Google Abandons Motto: ‘don’t Be Evil’

[raineth]

although I'm not anywhere near well versed in tis topic as Aidan, my understanding is the role that such video games/movies play is to normalise the behaviour. People can become desensitised to what they are seeing, especially when they watch/play it several times.

and just as an interesting side note:

Quite a few years ago my hubby and I went to a motorbike shop owned by a good friend of his. This guy was really nice guy, came across as a gentleman and in many ways he was, he did volunteer work and looked after his parents well and was just overall a nice guy.

Anyway when we went to his shop he showed us his bull terriers, then another workman proceeded to get the two dogs (brother and sister) to fight each other. Our friend didn't mind him doing this to his dogs at all! I looked pretty horrified and the otherguy said its all right because if there gets to be too much blood they just pick them up by their tails and separate them for a while. Neither of them thought it was a big deal.

[conztruct]

although I'm not anywhere near well versed in tis topic as Aidan, my understanding is the role that such video games/movies play is to normalise the behaviour. People can become desensitised to what they are seeing, especially when they watch/play it several times.

and just as an interesting side note:

Quite a few years ago my hubby and I went to a motorbike shop owned by a good friend of his. This guy was really nice guy, came across as a gentleman and in many ways he was, he did volunteer work and looked after his parents well and was just overall a nice guy.

Anyway when we went to his shop he showed us his bull terriers, then another workman proceeded to get the two dogs (brother and sister) to fight each other. Our friend didn't mind him doing this to his dogs at all! I looked pretty horrified and the otherguy said its all right because if there gets to be too much blood they just pick them up by their tails and separate them for a while. Neither of them thought it was a big deal.

Poor dogs.

[raz]

although I'm not anywhere near well versed in tis topic as Aidan, my understanding is the role that such video games/movies play is to normalise the behaviour. People can become desensitised to what they are seeing, especially when they watch/play it several times.

See this is where I'm not getting it. As I said earlier, I'm a horror movie fan but I'm not the least bit interested in seeing a person murdered in real life. My bro has made a couple of horror genre movies - he's not a violent person. Tarentino is probably the dorkiest guy in the world but look at the films he makes and watches. My BIL used to test software for games and he's an Anglican Minister - you couldnt meet a bigger dork

OK question for Aidan and Staranais - if a friend, boss, member of your family bought that app, would you think differently about them? Normal everyday person who just likes to play games on their android phone for a bit of escapism, has no intention of buying a dog to get into such a disgusting sport, just wants a bit of mindless time out.

[raineth]

yes it was awful

[raineth]

although I'm not anywhere near well versed in tis topic as Aidan, my understanding is the role that such video games/movies play is to normalise the behaviour. People can become desensitised to what they are seeing, especially when they watch/play it several times.

See this is where I'm not getting it. As I said earlier, I'm a horror movie fan but I'm not the least bit interested in seeing a person murdered in real life. My bro has made a couple of horror genre movies - he's not a violent person. Tarentino is probably the dorkiest guy in the world but look at the films he makes and watches. My BIL used to test software for games and he's an Anglican Minister - you couldnt meet a bigger dork

OK question for Aidan and Staranais - if a friend, boss, member of your family bought that app, would you think differently about them? Normal everyday person who just likes to play games on their android phone for a bit of escapism, has no intention of buying a dog to get into such a disgusting sport, just wants a bit of mindless time out.

hi raz

its just that it is like a piece of the puzzle in a bigger picture.

[raz]

hi raz

its just that it is like a piece of the puzzle in a bigger picture.

Hi raineth Gee I find this topic fascinating. Come back, Star!

[Maddy]

There has been research done in the US (quite recently) that pointed to exactly the opposite conclusion of the researchers you refer to- they found no link between violence and video games.

The exact opposite effect would be a finding that violent video games produce pro-social and benevolent behaviours.

I'm pleased you brought that up. The study found gaming to be a very social activity and gives children a safe outlet to express violence.

That aside, team-based PvP requires a player to learn how to function as part of a group. You have to learn how to cooperate and communicate effectively. The "steroeptypical" angry gamer who just runs around by themselves, PKing everything in sight and then throwing his keyboard around before going outside to kick puppies is a creature thought up by the same people who want to ban violent video games. I've been a gamer for almost 20 years and have yet to come across the sort of violent, evil children we're constantly being warned about. Gamers are, in my experience, well-adjusted, normal people who've suffered the stigma of being gamers owing to poorly conducted research and ignorant stereotyping (usually from people who've never picked up a controller in their lives).

I PvP on an NwN server that uses high-end gear and allows all classes, the result is a highly competitive play environment that requires very tight teamwork and the ability to very quickly communicate an idea or strategy. The ability to function as part of a group (even if your role isn't the most fun) is, in my opinion, a valuable social skill to have.

So, I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, my own experience (and results of unbiased studies) forms the basis of my opinion and that isn't going to change based on anything said here.

http://www.grandtheftchildhood.com/GTC/Research_Papers.html Some papers you might find interesting.

Edited to add..

http://www.gamecouch.com/2008/02/interview...heft-childhood/ Interview with one of the authors

Edited April 27, 2011 by Hardy's Angel

[Aidan3]

The "steroeptypical" angry gamer who just runs around by themselves, PKing everything in sight and then throwing his keyboard around before going outside to kick puppies is a creature thought up by the same people who want to ban violent video games.

I didn't use a single stereotype, let alone that one. Who is doing the stereotyping here?

I've been a gamer for almost 20 years and have yet to come across the sort of violent, evil children we're constantly being warned about.

I grew up playing Duke Nukem and Doom and my brother is an avid gamer (a computer scientist with a PhD in artifical intelligence, you know he's going to love his games!) I started making violent (text-based) computer games when I was 8 years old. I'm possibly the least violent person on my rugby team, including the wingers

Violent, evil children are out there. I've spent a few nights in pubs in Launceston so I'm not sure how you've missed them I doubt that computer games alone could cause that, and I've never said they would. You seem to be confusing sensationalist media reporting with science and conflating my argument with that.

So, I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, my own experience (and results of unbiased studies) forms the basis of my opinion and that isn't going to change based on anything said here.

http://www.grandtheftchildhood.com/GTC/Research_Papers.html Some papers you might find interesting.

So where are these unbiased studies you are talking about? The ones all by the same author on the pro-gaming website you linked to? The ones that rely on self-report survey and correlational data which can't possibly determine causal links?

Researchers inevitably have some bias. Anderson certainly does, as does Olson. Whether someone is methodologically biased or not is of greater concern and that is what I look at. It's a non-sequiter to look at someone's data and then label the researcher as biased simply because of their data.