In the wake of recent tragedies, many in the US government are championing irresponsibly violent video games. But is that a fair assessment? We take a look at that today. See what we’ve got to say and then join the conversation in the comments.
Even if kids are impressionable at a young age, which they are to an extent, good parenting usually helps as the main guidance tool in a child’s life. When I was young my mom told me the difference between right and wrong. My private school taught me this as well. I grew up knowing that acting aggressively towards another was bad. I played some violent games in my young teens (GTA comes to mind). I even saw some violent movies (including scary ones).
We all should know, especially from our experiences growing up, that you cannot keep everything bad from your child. That doesn’t mean you should give in and willingly let them have access to these things. But it does mean you should teach them about drugs, sex, violence, language, the world, politics, etc. when they start to come into the child’s life. We shouldn’t just say “Oh, they are bad!” but moreso we should educate them about what they are, why they exist, and if/when they are good or bad.
Oh, but that involves being a parent.
This is just my rant about how people blame inanimate objects as rationalization for why catastrophe happens instead of blaming bad parenting, poor schooling and education, lack of mental healthcare, and so forth. I wish it were that easy to blame a rock in the middle of the Sahara Desert for all the violence and hate that happens in our world today, but it’s not.
Hillary “Pokket” Nicole
Blizzard Entertainment has announced that World of Warcraft players raised over $2.3 million to be donated to the American Red Cross to assist victims of Hurricane Sandy. The money was raised through sales of the Cinder Kitten in-game pet. 100% of the cost of the Cinder Kitten was donated to the ARC.
