Violence versus videogames

[mrteapot]

The next time someone claims videogames cause violence, show them this graph:

Comments

[scholarinexile]

That's beautiful. I'm printing out a copy to keep keep with my anti-Creationist and pro-D&D materials.

[mrteapot]

You've seen The Pulling Report, I presume?

Not that I've seen anyone actually claim D&D is demonic in a long time. Videogames are the demonized youth pastime of this decade.

Looking over the Pulling Report again, I see that it's not the article that I read that said, to paraphrase, "Even if we accept every single poorly sourced claim that D&D caused a suicide, murder or other death, we still don't reach anywhere near the expected number of suicides and murders for the number of teenagers playing D&D."

Which is sort of the same point as the above graph, and leads to the same possible explanations and conclusions.

[scholarinexile]

I actually cited the Pulling Report in a paper I did a long time ago in defense of RPGs, back when the controversy was still fresh enough that schools were banning D&D. There was a time when I was forbidden to have dice in the middle school cafeteria...ostensibly to prevent "gambling." Which did little to explain the kids at the next lunch table playing poker. It's always pleased me immensely that the evidence of impartial investigators invariably comes down in favor of our demonized pastimes when someone questions them.

PSX and the Internet - Two great reasons to stay home

[sewyrn]

I've been saying this for quite some time. I think video games and the internet have had a direct effect on crime. My theory goes like this