March 27, 2008 -
The national spokeswoman for the Australian Family Association told ABC.net that violent video games can make existing mental health problems worse in teenagers - much worse.Angela Conway said:
If there are problems with that young person already, then this technology will turn them into a lethal killer.
Conway's comments came as Australian officials gather in Adelaide to discuss adding a new R18+ rating for games. Currently, games with content exceeding the MA15+ level are banned in Australia.
The Melbourne Herald-Sun has more on the current political debate over games Down Under.
Comments
What an idiot. Disregarding the fact that killers are lethal by definition, there is no conceivable way that the video games they are talking about can make anyone more efficient, or more skilled at real life combat. I've played every violent game out there, but I've learned more about how to load or fire a gun from movies/novels than games.
It is nice for the alarmists that they don't seem to need any proof, all they need is to be as shrill and sensationalist as possible to get their opinion out there.
I don't think stuff like this helps the case at all either, those against it will just argue that all violent games should be banned.
Plain F*cking Ignorant. JT worshipping B!tch.
Due to the fact that the R18+ rating prevents sale/rental of the movies to kids even WITH parents present, there is no reason to disallow the rating. Hell it might even discourage piracy!
Please, do it for the adults :(
Luckily there's been plenty of gamers arguing back and its now at 52% in favor of an R18 classification.
@ cabbageman213
We had stringent gun laws put in place by John Howard and a gun buyback scheme in 1996 about one year after Martin Bryant pulled off the Port Arthur Massacre so access to guns isn't much of an issue here.
Furthermore we've learnt from overseas events such as Columbine too, after that took place teachers were encouraged to actively identify troubled kids and send them to counselling.
After Virginia Tech these laws were subsequently reviewed. Since then there's been calls to toughen laws regarding semi-automatic handgun ownership. The biggest fear among universities and schools nowadays is that a complete stranger will come in from outside and start shooting.
There has been a bit of a decline in our mental health services though.
In general the only way of possibly getting an R rating for games would be to either:
a) Make Micheal Atkinson leave parliament with a boot mark on his suit courtesy of Premier Mike Wran.
b) Wait for Micheal Atkinson to retire although thats risky since the political landscape amongst the other states might change as well.
c) If the opposition supports an R rating then get the current government booted and make the new attorney general hold up their end of the bargain when the attorney generals meet next.
We really do need an australian version of the ECA immediately.
It's a matter of if they are getting help, and if and when will they break?
But, as for the notion that they amplify mental health issues, is completely bullshit. And I'm willing to bet any respectable psychologist will admit to it. There could be some sort of mental aggravation, sure, but again, that could come from anything. But it wouldn't make someone who is, say manic-depressive, even MORE manic-depressive. That's not how it works.
with a quote as broad as "If there are problems with that young person already, then this technology will turn them into a lethal killer."
In a day where it's harder to find a "normal, untroubled" child than it is to find decent government, it's things like this that make me realize that we as a society are boned.
~~All Knowledge is Worth Having~~
I do appreciate the idea that it might exacerbate an already existing condition but there's no logical reason to assume games/tech will be the ONLY catalytic agent in a psychopathic rampage. A psychotic sleeper will be triggered just as readily by a book, a noise, a person, a TV show, a pattern of light... Oh well, at least its harder to get guns here now (Who ever thought howard would do ANYTHING sensible? Probably just wanted to avoid being assassinated).
If only I could pretend that I actually cared about children, I'd run for politics based purely on the platform that we need an 18+ to keep games like this AWAY from children.
Since the OFLC is a national organisation I am wondering why the state attorney generals have a say in it at all
Well if this is true I should be a mass murderer by now, (sarcastic) awesome. Alas so hard to convey sarcasim in a single type font.
@ Shoehorn
If they go on vidja games being trainers, maybe they should check my average acuarcy on FPS, they're normally less then 15%, though my accuarcy in reality is much much higher.
@ DCOW
There's a competant government in the world?!
@ jeffy
Bring on the cyborbs!
Excellent summary of the Aus. situtation at present. It's so easy to forget that we live in such a genuinely lucky country. Gun control FTW! The whole Aussie chapter of the ECA - Seconded. I'll attend if it's in Sydney. ;)
See? I can do it too, Angela! Oddly enough, though, while I've got just as much science behind my claim (read: ZERO), I'm fairly certain I have even more empirical evidence to support it than yours. Funny how that works, eh?
For the love of bytes, someone PLEASE take her to task for that GROSSLY irresponsible statement.
“If there are problems with that young person already, then this technology will turn them into a lethal killer.”
Well if this is true I should be a mass murderer by now
Same here mate, maybe we should go through our virtual (but still 100%valid) qualifications & where we got them:
Here's a very short list of my qualifications:
Tough International Spy: Splinter Cell series, In Cold Blood
Submarine Commander: Silent Hunter 3, Red Storm Rising
Interstellar Trade Mogul: Elite, X series, Starflight series
Martial Artist / Ninja: Tenchu series, Shinobi, International Karate +, Jade Empire
Soldier / Spec Op: Operation Flashpoint, Halo series, Full Spectrum Warrior series, Rainbow 6 series, Ghost Recon series, Practically every FPS made
Jedi: 75% of Star Wars Games
Criminal: Grand Theft Auto series, Mafia
God: Populous series
Pilot: IL2 Suromovik series, Xwing series
Battlefield Commander: Dawn Of War series, Total War series, C&C series, Star Trek Starfleet Command 3
Sex Haver: Mass Effect, GTA San Andreas
I'm half tempted to apply for a few jobs with all that on my CV, just to prove the "games don't teach you how to do things" point.
at least there was...... (see Jean Chretian)
Nearly every killer who has also happened to play videogames, had a long list of violent material that they obsessed over. They were psychotic before finding the games, movies, and music, but since those things were there, they often become the scapegoats.
If you were to watch a psychotic murderer play a game like GTA, and a normal gamer, you'd see the difference instantly. The Normal gamer would probably do a few missions, slump back in their seat and just play. The Murderer on the other hand would probably be way to close to the screen, cackling maniacally at the countless digital people he was killing, getting a legitimate buzz off killing anything at all.
Aww, I'm not tough spy. But I am a James Bond clone apprently. But if games where a great trainers apprently I fail at business regulation. Nor a good city planner. Also whats a Non Lethal killer? ISn't that an oxymoron?
Sim City, 99% of Tycoon games (I rock Zoo Tycoon though, apprently animals are my thing. Hmm surprised though my zoo stilll hasn't been closed from the 500+ people I let my animals eat) Also on a galatic battle, I suck. Homeworld tought me that!
Anyways let's start a message board of something call it the "Mass Murders in training" or something, something with a nice good underlying sarcasim to it.
Also a person with a mental problem will do anything and everything that triggers him/her off, regardless if it is a videogame or something on TV or maybe a person shouting at them.
YOU CAN'T JUST SAY Videogames will turn them into Serial Killers all because it is your opinion.
allow others to have their opinions be heard too please...
Well that is what I would say to that spokeswoman...
Did you know that Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is MA15+ in Australia? Just as a comparison, its ESRB rating is M(17+) and its PEGI rating is 18+.
Hmm, how did they get that one past the inspection??
The rest of us, however, do. So it doesn't make us violent.
or perhaps prime minister Civilization and Europa Universalis made me goodat that
and an attorney, I went through the ace attorney series
now someone make a good shrink game so I can take this guy's job.
After doing my own research regarding many school shootings I've found that one of the biggest common factors is the possibility of existing mental issues.
In many of the FBI psychological reports on these individuals, the possibility of a pre-existing issue was incredibly high. These issues included Depression, Anxiety disorders and Bi-polar problems, among other issues.
I do think that if someone with pre-existing issues were to envelop themselves into violent or disturbing media, not just limited to games but also including music, movies, artwork and television shows, then it does seem likely that this individual may entertain thoughts that would go against the societal norm.
Seriously though. Does this person have ANY qualifications to make this statement? Or is it just "Can it be soundbyte time naow?"
Money.
*cough* I mean gov't oversight...
My gut tells me: NO
@DCOW
Just call her retarded if that's what you mean. No need for moronic PC trash.
Most of them seem to use it as an excuse to mess about with your family's rights.
I come under just as many of them as you do. But one thing, if the kids a head case, why the hell are they letting them play violent video games?! It's just asking for trouble. Or, in my theory, these people do it on purpose to try and get violent games banned. STOP USING THESE PEOPLE TO GET RID OF OUR GAMES! (or I could be losing the plot)
That makes a total of three people (until now it only consisted of me and one other person) any other australians here want to join up?
That problem aside, what the hell kind of idiot would let a teenager with an existing mental health problem play violent videogames if these games are (supposedly) inherently harmful? That's where a parent or guardian is supposed to come in. Dont tell me parents are too busy to parent their precious little children.
Also, I'd like to see an example on a non-lethal killer...