Hrm.
1. The headline is misleading; it's more like 600M gamers could be playing war criminals.
2. I think it's an interesting idea to look at how actions in some of the major war-based video games might be violations of international war crimes statutes. The question of how that might be influencing the behavior of future soldiers is certainly worth examining.
3. This sort of thing can turn really goofy in a heartbeat, though. Because, ultimately, we are talking about games, not real life actions. And turning war crime prevention into something that smacks of political correctness does no service to the overall cause. #ddtb
Embedded Link
Six hundred million gamers could be war criminals, Red Cross says
THE Red Cross is investigating whether 600 million gamers are violating the Hague and Geneva conventions when they kill and blow stuff up for fun.
Dave, a while back I spent a few hours searching the web for studies on any link between playing violent video games and acting out violence in real life. I was a bit surprised to find there indeed appears to be some scientific evidence of a link. Surprised, because I had heard nothing about such studies in the popular media and had no clue just how extensively the subject is being studied. But I don’t recall at this point whether or not there was a consensus among scientists that violent video games might lead to real life violence.
@Paul – The area is one of periodic study, though most of it relates to immediate effects — how kids behave or respond immediately after playing more violent video games. There have been some that have drawn a connection, others that have not, and the general comment is that there is a difference between immediate reaction and long-term effects.
Which perhaps might come into play here. The immediate reaction is an emotional and physiological one. Just like after a really depressing movie you might feel depressed (I guess that’s by definition), or a really exciting movie you might walk out all exhilarated, it’s not surprising that playing something violently aggressive will, in the short term, lead to more violently aggressive behavior. The effect, though, would seem to be short-lived (if real) and not significant.
My thoughts around this article would be more of a cognitive effect — how might war games in which war criminal activity is presented, condoned, even rewarded, shape expectations as to how war should be conducted, and influence both future warriors and the folks back home who don’t go to war? It’s a common staple in fiction about the guy who hears tales and propaganda about how wonderful and glorious and heroic war is, then gets there and discovers its horrors, the fear, the death, etc. — or else dies quickly playing hero. Those factors serve as a fairly quick brake (perhaps permanent) on such expectations. But if you’ve been playing video games where (for example) shooting prisoners is encouraged (even though it is a war crime), would the brakes on such activity be so quickly or clearly applied?
I like the comments that said they are no longer giving to the RC because they obviously have too much money to fund something as silly as that. People commit all kids of" illegal activity" in games and there aren't any arrests or new laws… BECAUSE IT IS ALL COMPUTER GENERATED!!!
So… I’m a mass murderer because of all the bandits I’ve killed in LotRO? And a thief because I took stuff from their corpses and treasure chests? And guilty of cruelty to animals for my crimes against green pigs? I hope zombies don’t have “human” rights!
Of course though, if a company and a zygote/sperm/ovum can be given the rights of personhood I guess a computer graphic can be too…