Video Games

[George]

Are video games harmful to kids?

[Bill]

Maybe I'm waaaayyyyy off base, but here's a take.

As for content of games affecting kids, I would say it's all in what mom and dad allow them to play.

[Guest Liberty]

According to some information that I heard on Moody Radio (Christian Broadcasting) a while back the police and other authorities were STUNNED AND AMAZED at the accuracy of the school shootings where the perps were playing FPS (first person shooter) games.  I think the kid who got the most press with this was Kip Kinkel.  It seems that nearly all his "kills" were head shots which is the toughest way to shoot someone.  It was asserted by the person being interviewed (I'm sorry I can't remember who it was)  that because this kid had been playing games in which the main object was to shoot and kill people, that he was able to do so in real life with no remorse (desensitization) and that he was extremely accurate with his shots because of all the practice he had aquired by shooting people in the game.  Kinda scary when you think of a twelve year old able to explode your head at fifty paces who knows no moral reason not to!

Which leads me to another question.... If this child had been educated at home, privately, or in a system that taught Creation and had it's act together enough to keep kids from picking on each other.... would this have happened?

Liberty

[Bill]

To Liberty:

[Voice of Reason]

First off, this is going to be kind of scrambled so plese bear with me.

[Guest Liberty]

Voice, I really don't have anything against vid games per se.

[boblandis]

There is a point to be made about video games making children un-social. There are too many parents out there that let their children spend evey waking hour playing those things. The violence in most of those games can't be helping either. Parental supervision is a key factor in their childs life. Video games and t.v. should not be parent and babysitter for children.

[Voice of Reason]

HERE HERE!

[skratshy]

I think video games can be alot of fun but I am juxtaposing them to what is going on in the world now where bush is telling the US that "make no mistake about it this is good verses evil".  He is talking about war or "strikes" against afghanistans taliban and terrorism.  Well, how does one look at something like that?  It used to be there was the good guys fighting the bad guys on tv and nobody got violent in the early sixties hardly (my childhood years) but now everyone is violent and the video games as well except even the good guys get nasty just like the good guys.  I think you have got to communicate with your children so wellthat you can almost let them choose for themselves what they want to play.  If you teach them right they will not WANT to play violent games.  THis is the key I think.  But I canno see myself going out and buying my child a game where there are these evil dragons and names that are like demonic or something.  No I would tell them there are such games and that this is not exactly what I think they should be interested in and I would back that up with showing them a really cool good guy game or video like (behing the times I know but) donkey kong or supermario.  Then I would actually play with them and make sure they really had a good time so that this will stay in their minds.  

[ladydiamond22]

I don't see nothing wrong with video games. I play them a lot. It also depends on the maturity of the child's mind to where a video game with violence may affect one child differently then the other. I don't think video games, television, or anything else in that nature causes children to be bad. It is simply, it is because of the parents today are not discipling there children like they use to. Besides in the last days father's and son's, daughter's and mothers will be against each other so video games is not the root of the problem. God is saying that it starts at home. Also, parents are seem to be getting younger and younger so children aren't having the proper training. Somethings we have to just give it over to God and like the prodigal son that child will come back home.