This isn’t news, this isn’t even surprising and yet one of the largest websites in South Africa decided that this story is what they will run a poll about on their front page.
To catch you up News24.com, South Africa’s biggest online news website, has a poll running currently on whether or not gaming makes teens more violent and unsurprisingly the majority are voting yes.
However what I would like to know is how many of the 3087 people who have voted yes so far have actually read the article that the poll is based on?
Not the headline of the article but the actual article itself. Let me quote the first paragraph
Teenage boys who repeatedly watch vicious TV programmes, films and video games are likelier to become insensitive to violence, according to a study that claims new insights into this hotly debated field.
So in real terms, teenage boys who view highly violent scenes will become insensitive to these violent themes. Not only is that a basic human reaction but all these violent films, programmes and games have age restrictions stating that teenagers shouldn’t be watching or playing them.
Not only that but the study itself states 3 different types of media and yet News24 decides to focus on the gaming aspect in the headline which I find to be irresponsible.
And to top it all off the third option in the poll is “Only if they have mental problemsâ€â€¦ I have no answer to that.
Okay let me explain something simple to you right now, if I show you an image of exceptional violence, pornography, child abuse or animal cruelty right now it will shock you. If I show you the same or similar picture in 5 minutes it will shock you a little less and by the time the day is out it will not shock you much anymore. Humans are really good at acclimatising to their surroundings and while these images are never accepted we do become desensitised to them. Just remember how you ignored the last hobo or bum on the side of the road if you don’t believe me.
This isn’t a good thing, which is why films, TV programmes and games have age restrictions. If you’re a parent who thinks it’s okay to let your 12 year old child play GTA then you are a bad parent, they cannot comprehend the mature themes of the title and you are negatively effecting their lives by allowing them to play. This isn’t the game developers fault it is yours.
If you are worried about your kids becoming violent and getting into trouble then may I recommend keeping them out of organised sport, seeing as that not a weekend goes past without some rugby player moering another in some level of the sport.
Games do not make violent kids they, like any other media, can exacerbate a situation but that is all. It is a parents responsibility to ensure their kids are abiding by age restrictions and advice given by film makers and developers.
Last Updated: October 19, 2010
Wade
October 19, 2010 at 14:10
News24 is a shit site
eXp
October 19, 2010 at 14:20
Hopefully whoever runs the @News24Games on Twitter sorts this out.
Geoffrey Tim
October 19, 2010 at 14:24
That’s the weird thing. News 24 Games is actually pretty awesome, whereas the parent site is a tad sensationalist.
Kale
October 19, 2010 at 14:28
News24 is entitled to their opinion. Even if they are wrong. 🙂
Gavin Mannion
October 19, 2010 at 14:29
And we are entitled to call them out on their BS
Fred
October 19, 2010 at 14:50
You calling me violent bro , kom hier laat ek jou klap!
KaLza
October 19, 2010 at 15:10
Well said, through and through
Christo Le Grange
October 19, 2010 at 15:23
haha..wierdste thing,yeah, i saw the poll and the article and found the poll a tad bit wierd…but i didnt think anything about it, cuz i had to get back to ‘work’.
Gav, you might as well have put that picture of the ‘horse flogged to death’ as the headline pic. I’m so tired of people accusing video games of their childrens violent nature…
if they really want an answer, its all THE MANs fault, ok.If you breed a effing society with violence and crap, the product of that will be effed up kids…
Anyways, check out a 5 part series called “I, Videogame”, guys.
Its really insightful, it talks about the whole history of video games and they talk about issues like this….very cool show.
ps. you’ll find it at isohunt or any good torrent site, worth checking out if you dig the industry.
Bobby Kotick for Dummies
October 19, 2010 at 18:49
News24: Where Conservative South Africa lives on like it’s 1948!
The comment section on that site makes me fear for South Africa. Quite frankly, far too much stupidity on one site. :cwy:
Luna
October 19, 2010 at 23:06
“If you’re a parent who thinks it’s okay to let your 12 year old child play GTA then you are a bad parent, they cannot comprehend the mature themes of the title and you are negatively effecting their lives by allowing them to play. This isn’t the game developers fault it is yours.”
How many times do we have to say this before someone out there in the world picks it up and uses that for their high profile news story? It’s disgusting that parents do this then blame the game. It’s just typical and terrible.
Pseudonaja
October 21, 2010 at 13:28
I know someone that used to work at News24 and in the office they openly admit, and edit their content, to focus on their target market:
“Married white Afrikaans Christians with 2 kids in their early teens.”
I’ve seen countless well written and thought provoking articles pulled from Die Burger because it doesn’t appeal to this very narrow and frankly racist demographic.
Rainbow nation my ass… :za:
Mr Peace
October 21, 2010 at 14:31
Not too mention they always seem to allow the worst of the worst user comments in their comment section. Neutral comments are generally ignored while inflammatory user comments are posted to stir up more of a frenzy.
News24 = fail!