Damn statistics!
A friend pushed me in the direction of a couple of interesting statistics. Since Doom was released in 1993, violent crimes in the United States have [dropped] to 40% of what they used to be. Coincidence? Possibly, yes. However, the year Quake and Duke Nukem 3D were released, violent crimes fell by 4%, and a further 2% when Grand Theft Auto was released.
I don’t take that as mere coincidence. A simple Google search brings up countless articles citing experiments and analysis on how a child’s mind gets affected by the violence and gore in video games.
[…]
Is this the critics of the video game industry’s dirty little secret? An interesting analogy is the United States national drinking age, known to be higher than most countries in the world. Why? It’s easy to justify based on the fairly blatant statistics: in 2005, the total of people killed in alcohol related car accidents has fallen 32% since 1984 […] If Jack Thompson were to provide me with such strong statistics, maybe I would be inclined to agree with him a little more.
At the end of the day, (as the Virginia Tech. shootings taught us), some people are just messed up in the head. I think it’s a bigger leap to say that a criminal’s behavior is the cause of playing violent video games than to say that Doom started a shift in the climate of the United States (and probably the world over) in reducing violent crimes.
Uncle Dave and his Damn statistics!
In the years when TV first came out, there was this steady increase in traffic accidents.
Using your analysis and thinking, allot of people must of had vacuum tube TVs in their car and a very long extension cord.
Those Damn statistics never lie!
I guess correlation does mean causation. Darn, them there damn statistics professors lied to me.
Thanks Uncle Dave for setting me straight!
Do you have some Montana ocean beach front property to sell??
“Do you have some Montana ocean beach front property to sell??”
Why, yes I do! My statistical analysis shows that you will buy, buy, buy! And as you say, statistics never lie. Please send me your credit card info now! Operators are standing by!
3 I’ll bet the percentage of young males as total population is declining which may the “force” behind the statistic.
At the same time, the percentage of gun ownership is going up–so more guns means less crime.
Correlations are consistent with, but not proof of, causation. “Post Hoc, Ergo Proctor Hoc” stands behind all miracles, and most faulty statistical arguments.
But you know that, pull my leg some more. No, Higher.
As my grandmother used to tell me – no one is entirely bad or good
It all depends
It all depends on they say it is all on how the story is told or presented
There are benefits certainly to video games and video gaming
Perhaps we should not have cars and trucks as cars and trucks have car accidents or not have travel irons as they can fall onto the someone’s toes and hurt them .
3. What he says, me too. Except about the leg part.
RBG
Nothing scientific, just empirical evidence from personal observation, but of the people I’ve known who have any serious interest in playing FPSes, for most of them, venting whatever pent-up anger, frustration, &c. they have in a videogame seems to work.
I’ve never known any players to become more violent IRL, only less so – when there’s any effect on their behavior at all.
But you know that, pull my leg some more. No, Higher.
I don’t think that’s your leg…..
J/P=?
Crime is down in the U.S. because the population is older. As a population ages, crime rates come down. Sorry, it is as simple as that. Video games don’t cause people to commit crimes or prevent them from doing so.
Of course, because video game makers have money, they are targets. The only reason anyone is even talking about video games leading to violence is because of the pathetic need to blame someone for tragedies. Plantiff’s lawyers hope to cash in on this sentiment by pointing the finger at a party with money and hope that they can get a jury to award them big bucks.
The shame of it all is that it deflects from the issue which really creates most crimes, mental illness. I bet you the average American could not name five medical illnesses, which ones are dangerous, and what their treatments are.
You are always safe in America when you blame a thing like video games and not a person.
#1 Of course correlation does not mean causation…
…however, what this little tidbit does show is that the classical “video games cause violence” logic is pure bunk. Or, rather, it uses the same (utterly flawed) logic to prove the exact opposite.
So, while it doesn’t prove any facts, as such, it does blow the logic behind the assumption out of the water, and that’s fine as well. Now, if anyone claims that there is a correlation between video games and an increase in violent crimes, you can point to this and simply say “what increase?”
I think in a healthy mind violent games can be cathartic and healthy. In sick minds any stimulus reinforces negatives.
Can i ask, and suggest a compromise.
Everyone NEEDS an outlet.
Everyone needs a way to Direct their annamosity..
In some direction that will entertain, distort, improve, teach them something.
i dont care if you go out and shoot targets, muskrats, squirrels, Knit, create a book, Write poetry, or STARE at the tube, as long as you DONT hurt anyone else, or Drink until you beat your Wife and kids.
But, this also deals with frustration in our Lives/environment. Not haveing control(at least some), not seeing the END to the tunnel/rut, and ending up sitting infront of the TV until our Brain fries.
Violent games are fun, specially when you have a female overachieving, know it all boss.
#12 Wong Your Scary!
Crime is down on the streets because the criminals behind bars are up. Also, draconian immigration laws where any felony committed by a non-citizen (retroactively even before the law was passed) is immediate deportation out of the USA, hence much less recidivism resulting in less crime. The Replublicans know something about bad boys. The Liberals want to invite the Son of Sam to the White House to discuss forgiveness.
Violent crime went down starting around 1993 because…
#1 in the early 1990s, states started reforming juvenile sentencing. In 1990, in most states a 14 year old could kill someone in cold blood and at worst serve 4 years and then have a clean record when they turned 18.
#2 Bill Clinton and the 100,000 new police officers initiative (that may have never created 100,000 but no doubt funded 50,000 or so).
#3 The Brady Bill outlawing automatic weapons gangs used. The recent expiration of this law didn’t mean too much because the tide had already turned.
It is a shame humans forget so quickly.
You’re all overlooking the obvious reason. Back in the days of Pong and Space Invaders, video games didn’t take up that much of your time, unless you had a heck of a lot of quarters. And most hadn’t access to a PC for playing their own games, of any length. The most engrossing games back then might have been some Dungeons & Dragons maze.
These days, there are all kinds of video games. And they can take every free minute of one’s waking life too play them well. So who’s got the time, to do the crimes? (in the real world). Virtual mayhem is a lot safer and more globally accessible. Soon, games that let players destroy whole virtual cities, will have internet connectivity, So they can proudly exhibit the destruction they’ve wreaked on VR New York, or VR Boston, or VR LA. And virtual gang wars will take the place or the real thing (for those that can afford it). So those that might have been sucked into commiting real violence, will have virtual alternatives to explore. Naturally, the statistics will show a drop in “real” crime. I’ll be bet the statistics also show a drop in Tv viewing by the younger crowd.
#14 – Wow… That’s wrong.
#15 – Actually, that’s wrong too, though it makes more sense.
If you wanna thank someone for lowering crimes rates, thank the Supreme Court’s Roe V Wade decision. When abortion is safe and legal, those more likely to be criminals are less likely to be born. Of course, it took about 20 years to figure that out as it took about 20 years for a generation of criminals not to grow up.