Video games have a shady history of fostering crime and violence, as well as allegedly glorifying behaviour that would never be permitted in a civilised society. On both sides of the discussion, vocal campaigners dispute the relative advantages and downsides of video games that seem to be becoming more vivid in their portrayal of the darkest side of human nature.
Good to be bad?
Video games may now be played on a range of devices: home & handheld consoles and increasingly, smartphones. Gaming is ubiquitous and easily accessible – nowadays the “hero” in many of them is a villain.
Grand Theft Auto (GTA) was probably the first game to be scrutinised for its supposed glorification of criminal acts with car theft, random violence, killing and dodgy dealings. There’s a notion floating around the internet that GTA was created with the intention of allowing players to choose between becoming a criminal or a policeman. However, the game’s criminal aspect was so popular with gamers that the law enforcement premise was shortly abandoned.
Game developers and editors are increasingly casting players in the position of thief rather than policeman in narratives. Players get to practise the expertise that goes into skilful thievery in these games. These participants are exposed to the kind of things that may go wrong during a burglary or robbery via realistic situations.
Furthermore, these games provide a risk-free environment in which to test a variety of ways until one works. The heist went off without a hitch. Players hone their criminal “talents”.
It’s all up to you
The player is often given the option of becoming either good or evil, with rich tales built for either side. However, from the viewpoint of the adversary, the deep and complicated plots and larger variety of expression might allow for more engaging game play.
Furthermore, many games have a mode in which the player is normally a decent person but, on occasion, must make difficult choices that may entail the mass annihilation of sleeping communities for the greater good. Hypothetically.
It’s true that intelligent game creators are providing players with a more realistic depiction of the obstacles their characters may encounter in those genuine scenarios by making these types of terrible decisions commonplace and even comprehensible via the weaving of complicated character arcs. This method, on the other hand, has the ability to diminish the shock element of genuine criminal conduct, allowing it to blend into society to some level.
Is it true that video games make society more violent?
The argument over video games’ influence in social violence continues to boil. Regular exposure to violence and criminality, according to proponents, dulls one’s astonishment at such behaviour, making it more acceptable in real life. It is difficult to establish a definitive causal link between playing violent video games and becoming violent in real life despite the fact that some studies claim to show negative effects of long-term players of such games.
While games that encourage antisocial or violent behaviour are often labelled with an age limit, few parents enforce or even recognise these restrictions. Video games are often seen as harmless entertainment.
Opponents, on the other hand, point out that violence and atrocities have taken place since the dawn if man – centuries of wars and battles, two world wars occurred long before the advent of gaming. It seems that we, as a society, are perfectly capable of violent crime without any help.These proponents tend to agree with Aristotle that seeing murder, crime, and tragedy provides catharsis, freeing the viewer from the urge to act on his or her darker impulses in real life.
The reality is most likely somewhere in the middle. Break-ins and home invasions are on the rise, but it’s possible that video games aren’t to blame. Nonetheless, there is a rise in this kind of crime. Games that glorify thievery and murder don’t transform everyone who plays them into a violent criminal right away. They do, however, impair empathy and a distinct sense of right and evil.
Players’ sensibilities are blunted by frequent exposure to ethically ambiguous or outright antisocial events, and they become prospective offenders. What distinguishes this new generation of prospective criminals is that they are driven to steal not because they need the item or even the money. They steal because they now feel entitled to a visceral delight that they can’t obtain from a game. They become numb to the thought of stealing as a terrible thing, seeing only the thrill of triumph.
Whatever the effects of video games, keeping yourself, your family members and home safe and secure is the main priority for all of us. One way to do this is to get a professionally-installed home security system from Ultimate Alarms. We operate across central Scotland including Paisley, Glasgow, Falkirk & Ayr so get in touch today to arrange a free home security audit and no obligation quote.
