Did you play “Cowboys and Indians” as a kid? “Cops and Robbers”? “Robin Hood”? “Spacemen and Aliens”? Perhaps “Superheroes and Villains” or “Empire and Rebel Scum“?
Regardless of what you called it, you probably played some form of the Good-versus-Evil game. And no matter what you might have done when adults were watching, there were plenty of weapons, whether they were guns or lasers or lightsabers or swords or lassos or pointed sticks. Lots of “Nuh-uh! I hit you and you’re dead/arrested!” There was plenty of capturing, killing, wounding, robbing, escaping, and other things that you’d probably get prosecuted for doing in real life.
Knowing this, did you grow up to be a psychopath?
No? Not even a little nuts?
Somehow, this stark near-universal experience is lost on people when it comes to video games. Violent video games cause kids to become violent, don’tcha know. It’s pure “logic”. Or is it?
The soon to be released new book Grand Theft Childhood says, “Um, no. That’s not true.” In fact, they found that video games were an outlet for kids to do stuff they would never do in real life, and act out in a safe environment. Keep in mind, kids are increasingly held to standards where they can not blow off steam in school, or even express their anger in words or pictures without drastic consequences.
In closing: where is the Bush Deficit really coming from; let’s hear it for Dennis; “Stop cutting school budgets“; Bruce Schneier is a voice of sanity in the Security Theatre nightmare; Mental Health Parity bill passes the House and I have mixed feelings about it; you’ll take your loss of privacy and be grateful!; the things people put in personalized messages; and to return to the last theme, Cheap Eats.
so you gotta pay out the *kazoo* to get a sectional sofa these days?
I rather think that particular *ahem* “fee” was negotiated independently of the purchase.