This is nothing unique to this generation.

Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her father forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done
She gave her mother forty-one.

 

But at least Lizzie's generation knew how to pull their pants up.

 

I did my Graduate Thesis paper on "Violent Video Games and its Future Effect on Youth". You would not believe what the statistics show. Morals (right and wrong) start with the parents. That basic foundation must be in place or you might as well throw any moral intention out the window. I am not new to such concepts. My dicipline is in Social and Behavioral Sciences. It really disturbs me to see what is happening with some of our youth. This is a problem that runs from the very rich to the very poor with a higher percentage leaning toward those that have, rather than those that have-not. A key factor in this growing problem is that more and more parents are not home to insure proper guidance. That is if in fact, the parents themselves know how to guide. You've heard of the term 'kids raising kids'. Sad fact but a fact it is.
Fritz

 

So what did you determine and what do the statistics show? We didn't have violent video games when I was a kid, but instead of pretending to shoot something on the tv screen, we went outside and played cowboys and indians or played war and pretended to shoot each other.

Just wondering how the 2 actions compare to those who like to research that sort of thing. Just thinking about it, pretending to kill a cartoon type figure on your tv screen doesn't sound as bad as pretending to kill each other.

Sorry for going OT here.

 

Hi Chris, not a problem. You are dealing with two different scenarios. There are several factors that fall under each scenario. For instance, playing cowboys and indians is a physical action with live interaction between friends. The adrenalin expended during this physical action will soon do just that, be expended - played out. It was a different time when we played that game. Kids general knew the difference between a stick and a gun. It was explained to us as children - parents guidence. Playing violent video games excites in a different way - mental. Some of these games can excite the mental order to the point that reality around them, no longer matters. With constant stimulus of this type, and to the intensity that some of these games offer, a set pattern will occur. The relation between the violent video game and the response of the player acting on that violence with violence can and does in most cases become a common expression and reaction in the real world. Couple with this, the fact that 90% of kids have no idea what a real gun will do. When we were kids, a good many of use had our own pea shooter and knew the difference between twisted fantasy and reality. There are literally hundreds of case studies over many years on this. First studies were done back when TV was first introduced and the reactions on children as well as adults observed. Again, there was generally at least one parent at home to monitor kids and explain right from wrong. Today, its a whole new world, with very intense violent games that are made to keep 100% of a childs attention. AND with little or no parent guidence, what chance does a child have.

The quote you have from WIll Rogers most certainly has merit - but even though good judgment comes from experience, so does bad. Offering bad judgement on a massive scale will only encourage more bad judgement. "How much bad judgement does it take to produce good judgement". Not a good thought.

You obviously have good judgement and its up to people like you to pass that along. How do I know this, Semper fi..........
Fritz

 

So, what's the answer here? Remove all violent media from children? Have one parent (if there's two) quit a job and stay home? Bring stern discipline back to the school system?

I'm at a loss here. The cost of living is freaking high that it takes two incomes to make a decent living. That's the root of the whole problem right there, too many latch key kids.

My mom never worked outside the home and was home when we got home, very important stuff here.

Likewise, my grandfather and dad had a combined inventory of 100 fire arms. At any time I could get a gun and go hunting with live shells and not a question was asked. This was in the 70's and in the country.

We all role played cowboys and Indians, war and what ever other violent games that kids play. We had snowball fights in the winter and our differences were solved with a fist fight or an argument even though we all had access to many fire arms.

We all got our butts kicked by mom and dad when we needed and no meant no. We said ma'am and sir and ate what was put in front of us even tough it may have sucked. It all goes back to how the kids are raised. And yes, I subscribe tot he idea that it takes a community to raise a child.

My kids had and still have violent video games and they have sports games too. I still believe it's an act of free will masked by our media outlets.

The mentality now is, "don't touch my kid or I'll sue your ***". That's not really working very well.

 

That's a great theory if one ignore the fact that violent crime has steadily decreased during the video game age.

 

Train your kids like a dog. You snap your fingers, they sit or lay down. You say "NAHH" real quick, and they run. Simple...

Also, break their thumbs and keep them broken until they show you they know how to use them properly.....