Don't Blame The Video Games

If anyone has been reading the New Straits Times today, you will be coming across the headlines "Are you doing this to your child?" with an cheapskate clip-art silhouette of a child and hastily montaged images of "violent video games" forming the child's brain. What is being implied of course is that video games are the source of violence and aggression in today's young. Hell, they are not really implying, but making outright claims that this is INDEED so.

I used to be an avid fan of video games, especially in my teenage years and early adulthood. I have many fond memories of running all-nighters to finish Diablo I and Dungeon Keeper. So I find these accusations that video games are the main cause of violent behaviour in the young ridiculous, even if there are scientific studies to prove that it might be so. I have randomly shot, bludgeoned and blown up things in games like Quake, Blood, Silent Hill and Resident Evil, but I think I grew up fine, if you discount the fact I am gay. Call it disturbing, but I laughed till I was in stitches while playing one of Quake III's free for all "fragging" modes online. My user handle: Sister Mary Jones. But no, I have never acted out any violent behaviours despite my penchant for violent video games.

Sure, granted, the random thought of wanting to decapitate some offending moron does come occasionally to my head but I think the more important thing here is the ability to make choices. And that, most of society would agree is what puts us above other living creatures. What impairs one's ability to make a simple choice of not acting like the jackass in the Virgina Tech shootings is plain ignorance. Maybe in his case, it was just evolution running its course in rooting out dead ends, unfortunate as it is for the rest who ended up as collateral damage. And I don't think those retards who sexually assault their own children and sisters got their inspiration from video games either.

So please, the next time your child acts like a loser, don't blame it on the video games. Start asking yourself whether you are bringing up your kid the right way instead. It's not the fault of the video games for doing the parenting instead of YOU.