Grand Theft Auto IV

First of all, this is not an article announcing the release of Grand Theft Auto IV. There are a number of other sites (too many actually) that already do that. Frankly, I had difficulty coming up with a title. Anyhow, we are all aware of the violence, drugs, sex, and the killings of fat cops running that is involved with this highly rated game. It has received one of the best receptions I've personally seen. But, of course, the more people who love it, the more people there are to hate it. And who's that you might wonder?

That's right, those people. You know who I'm talking about. "This game is such a bad influence, I don't want my 15-year-old son to become a criminal!!11!1!!1!!!!1" This isn't the only game, obviously, that this sort of talk happens to.

So does it really turn good little kids into raging killing machines or "pimps" or drug dealers or robbers? I think not. It's the same idea with tragedies such as the Columbine Massacre: there was a lot of talk about video games (such as Doom) and music (such as Marilyn Manson [and no, I do not listen to that type of music, not like there is anything wrong with that]) influencing kids to do awful things. It may play a role per se for those who are extremely narrow-minded which is why there are supposed to be parents parenting them as an ideal parent should be doing. If a parent believes that their child is not capable of playing a game without becoming a monster, then simply don't let them.

To put it into perspective, you don't often hear about such tragedies (although they do exist, but not as often) occurring in Europe. And ironically, Germans are the pioneers of gothic music. Why don't they have such problems? All Europeans have the same access as we do to those appalling video games.

I honestly don't get it.

I bet the number one ranked player on Call of Duty 4 is European. Assuming he was (or she, not trying to be sexist), do you think he is a killer? Or someone who just wants to play a good game? My point is, there is no significant relation between "awful" (as many perceive it as) video games or music to growing criminals. If somebody listens to weird music, they were probably weird to begin with. People don't change. One's personality is constructed at an early age; only parents can control that.

Have an open mind. Let people do as they wish. Let them listen to "awful" (as many perceive it as) music and let them enjoy "awful" video games. This, of course, leads to about everything: Let them start ordering Super-Sized fries. Who cares?

Really, the idea of entertainment negatively influencing and changing the minds of children is fallacious; it's pseudoscience. The atmosphere in which children are grown with is responsible for their menacing futures. I won't go into much detail but it seems to me that those who are trying to prevent the sale of games such as Grand Theft Auto IV are simply looking for something to blame violence on. It's mostly parents, too. Parents who believe that their child is vulnerable of becoming a criminal (and also believe that other parents don't know how to parent). Wow, such lack of confidence and unfaithfulness in their own child! They're the ones raising them! I wonder why they're so insecure?

Wow, have they seen CSI before? I think that show is just as graphic as anything you'd see in a video game. And the fact that it's practically real. Video games are just animation (I say that now, but of course I'll be wrong in 15 years).

Things just don't make a ton of sense. In this era, it's all about restrictions, restrictions, restrictions, isn't it? Don't be surprised if you catch me ranting about this in a future article. There is too much to say on this topic. I'll end by saying that people are simply too afraid of something not going right. It's life, a problem is the only thing that gets us up in the morning.

April 28, 2008 at 10:58 pm

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