Amnesia Doesn't Scare Me...

[Bridge]

The point here is that in real life, killing people is not okay in any way, even liking it is bad. What you have to understand is the difference between real life, and video games. Most people with proper/normal levels of brain power are successfully able to do that. While in a game they'll enjoy killing the enemies, when he turns off his computer, and goes into real life, he'll still have morals about the fact that killing is bad, and probably would never even consider doing anything of the sort.

EDIT: Also, Cranky I'll bring something else up with you. This is one of the reasons we have video game ratings. Children are still developing their minds, and much more able to REALLY incorporate super-extreme actions into their lives if not kept in check. The reason why older people, like ourselves are allowed to play such "traumatizing" games is because our psyche's development is nearly well within our own control. We can tell what's right, and what's wrong as well as what's real, and what's just a virtual video game. We have enough control over our minds at this stage of life that we can easily keep the two from mixing together.

1. I basically agree with you but I don't like this black and white view of it. Killing people can be completely okay, and it is not bad in all cases. Your point is good however.

2. Highly debatable. Not only is there no scientific evidence to support that claim, but I agree with Frank Zappa on this matter in that ratings are complete bullshit. In one of his lectures he raised a very good point by saying that if you glorify murder by PG13izing it instead of portraying it like it is (messy and horrifying) then you are teaching children that murder has little or no consequences. So ironically by sheltering them from "traumatizing" imagery you are actually teaching them that said imagery isn't so traumatizing. If a kid watches a very violent yet "disturbing" movie like Oldboy for example he will be left with a bad feeling in his stomache which ultimately results in him wanting to avoid violence. Isn't it funny how the efforts of soccer moms in the US and elsewhere are totally negated by the way the human mind works? By restricting and demonizing ideas you inevitably increase the demand for them and by showing a skewed version of those same ideas you do nothing but teach people that those distorted realities are truth. Give kids the straight dope and let them decide for themselves: the future of education.