Videogame Violence: Where's the harm?

It seems hardly a day goes by nowadays without a report of some kid shooting up his school ‘because he played Counter-Strike’ or of how young minds are being corrupted by ‘triple x pornography in games marketed to teenagers’. It was only yesterday that the infamous Jack Thompson put the blame for the recent NIU tragedy where a 27 year old gun down students supposedly because he played Counter-Strike 4 years previously (and had absolutely sod-all to do with the fact he had stopped taking his medication for mental illness).

Like it or not, violence in videogames is big news at the moment. Be it school shootings in the US or links to kids and knife culture here in the UK. Forums everywhere from xbox.com to IGN and CVG are full of gamers up in arms that their beloved pastime is being brought into disrepute. However is there more to this than gamers realise?

The fact is that violent game, as well as violent books; films; images, cartoons or websites can, and will have some form of effect on the individual engaging with them. The effect it has however is entirely down to the suggestibility of the individual concerned.

During the 19th century Antonin Artaud created the Theatre of Cruelty. This is a type of stage theatre that was designed to be so visually shocking and sickening in its use of violent imagery that it was meant to have a cathartic effect on the audience, cleansing them of their anger, aggression and fear. By witnessing others engaging in acts that a person is meant to subconsciously desire allows them to purge themselves of pent up emotions and thus lead a better and more fulfilling life. If we look at the popularity of public executions in previous times and even to the present day in many countries across the globe we can see how this may well be true.

People have an innate desire to witness suffering. It somehow makes ourselves feel better. We love watching Comic Relief and Children in Need with all their stories of third world suffering and we gain some warped satisfaction from viewing images of war on TV. We KNOW that what we are viewing is horrible, that what we are witnessing is distressing and sickening but we still watch it. Why? Because deep down the only way we can feel better is by reminding ourselves of what we are capable of, and feel more powerful knowing that we have the restraint not to carry out the acts we see.

The same theory applies to videogames, horror films an almost all other forms of ‘unengaged violence’. We sit down with our 360 pads and tap the B button to unleash chainsaw hell on our unsuspecting foe and a grin spreads across our faces. We let stream profanity after profanity when we get our arse handed to us due to a lucky plasma grenade…and we LOVE IT. Not just because its entertaining but because we are fulfilling those subconscious fantasies we so desire everyday but that our consciousness, and society, forbid to us to engage in.

However, what would happen if your consciousness was affected in someway?
Its well known and documented by psychologists, doctors, psychiatrists etc that certain things can affect how a persons conscious and subconscious works interact.

• Age – as you grow older the border between the conscious and subconscious mind becomes more prominent and thus much easier for us to avoid acting on impulse. This is largely down to learning the ways of the world and the laws of the society in which we live. Children therefore are more prone to act on subconscious impulse than adults.
• Testosterone – the greater the level of testosterone in your body the more prone to act on aggressive impulses you will be. It becomes much more difficult for a person to restrict the extent to which they express their aggressive impulses.
• Drugs/Alcohol – the more under the influence of drugs and alcohol you become the more the border between conscious and subconscious blurs. The easier it becomes to act on subconscious impulse.
• Mental Health – if you are already suffering from mental health problems then the higher the risk of you acting on subconscious impulse.

Obviously these things alone would not necessarily mean that you are going to go out and shoot down a few pedestrians but if these things are combined with other catalysts such as bullying, peer-pressure or exposure to violent images etc then the likelihood of engaging in a violent act is increased.

Therefore a child who is being bulled at school, going through puberty, witnesses’ domestic violence at home and plays Halo for 13 hours a day is more likely to commit an act of violence than a 28 year old that has had three pints of Golden Boot and has spent 4hours playing Gears of War.

The fact is that videogames DO affect the people that play them. Are they the reason why Stephen Kazmierczak decided to walk into his old University on Thursday 14th February 2008 and shoot as many people as he could before turning the gun on himself? Of course they aren’t but there is the possibility that, due to his mental health issues, playing violent videogames could have increased the probability of him committing a violent act.
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Challenge Brits Know Best

Do you have a clan that feels they have what it takes to defeat the best BKB has to offer? Well prove it!

To issue a challenge just send a message to (gamertag) mrteeps or Lees75 and get ready to die!

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And the free game is.........

UNDERTOW, yes your free game from Microsoft due to xbox live issues. Unfortunately those of you who already own Undertow get nothing which is bang out of order, Microsoft yet again follow up good news with bad. Customer care is something which they clearly lack match practice in. Undertow is available to download for free from Wednesday through to Sunday.

EDIT: I however feel you should all stop being miserbale bastards and just play gams...its 2 quid for christs sake...let it lie! Teeps xxx

Other news is that Brits Know Best have now entered the GOW league and tournament on Xleague. We are looking for other players to play other games such as COD4, PGR4, Fifa 08 and Halo 3. If interested please contact britsknowbest@btinternet.com, thanks.


Lees75

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WELCOME: FROM BKB

Afternoon all!

Well, hello and welcome to the home of Brits Know Best. An xbox 360 'clan' (we hate that word, creates images of stupid 14 year old kids who like to hurl abuse and play crap music down your headset) created in 2006 with the aim to purely play games and have a laugh doing it.

This site will keep anyone who is actually interested in BKB updated on all events etc, but also provide interesting 360 related news and clips that we may stumble upon over the internet.

Any questions you may have, news you think we need to share, or if you're just bored and want to irritate us, feel free. email us at britsknowbest@btinternet.com.

Thats that out the way..enjoy the site.

Keep Fragging


mrteeps
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