I think you may be misinterpreting what I said.OldCannon wrote:No they don't. This is a dangerous connection you're claiming. Grand Theft Auto doesn't teach you to drive, Call of Duty doesn't teach you to shoot a gun, IL-2 Sturmovik doesn't teach you to fly fighter planes, and Angry Birds doesn't do a darned thing to teach you about slingshots.Excaliber wrote: I would agree that healthy minds can make the distinction between violent fantasy and reality pretty easily. Unfortunately, unhealthy minds don't see to do this as well, and the tactics and reflexes learned in the games do have applicability in the real world.
If you want to make the claim, then it extends just as well to movies and TV, including historical documentaries like on the History channel (indeed, I would say moreso, since many films depict actual events, rather than a kid juiced on Red Bull charging headfirst into a bunch of enemies in Battlefield 3).
Again, we must be VERY careful about oversimplifying the problems.
Use of video games does not cause violent behavior. However, excessive use of them by individuals who have mental health issues to start with can indeed desensitize them to the suffering caused by real violence. Furthermore, the games can help develop perceptual skills, tactical decision making, and hand / eye coordination that has application in real world environments. The military uses this medium for exactly these purposes, so I'm pretty sure it works as stated.
Before discounting this as unfounded, you may want to review what combat psychologist Col. Dave Grossman has to say on this subject in his very well regarded book On Combat.
Video games are also sharply different than movies or TV because they involve active decision making and physical action which impacts the outcome. This is a critical distinction between those media.