Do Video Games Influence one's Morality

[ThinkingSapien]

I thought I’d see what people’s views are here. Do you think that video games tend to influence one’s morality in any way? Especially if that person is an adult.

This question comes to mind after I spent a few hours playing an Xbox title “Mark of the Ninja” which involves stealthily running around and taking out gun toting enemies. I talked to a friend about the game and she responded that there was no part of the vivid description that I gave for the game that sounds good (it actually is rather violent). This reminded me of an argument that came up when “Mortal Combat” first came out where concerns were expressed that it may desensitize people to violence.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

If played by young children without supervision or explanation from an adult then yes, I believe it can. However, if played as a teenager or adult I would say no. I’ve been playing video games my entire life and I’ve never noticed any indication that is has an affect on my perceptions of morality.

Television has done a much better job of desensitizing me than video games ever could

Violence in video games is kind of expected at this point, and several studies have shown that being able to release aggression in a virtual world does a lot to reduce stress and prevent instances of violence in real life.

 

[Iron_Donkey]

My (random uniformed) thoughts are that are views on just about everything are constantly refined by just about anything we perceive. I do NOT think it’s as simple as watching a violent movie or playing a violent video game always makes a person more likely to accept violence, but I would think there is an effect.

For example, the trend these days in video games is to allow the player to make moral choices. Because the game designers and I don’t see eye to eye on absolutely everything (to be expected, I would imagine no two people do), there are always cases where I think that the choice presented as good would be bad and the other way around. This annoys me. It causes me to argue with them in my head (although by “argue” what I really mean is "silently shout ‘you morons what makes you think that’s a good thing to do’ "). The end result is that I am more confirmed in the viewpoint I already have.

I suppose if a game were to present a compelling argument, it could do other than reinforce the moral positions I already have, but it hasn’t happened yet. And while I stay away from games or movies with graphic violence, my video game habit of hitting zombies with a 12 foot long sword until they fall over and disappear has yet to convince me that it’s ok to hit non-zombie entities with swords of any length.

 

[Sebrina]

I honestly don’t think video games resemble reality in any way at all, especially for a rational adult. So when I play a video game, or an MMO, I do not log off and start going ninja on anyone. I don’t have any inclination to go find zombies and kill them. It’s a game, pure and simple.

My son played video games from the time he was 10+ years and he never showed any signs of being influenced by them in day-to-day life. When I hear of people having their morals or values influenced by video games, it makes me think that maybe they had a tenuous hold on reality before they even sat down to play, and those games may have just pushed them over the edge.

 

[edwest2]

Yes, they certainly can. Adults are not immune either.

False idea:

1. Adults have some strange power or ability granted to them upon reaching adulthood.
2. Some adults believe that what they were taught was wrong to say or wrong to see magically disappears upon reaching adulthood.
3. Some adults believe if something is legal, or has a label on it, that that makes it OK for adults to play it, because, as above, adults have this change occur the moment they became adults that makes it OK.

No such change occurs. If you taught your kids, or some little kids you know, that some words are bad and that they shouldn’t see certain things when they were kids, then it’s still wrong - and sinful - when you are an adult.

Some adults believe the fiction that, “I’m an adult and I get to do whatever I want.” If it was a sin to say or see something when you were a kid, it’s still a sin when you become an adult.

Peace,
Ed

 

[Joe_5859]

Really, this poll could be about anything (not just video games) and the answer would be the same: It depends.

Every piece of media we consume, every stimulus we encounter, gets mixed into the clay that shapes us.

It’s almost never the case that a person watches one movie or plays one video game and then makes a complete 180 with how they live their life and what they think about morality. But all the little stuff does add up.

Sometimes, it is the case that encountering opposition makes us more certain of our own moral views. But sometimes it might plant the seed to rethink things.

The main key is to know thyself. I personally encourage people never to underestimate their capacity to rationalize things (okay, so I’m mostly encouraging myself ). Unless one suffers from scrupulosity, it never hurts to evaluate one’s media consumption periodically and honestly assess the impact it is having.

 

[XiWang717]

I thought I’d see what people’s views are here. Do you think that video games tend to influence one’s morality in any way? Especially if that person is an adult.

This question comes to mind after I spent a few hours playing an Xbox title “Mark of the Ninja” which involves stealthily running around and taking out gun toting enemies. I talked to a friend about the game and she responded that there was no part of the vivid description that I gave for the game that sounds good (it actually is rather violent). This reminded me of an argument that came up when “Mortal Combat” first came out where concerns were expressed that it may desensitize people to violence.

I suppose so, yes. But then again, could not most anything do so likewise? Including television and movies?

 

[edwest2]

Really, this poll could be about anything (not just video games) and the answer would be the same: It depends.

Every piece of media we consume, every stimulus we encounter, gets mixed into the clay that shapes us.

It’s almost never the case that a person watches one movie or plays one video game and then makes a complete 180 with how they live their life and what they think about morality. But all the little stuff does add up.

Sometimes, it is the case that encountering opposition makes us more certain of our own moral views. But sometimes it might plant the seed to rethink things.

The main key is to know thyself. I personally encourage people never to underestimate their capacity to rationalize things (okay, so I’m mostly encouraging myself ). Unless one suffers from scrupulosity, it never hurts to evaluate one’s media consumption periodically and honestly assess the impact it is having.

I am finding it increasingly disturbing that scrupulosity is consistently brought up as a bad thing here. There is nothing to suffer from. The correct word is proper discernment based on a well formed conscience that is based on Church teaching.

peace,
Ed

 

[LJN21]

I am finding it increasingly disturbing that scrupulosity is consistently brought up as a bad thing here. There is nothing to suffer from. The correct word is proper discernment based on a well formed conscience that is based on Church teaching.

peace,
Ed

Scrupulosity is a bad thing.
newadvent.org/cathen/13640a.htm

An unfounded apprehension and consequently unwarranted fear that something is a sin which, as a matter of fact, is not. It is not considered here so much as an isolated act, but rather as an habitual state of mind known to directors of souls as a “scrupulous conscience.” St. Alphonsus describes it as a condition in which one influenced by trifling reasons, and without any solid foundation, is often afraid that sin lies where it really does not.

For the record I don’t think video games in health rational people effect their mortality.

If they did I’d be pickpocketing every humanoid around

 

[ThinkingSapien]

I suppose so, yes. But then again, could not most anything do so likewise? Including television and movies?

Several years ago a coworker made some berating comments to me for a game I purchased. She objected against anythink with more violence than Pac-Man. I essentially asked her the same thing and she declared it was different since in a game you are a participant. I am inclined to disagree.

 

[ConstantineTG]

When I was young they banned the robot animes that were shown on Philippine TV because they said they were too violent. That didn’t stop the bootleggers from getting copies of the betamax (yes, I am that old and betamax had a longer lifespan in Asia than in North America) tapes of those anime. I still watched them, and it never turned me into a warfreak.

Nothing can replace good parenting. I was made to realize these cartoon images are just fantasy, and it is only okay to blow stuff up in them because they are not real. Same rule for video games.

 

[Joe_5859]

I am finding it increasingly disturbing that scrupulosity is consistently brought up as a bad thing here. There is nothing to suffer from. The correct word is proper discernment based on a well formed conscience that is based on Church teaching.

peace,
Ed

If people are practicing “proper discernment based on a well formed conscience that is based on Church teaching”, then I would say they are not suffering from scrupulosity and they are on the right path. That’s what we should all be striving for.

LJN21 posted the link to the article in the Old Catholic Encyclopedia. Scrupulosity is a real affliction and we don’t want to ignore it. I added the caveat because I know that many Catholics who suffer from it are drawn to CAF and the threads on moral theology. Telling them they need to continually take stock of whether every thing they do is influencing their morality is likely not the best approach for them. They need the guidance of a good spiritual director.

If someone is just looking for an excuse to dismiss any and all criticisms of popular culture as “scrupulous”, then I would say they could be suffering from the opposite error of “laxity.” We need to avoid both in pursuit of a well-formed conscience.

 

[LJN21]

Several years ago a coworker made some berating comments to me for a game I purchased. She objected against anythink with more violence than Pac-Man. I essentially asked her the same thing and she declared it was different since in a game you are a participant. I am inclined to disagree.

Yeah, I don’t agree wither her at all.

Participant in what, fictional events in and fictional place? That’s like saying Cow Boys and Indians is bad because your participating in a “shoot out”

 

[Cristiano]

When I was young they banned the robot animes that were shown on Philippine TV because they said they were too violent. That didn’t stop the bootleggers from getting copies of the betamax (yes, I am that old and betamax had a longer lifespan in Asia than in North America) tapes of those anime. I still watched them, and it never turned me into a warfreak.

Nothing can replace good parenting. I was made to realize these cartoon images are just fantasy, and it is only okay to blow stuff up in them because they are not real. Same rule for video games.

You infringed upon copyright laws!
Wait for the wrath of edwest2

 

[LJN21]

When I was young they banned the robot animes that were shown on Philippine TV because they said they were too violent. That didn’t stop the bootleggers from getting copies of the betamax (yes, I am that old and betamax had a longer lifespan in Asia than in North America) tapes of those anime. I still watched them, and it never turned me into a warfreak.

Nothing can replace good parenting. I was made to realize these cartoon images are just fantasy, and it is only okay to blow stuff up in them because they are not real. Same rule for video games.

You can’t be that old! I’m in America and watch movies on betamax

 

[InJesusItrust]

All media influences you. Whatever concept is repeated over and over again bcomes ingrained. One videogame won’t change you, 50 videogames won’t change you, but TV, videogames, anime, comics, education, music all repeating the same themes over and over again is very persuasive, and it makes you think that the ideas are your own.

There is a reason the people who have good rhetorical skills use repetition.

 

[LJN21]

All media influences you. Whatever concept is repeated over and over again bcomes ingrained. One videogame won’t change you, 50 videogames won’t change you, but TV, videogames, anime, comics, education, music all repeating the same themes over and over again is very persuasive, and it makes you think that the ideas are your own.

There is a reason the people who have good rhetorical skills use repetition.

I don’t agree. You have the ability to analyze and reject the good or bad in all media. Its only as persuasive as you let it be. A solidly formed conscience will stand up to to the barrage of the modern world. A mind made of mush will never know which thoughts are his own. Its all about proper parenting and personal responsibly.

 

[Cristiano]

I don’t agree. You have the ability to analyze and reject the good or bad in all media. Its only as persuasive as you let it be. A solidly formed conscience will stand up to to the barrage of the modern world. A mind made of mush will never know which thoughts are his own. Its all about proper parenting and personal responsibly.

How do you know that your conscience is solidly formed or that is formed well enough to stand up to the barrage? If your conscience were so solidly formed then you would not sin at all. Why does the Church teaches us to stay away from near occasions of sin?

 

[LJN21]

How do you know that your conscience is solidly formed or that is formed well enough to stand up to the barrage? If your conscience were so solidly formed then you would not sin at all. Why does the Church teaches us to stay away from near occasions of sin?

Just because you know whats right doesn’t mean you always do whats right. That also doesn’t mean years of computer solitaire is going to make me think I’m a playing card, like the other poster suggested.

Near occasions of sin are not relevant to the conversion in general. If you do something and it cause you to sin you have a person responsibly to not let yourself get in that situation again wither it was playing Leisure Suite Larry or walking past Vikky’s Secret store.

 

[InJesusItrust]

It does. not work at a logical level. First you sympathize, then you empathize, then you believe. That is how Marxist propaganda fools people who think themselves too smart. If it works for Marxists, why not in general? In journalism class I learned that people are not as strong minded as they think.