I enjoy video games. I even enjoy certain violent video games. It’s not the violence that pulls me to a game though, it’s the content of the game itself.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare - I like
Grand Theft Auto - I hated
Both violent games but I really like one and I hate the other. What’s the difference?
To me, a game like Grand Theft Auto was all about running around and hurting/killing random people. There was no real point other than committing random acts of violence.
Modern Warfare on the other hand is all about having an objective and completing that objective while working with and competing against other players from all over the world. You are soldiers and it is a simulation of war. It is not some thug running around car jacking and killing. There’s a huge difference.
One game promotes random violence while the other promotes teamwork and strategy to accomplish directives.
At one point in time I gave up on console games and solely played PC based online games. Some were real time strategy games such as Dark Reign while others were MMORPG’s such as Everquest. It was always the online collaboration and competition that suckered me in.
I’m not crazy nor am I violent. I’m very calm and level headed even while dealing with stressful situations. Labeling all video games as “violent” and saying they impact the mental stability of a person is about the same as labeling certain firearms as “assault weapons” and saying they make normal people commit murder. People label weapons as “assault weapons” without even having a basic understanding of firearms. It is the same thing as when people apply the stigma of “violent” to video games. We might as well start calling them assault video games and get it over with!
If you haven’t tried some of these games, I encourage you to do so. It may provide you with a better understanding of what they are actually like. I recommend Modern Warfare as it is my favorite at the moment!
I’m a 60 year old woman. Not interested in violent or any other video games. I prefer books.