Thom Hartmann: Are violent video games changing your child's brain?

[thomhartmann]

Run time: 03:58 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSHiwg6xshw   Posted on YouTube: December 02, 2011 By YouTube Member: TheBigPictureRT Views on YouTube: 496   Posted on DU: December 04, 2011 By DU Member: thomhartmann Views on DU: 1882

 
In this week's Geeky Science - new research shows that video games DO hurt your child's brain - but it might not be too late!

The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann on RT TV & FSTV "live" 9pm and 11pm check www.thomhartmann.com/tv for local listings

[inademv]

1. Leaping to conclusions at best, fearmongering at worst. n/t

[Tempest]

2. I bet you could show making kids eat their vegetables changes their brains. n/t

[AverageJoe90]

3. Normally, I like what you do, Thom.

But, I'll have to say this study is definitely wrong, Thom. So I'll have to unrec, because violent video games really don't hurt most people(however, there probably are exceptions for individuals who are mentally ill, or those who suffered childhood abuse, but the mass media here in America won't talk about that, of course.).

[Hyper_Eye]

4. Parents need to be aware of their childrens media consumption.

All video games have an ESRB rating that parents can use to determine whether the content is appropriate for their children. I know a lot of parents that let their kids play any game they want regardless of their age or maturity. Those parents are not being responsible. My son is 7. He is not allowed to play games that contain combat/war elements, guns, killing, horror elements, or contain any content I deem inappropriate for my child. Every game he gets is approved by me. If someone buys him a game as a gift that I don't approve of I take him to the store to make an appropriate exchange and we decide together what that will be. There will come a time when I decide my son is ready for more mature content but that is contingent on his maturity, development, awareness of the consequences of the depicted actions in reality, and his ability to manage his time between video games and his responsibilities. These issues extend beyond video games. A couple of days ago he drew a picture "of war". It depicted tanks and air planes firing weapons. I asked him if his friends liked stuff like that and thought war was cool. He said some of them did. I explained to him that war is a reality of our world but regardless of how necessary a particular war is it is always a bad thing that is not to be idolized. That may seem like too much for a child to understand but those ideas should be expressed as early as possible so that I might influence his views, as a parent has a right to do, before and during his realization of these concepts. The bottom line is that he knows I do not approve of him drawing "war" and that there is a reason for that disapproval.

Having said all that, I'm the biggest gamer in my house. I have a very large collection of video games and I play them frequently. Most of those video games contain violence. I am an adult and I have a right to consume that media if I choose. I fit the description of the average gamer. That would be a male between the ages of 28 and 35. I have a career as a software engineer, have been married a long time, have two children, and I lead a responsible life. I am not a bum living in my mothers basement. When video game censorship is considered the content is always presented as intended for children. That is simply incorrect. There are games for children and there are games for adults. It is not the responsibility of the game developers to make sure parents do their due diligence in finding out what a particular game contains and deciding whether it is appropriate for their children. The games contain ratings and parents contain brains.

Video games are as much an art form as painting, music, books, movies, etc. It is wrong to censor them. I do think it is absolutely fine to limit sales according to ratings and I also think it is fine to hold retailers accountable for selling children mature rated video games. That is something other video game fans will argue with me on but I simply think they are wrong.

As for the research presented in this clip, I think it is premature to draw such heavy conclusions. I can find research that has shown that kids who play video games develop problem solving skills at a faster rate and to a greater extent than kids who don't. It develops good hand-eye coordination and reaction time. I would like to see the results further analyzed and more research done. I just don't want to see the cart before the horse. I say that with great respect for Thom Hartmann.

[saras]

5. Yes. We've known for decades, even before video games existed. Why would they be exempt?

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

6. the games can desensitize the player to violence

Many learn from observation.

[Confusious]

8. Kids, yes

There are ratings.

Adults, think twice. I've played violent video games since I was a teenager.

I felt bad about having to kill a grasshopper who was eating my sunflowers.

[rosesaylavee]

7. I agree more research but I have seen

changes in family and friends over time who play these games and would be happy to see this fad fade away.