January 16, 2008
A study conducted in Saudi Arabia maintains that violent video games have a negative impact on children.
As reported by leading daily newspaper Asharq Alawsat:
The study... focused on a selected group of youngsters in a juvenile detention centre... The study revealed that 90% of the juveniles were affected negatively by video games and sought to imitate these games in reality...
Society is facing a critical issue... youngsters often fail to distinguish between virtual reality and real life as soon as the youth is exposed to the on-screen violence of these games and the evil scenarios in which the player is placed in these games for long hours combating security forces, destroying state property or violating people in various ways.
The study notes that no measures are in place to block Saudi youth from accessing violent games:
Among the paradoxes that add to the suffering in our country is the illegal copying and distribution of software and the complete absence of official censorship. Today our children can buy these games for less than 6 Saudi Riyals [$1.60 US]...
Furthermore, [games] do not encourage youths to adopt strong values and noble customs and only time is wasted...
These games encourage rebellious behaviour for example by teaching the young how to evade state security forces... and how to kill, kidnap and execute violent assassinations against leaders, scientists and state officials in general. Furthermore, these games feature the destruction of state-owned property using highly explosive bombs or even destroying a whole city with a nuclear bomb.
GP: There is an interesting propaganda element running through this study. Note the almost obsessive concern about "state security forces," "state officials" and "state property."
Comments
Yes, yes, we should be teaching them young 'uns more worthwhile things, such as radical Islam, suicide-bombings, religious intolerance, and curtailing women's rights.
Hypocrites.
"The study… focused on a selected group of youngsters in a juvenile detention centre… The study revealed that 90% of the juveniles were affected negatively by video games and sought to imitate these games in reality…"
How big a group did they study? What age bracket did they get? And what "negative effects" are they implying? For all we know these kids were asked straight-out if they were curious enought o act out what they say in video games - ususally a no-brainer when you're playing a fighting title.
And through the magic of propaganda, said study probably twisted this around so that it sounds like the kids genuinely want to act out the said actions.
Of course I'm getting ahead of myself here, but it's a possibility.
At this point, I point out that I'm merely bashing the Saudi government (*cough*theocracy!*cough*), and that I mean no offense to any Muslims who may have been slighted by this post.
1) Saudi Arabia have MORE to worry about than games (human rights, Women treated like shit etc etc)
2) THe REAL reason theyr'e pissy is because most of the popular games (Call of Duty 4, Counter STrike, etc) pits the middle easterns as the bad guys.
As for games, don't worry in call of duty 4 you fight as the west against terrorists that nuke your nation(which they actually might do.....) So how about you start worring about oh I don't maybe Iran? and leave games alone...
In fact, that game shows anti-government revolutionaries as psychotic murderors that will bring doom to all... so I would think you would like that message passed on to kids....
Please do the following, Practice Democracy. Practice Human Rights, Do not Charge Rape Victims because they were dressed "indecently"and please...practice your "studies" in places other than correctional institutes.
Thank You.
That is why you fail
Now do a study of Honor Roll students and find out what percentage of them were positively effected by video games. I only know two honor roll students growing up who didn't play games, and that was because their parents were overprotective isolationists (IMO). They weren't even allowed to watch TV. I don't know what happened to one of them, but the other went goth as soon as she hit college, went les, and did just about anything else she could to rebel.
Me, I was overprotected, but managed to sneak in some Doom, some SFII, and even a little of Metal & Lace (all games from late 80's to early 90's, all would be banned at my house). And so when I moved from the middle of the country to the big city, I didn't lose my head, didn't do stuff just to rebel.
I recall a study (or maybe it was just a book or opinion, don't recall) that suggested that if you DON'T leak some reality, some violence, or some naughtiness, into a kid while they are growing up, they won't be able to handle the real world. That might explain some recent controvercy where an idiot said that Mass Effect was the hardest, most pornographic thing he had ever seen. Dude, have I got some J-games and anime for you...
But they have lots sof AKs
lolmiddleeast.
These kinds of governments make all sorts of exceptions. I just wish they could all be "fatal exceptions" in real life. That way, when a pot calls the kettle black, they would stop functioning until they fix their own logical mistakes ;)
Even so, I wouldn't pay much attention to the sayings of a country with a terrible human rights record.
So do I, my friends, and my friends-friends whom I judge worthy of them.
What I'm curious about:
Because Bush is the butt-buddy for the House of Saud, would he support this 'study' or ignore it like he ignores every other stupid, repressive action they take?
Well, fuck. My three year old nephew can tell the difference between Cars and a night out at the stock cars. Maybe its only retarded politicians who can't tell the difference.
That was actually pretty embarrasing; I asked him if he thought we'd see Lightning McQueen there and he just said "Nooo, hes pretend silly", heh I felt pretty stupid after that :)
You tell 'em mate.
It's one of those things that have to be done, if only in a gradual process.
Sure, if you never protected your kids from the worst of popular culture they'd grow up bitter & cynical (if not outright screwed up) to the extreme because they would think it's the norm and would never be the wiser.
But it's like you said. If you show them reality all at once once they reach a certain age, they lack the experience to handle it and break.
One of the biggest factors in life is growing up; not too fast but not too late.
Does every atom in our world have to hold educational or moral value? Games are meant for pure entertainment!
Heh, cute kid :)
Yeah, that line was utter bullshit. If you can't tell the difference between reality and a game, you have far greater problems than the population at large, and they're NOT being caused by the game.
SAUDI ARABIA PUBLICLY BEHEADS PEOPLE
SAUDI ARABIA PUBLICLY BEHEADS PEOPLE
SAUDI ARABIA PUBLICLY BEHEADS PEOPLE
SAUDI ARABIA PUBLICLY BEHEADS PEOPLE
That's all there is to say.
Heh, yeah hes pretty cool. He was a bit worried when they did the destruction derby though.
In other words, what if games changes youths views on world, allowing them to realize how backwards their own country is??
You bet games and free speech is dangerous to Saudi Arabia. You bet.
omfg i had no fucking clue. This study totally gives me a new outlook on videogames