Absolute Wuss

[Cranky Old Man]

To be honest, playing video games never affects children - nor has it.

Science says you're wrong:
- "Media Violence and children: a complete guide for parents and professionals" - Gentile, D.A. (2003)
- "The Psychology of Teen Violence and Victimization" - Paludi, M.A. (2011)

The stories on the media are just sensationalist and that guy who shot people and said he trained in a video game? He's insane anyway so I'd take anything he says with a pinch of salt. Video Game graphics are so distanced from reality, even now, that children can figure out that this isn't real.

It's not only Anders Breivik who used games as training simulators, but other shooters as well. The military has been using simulators for pilots for several decades, even when they didn't look anything near realistic, and they were only the pioneers in a wide field.

Infact, I'd say children are more aware of the brutality of violence today because video games are so soft compared to the real thing. They think that you don't really ever get badly hurt due to video games then they see their first school fight/have their first school fight and realize.

Not as long as they pick weaker targets. Especially if you use weapons, you rarely experience pain yourself.
The games teach everything but pain, though. They desensitize you towards violence and suffering, teach techniques, and conditions you with philosophies that justifies violence. To a child, a game can be a more involving parent than an actual parent.

I'd say playing a game like Amnesia could affect you if you're seven. Not the topics but just the terror you'd feel - and then you wouldn't be as easily scared in real life.

Now you're saying that it does condition you, just because now it suits you.

It is very rare for a video game to genuinely affect peoples lives and views on violence.

The whole idea behind having stories in media, is to affect the viewer in some way, and it works very well.