Games and behaviour?

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Coming from somebody who is a long time gamer I strongly believe that video games do not cause violence or make people violent. In all honesty games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, Mortal Kombat and any other rated M title are going to be everywhere. I play rated M games and I know that there is a difference between fantasy and reality.

Its simply depends on the way someone uses them. If someone is mature enough to see them simply as some kind of ball game, where you hit players, so that they need to restart from a certain place, ... everything is absolutly fine.

But the threadstarting parents explained, that their kid gets aggressive from playing that kind of games. So if I drive a car, and get aggressive everytime I drive, then driving cars makes me aggressive. That does not mean in any way, that driving car makes generally aggressive. In the opposite, there are people that get happy and relaxed by driving cars. It simply depends on the person. If a person, starts to shout violently around regularly, when he is driving a car, then this person seems not to get relaxed by driving a car.

I also think that it isn't as simple as violence in games=violence IRL, although I do wonder if we've increased tolerance for violence in general because of seeing it everywhere (and it is by far not just games.)

However, what concerns me is that some kids might use the structure of a game as a model for social interaction - so the violence level really doesn't matter. Most games follow the same structure, which is so tight as to be formulaic. Almost all problems are solved in the same way (in most games, by obliterating your opponent somehow.) The solution to the game comes from following the structure: typically three boss battles and a final battle that has two or three different parts.

In our case, I think Schneekugel put it aptly: if something makes you violent, it doesn't really matter what that thing is; it's not good for you.

I also think the predictable structure of these games is very appealing to people on the spectrum in much the same way that bus timetables or elevators or trains or many of the other stereotypical interests are - EXCEPT that they have this very artificial social component, the storyline. I can totally see where this kind of escape into a predictable world can be important for an Aspie, but it's REALLY important for anyone who plays games to understand that it involves escapism. Life just isn't predictable, especially social life.

I can really see this when my son tries to play with a friend. He's rigid and mean and loses his temper because he has to think about what the other kid is doing instead of losing himself in the game - and while, yes, he needs escape from that, it's also what he needs to work on.

Many parents buy children these types of games without careful consideration of the age requirements. It's become so mainstream that developers have heightened the violence and gore for the minor age groups.

I'm going to pick on you for a second because I'm often having to scratch my head at this..

Your child has (at the very least) a social/emotional impairment. Anti-social tendencies and meltdowns. What made you both decide it was ok to allow him to play violently graphic games in the first place? Peer pressure? It's one thing to play games at a buddy's house (again, what were they thinking) but to then decide, "poor kid.. lets buy him inappropriate video games to obsess over so he can be social".. and then be alarmed by his behaviours and addictions. Bipolar? No. He is potentially playing games that, on average, is played by a 37 year old. My age.

I realize Im likely going to be attacked for saying this.. I just don't understand parents who allow children to play such games like Halo, Thrill Kill, Madworld, etc (yes I googled for these names).

I banned Spongebob Squarepants when I realized how inappropriate the language and content was for my (at the time, 7 year old). Why is it ever ok to expose our children to that? Let them be kids.. gore has a time and place and only if you are mentally stable to begin with.

I apologize if I've offended.

What is inappropriate about SpongeBob Squarepants? I don't get it.