I read an article this morning about a place in California planning on taking a day to "inspire people to become part of the movement to create peace in a violence-free environment" by setting up a sort of buy-back program where people (kids being the target audience) can trade in their toy guns and violent video games for Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
What gets me most about this is that they think it will actually work? Well, the toy gun and other plastic weapons meant for imaginative play part may be effective, but the video game part, not as much. Honestly, who would willingly trade a video game that cost at least $60 for a $5 bowl of ice cream? Even in the case of younger children that play these violent video games, who are required to be with a parent/guardian at the time of purchase from any major retailer or local trade shop, will likely never buy into that. I doubt their parents would, either, considering they are the ones that shelled out the cash for said game in the first place.
I just hate that video games are what people are attacking now, because, really, it's just the latest technological thing for people to blame. I say "latest" deliberately. There is a trend. In the 1800s, dime novels were blamed; in the early 1900s, silent films were blamed; in the 1950s, radio dramas and comic books were blamed; in the 1980s, rock and metal music were blamed; when the 2000s came around, and technology began to further modernize, the blame fell upon modern cinema and video games. What's next? Who or what will my generation or the next generation blame for violence if not people?
Use me as a sort of example. I have been playing video games since I was a little kid. (That's at least fifteen or so years of gaming experience!) I grew up with video games, essentially. I played all sorts of games expected of me and my demographic, like Pokémon, Hamtaro, and Barbie, as well as all sorts of games outside of my demographic, like the Elder Scrolls, Halo, and Grand Theft Auto. I guess you could say I have been playing violent video games for a long time. Even now, I don't think I own and enjoy a single game that does not require combat and violence in some form. (Well, save for maybe Jeopardy, because I don't think a battle of wits and trivia knowledge counts~) I have spent a huge portion of my life losing myself within these games, enjoying the new environment and semi-escape from reality, and I came out just fine. I still play on a regular basis. In fact, I paused my second play-through of GTA:V to write this. I chock up my stability inside and outside of video games to my lack of mental instability. I know the difference between fantasy and reality; I know the difference between right and wrong; I know what's expected of me and what I need to do to achieve the goals I have set for myself.
I just want to know when people will stop blaming things and start blaming the people who commit the acts they are trying so hard to prevent. Most of the time it's mental instability, right? And when it's not, it's because of the influence of something mind-altering, like narcotics and alcohol. Granted, I do understand that not all cases are because of mental instability (be it illness or something else), or even caused by illegal binging, but I feel like the majority are, according to what I've seen and read through the news.
Unfortunately, people will likely still rely on attacking technology and objects because it's easier. Even if the blame game worked and these people eradicated all violent media (comics, books, movies, music, games, etc.), would that stop the violence?
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