The debate of video games causing violence has become more of a topic of discussion lately due to some huge false accounts and testimonies which has caused an incredible amount of damage to the industry and those who love it. I myself have been lumped in with the likes of school shooters and insane gun enthusiasts who believe in their god-given right to bear arms so I wanted to give a small account of what happened to myself.
When telling a person I knew about my video game love they questioned me on whether I thought games made me angry. It was a simple question and I gave a simple answer; video games have helped me to stay calmer. There has been many instances where playing a video game has helped me to get through things in my life rather than have to suffer without a place to express my feelings. Indeed while some may see gaming as an isolating experience I have found myself making more friends and being far more socially active when playing games, even deciding to lend my voice to the internet and follow my dreams of becoming a gaming journalist by starting this site.
Do I have violent thoughts? Everyone does, that’s just how life breaks you down eventually. I would feel more concerned for people who don’t have violent thoughts every so often as not being able to properly think over these things could lead to outbursts. Never have I thought to act out on these mere passing thoughts, and certainly video games have not led me to try and act on them. Those who believe that gaming is simply training school shooters need to understand that it’s not the games that cause people to act violently but that other social issues and even mental problems are the causes and video games are used as a scapegoat so that politicians and people who want something to blame don’t have to talk about the deep rooted societal problems ingrained in the western world.
I encourage you to talk about these things if people act ignorant. The longer we leave thoughts like these in the minds of the general populace the more likely we are to be labelled and shunned based on nothing other than our form of relaxation and entertainment. Let’s focus on education of these issues rather than creating a shouting match. Maybe then we can all just get along. I sorely hope this happens sooner rather than later.
That’s all for now, and as always. It’s not just a game, It’s a Life.