vietnam were in part caused by belief in particular political systems (in essence a fear of Communism). WWI and WWII were also fueled by expansionism fueled by nationalism (which is really just a belief in your own superiority).
The American Civil War had belief in slavery (or belief in the abolishment of it) as the major causal factor.
The Crusades and the Crucifixion of Christ both had belief in Christianity as the major motivating factor.
You could argue that certain books had a causal effect on many of these, but books again are just collections of "ideas" and "beliefs".
Personally, I live by the motto: "Don't believe everything you think". I get into less arguments that way. ;-)
Gav
Posted November 6, 2008 6:12 PM
Totally agreed.
I'm sure everyone by now is more than fed up with all this crap constantly pointing the finger at SOMETHING for these 1 in a million crazy people. Then again, one could also argue that it is a natural human urge to find someone/something to blame...
That aside, its unlikey to stop anytime soon with people who have too much free time and dont seem to understand anything they arnt personally involved in or in love with. The kind of people who sip tea for breakfast and consider the blandest of superlatives "swear words".
As hinted in the article, we NEED violent video games, TV shows and the like. Why do you think guys love playing mindless games where you get to tackle each other for no good reason? or anyone who owns a punching bag? loves a mindless violent movie? killing a few online buggers on the 360?
Its just a good outlet. Why keep trying to mess with it?
mr-crash
Posted November 6, 2008 8:56 PM
I don't understand. Even if they did prove this - how is it anything other than a correlation?...
So more violent people like more violent media?
That seems like common sense to me.
I'm missing the step where changing the accessible media available has any impact on these people at all.
If anything, i'd say removing it might mean they look for other ways to act out any violent tendencies they have, rather than engaging in vicarious relief of them.
JLord
Posted November 6, 2008 9:01 PM
To any "scientist" performing a study like this one It would be obvious even before they did any "experiments" that even if a correlation was found between kids being violent and the same kids frequenting violent websites they have no way of asserting a cause and affect relationship.
It seems much more plausible to me that violent kids visit violent websites because they are violent kids. It seems expected even. And anyone who would Report findings otherwise should be stripped of their degree and thrown into the pit of the Sarlac.
More worryingly is that "reports" like these come out as they try to take our internets away..:S
Willis
Posted November 6, 2008 11:02 PM
Common sense would say that the people who have spent months/years researching something properly would have the clue in this case.
Don't get me wrong, I'm playing through Fall Out 3 at the moment and have no problem with games etc.
Writing a paper based on evidence is not "playing the blame game".
I haven't read the paper but would also seriously doubt that it is referring to political or similar fueled violence. I doubt the taliban sit around playing computer games all day.
I don't mean to be rude but this article lacks. You like violent media. You don't want to be called violent and can't see how you've been affected in any way at all. People have started wars. Therefor research is rubbish.
I think its also pretty silly to imply that we 'need' violent outlets. Theres plenty of other ways to cope with things.
Finally I do find it annoying how media jumps on these sort of things like they've just split the atom.