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Games Lead To Violence and Drugs?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the unlikely dept.

A joint University of California, SFO/University of Pittsburgh study has been released which finds "playing violent videogames can lead young men to believe it is acceptable to smoke marijuana and drink alcohol", Gamasutra reports. Reuters is also carrying the story, with some information about methodology available in that piece. From the article: "Brady and Matthews had a group of 100 male undergraduates aged 18 to 21 play either Grand Theft Auto III or The Simpsons: Hit and Run. In the Simpsons game, players took the role of Homer Simpson and their task was to deliver daughter Lisa's science project to school before it could be marked late. In Grand Theft Auto III, players took the role of a criminal, and were instructed by the Mafia to beat up a drug dealer with a baseball bat."

4 of 228 comments (clear)

  1. Mario Anyone? by __aalnoi707 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Well I knida agree with this. Think back with the NES. Super Mario brothers. You play and italian plumber who eats mushrooms to save the princess. HELLO. I mean come on.

  2. Back to the Parents by nsanders · · Score: 0, Redundant

    My parents don't smoke and do not drink. All of my relatives do. Alcoholism runs in the family. Neither my sister nor I drink. I have never been drunk. I am 23 years old.

    I play MANY hours of violent video games. I love GTA 3 and getting drunk in games like WoW. But back in the real world, I never do either of this. Why? Because of the influence my parents had on me. By setting them selves as a role model that didn't promote drinking, I was never even tempted to do it.

    Many things can influence people in our lives.. But it's the parents job to be the counter balance to these distractions.

    It does work.

  3. The real reason by Lord_Dweomer · · Score: 0, Redundant
    The real lesson you should be getting from reading these studies is that there are groups, businesses and associations that have a lot to gain from hurting the video game industry through sensationalist stories. Unfortunately, while WE know this study is complete and utter bollocks...a lot of parents who "only get their news from Fox" etc. will read this and get alarmed.

    Not only that, but political decision makers will then get tons of complaints from these parents...look to these studies to pull some numbers from to make their arguments...and pass legislation that is unjust, asinine, and just plain ignorant.

    Also thought I'd include a nice analysis of this "study" that tears it apart. Read it here.

    --
    Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!
  4. Pac Man by Colourspace · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Actually, while I'm on one of my favourite subjects (drugs and video games) who was it that said "If video games really influenced the youth then after Pac Man we would all have been running round in darkened rooms munching pills and listening to repetitive music". Genius.