This is pure bullshit

[The Blackangel]

I don't know where this jackass gets his so called "facts", but he's a moron for trying to add fuel to the fire for those against video games.

 

 

[Withywarlock]

I'll go through their reasonings and see if we can find some sense out of it. Here's hoping I can save people a click, but if you feel the need check out the video itself, be warned of how utterly hyperbolic it is. It uses evocative imagery and haunting music to disturb the viewer, which is not an argument for anything they're talking about.

Quote

Low Self-Esteem: "People like to dress up as their favorite video game characters to attend conventions or to share pictures of their costumes on the Internet. Professional cosplaying has even become a legitimate way to make money. Researchers from Michigan State University and the University of California at Santa Barbara decided to explore the following question: What happens when players get too attached to video game characters?"

So first of all, they don't cite their source which is an immediate red flag. Statements from these questionnaires include 'I can see myself getting into a relationship with my character' and 'I consider my character a friend of mine'... but we're not told how that relates to the questions. They're flimsy quotes that may not even be real.

Players of higher character attachment apparently had lower self-esteem. So are these characters causing them to have lower self-esteem, or is it that they can't get attached to people in real life because of low self-esteem (perhaps brought on by bullying, abuse, trauma, etc.?)

Quote

Aggression: "Several studies have shown that violent video games can contribute to increased levels of aggression. Some have even blamed video game violence as one of the factors behind several mass-shootings. Researchers from the National Science Foundation attempted to provide a more elaborate context for such claims. They found that players of morally ambiguous gameplay situations were more violent than those in prosocial situations, such as helping another character. Participants were divided into three groups. One played a zombie game where they protect a character another had to hunt zombies for sport and lastly a puzzle game similar to Tetris. They were told they were up against other players, when they were actually playing against a computer."

It's true video games have been blamed for mass shootings... but blame mercifully does not automatically mean proof. This person does not provide any proof.

The National Science Foundation has often praised video games and has been in favour of them, discussing accessability options for blind gamers who wish to play racing games, and discussing creativity. I've seen no such article for this person's claim though.

Quote

Avatar Effect: "Customizing and personalizing an avatar is for many players one of the best parts about video games. Players will customize their characters to look like themselves or to make the experience more personal. According to a joint study by the University of Innsbruck and the University of Sussex, in violent video games, personalizing a character raises a person’s level of aggression. Participants were divided into four groups. One group played a nonviolent video game with a personalized avatar and another played a violent game also with a personalized avatar. The other two groups played the same games but with generic avatars."

Not much to say on this one. It's one thing to ask someone to pour hot sauce into a bowl for someone who doesn't like it; it's another to, y'know, murder someone.

Epileptic Seizures: "The link between video games and epileptic seizures began to cause concerns from the early 1980s. The first documented case of a video game triggering epileptic seizures came in 1981. Shortly afterwards, console manufacturers required game publishers to include epilepsy warnings in the manuals, for games released on their devices. Seizures occur when a lack of neuronal regulation causes nerve activity to sync up."

I think this video has lost all credibility with me when they quote the British hate-rag, The S*n. Yes, video games have been known to cause photosensitive seizures. This has been a disclosure in most games for at least a decade.

Quote

Vision Problems: "Many studies reflect the positive effects that video games have on reaction time, spatial awareness or peripheral and even central vision. In fact, studies from 2011 came to the conclusion that occlusion therapy combined with video game therapy had proven very effective in recovering visual acuity for people suffering from amblyopia, also known as lazy eye. However, some experts argue that from an evolutionary standpoint the cornea, pupil and iris aren’t intended for extended exposure to the screens of electric devices. Playing video games for too long can cause eye strain."

...and watching television, and using computers and laptops, and using virtual reality (VR) headsets, and reading print for too long.

Problems with Bones and Muscles: "Medical journal The Lancet published a case report in 2004 which mentioned the PlayStation thumb in a 9-year-old boy. Rapid game play had caused friction between the thumb and the controller which had led to numbness and a blister. Frequent tendon injuries to the hands and wrists of Nintendo players have been dubbed ‘Nintendonitis’."

Link to the letter to the Lancet here. I looked for examples of the blisters and swelling they listed, and could find only one, which err, doesn't look all that severe. At best it shows how crap the Dual Shock 2 was.

Quote

Obesity: "It’s been estimated that children in the US spend approximately 25 per cent of their waking hours playing video games or watching TV. Since long gaming sessions basically replace physical activity a connection has been established between having an increased body mass index and video games. One study showed that boys who spend over 1.5 hours gaming are 75.4% more likely to be overweight than those spending less than 1.5 hours."

Video games don't make people fat: eating too much cake and not moving enough make people fat. It's often said "abs are made in the kitchen" because of diet's influence on your health moreso than exercise (which is still vitally important; 20 minutes of pleasant breathlessness each day, folks!)

Quote

Gamer’s Thrombosis: "Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT is a dangerous and potentially deadly condition. It usually affects people immobilized for extended periods of time, like on long haul airplane trips. With DVT blood clots develop, typically within the leg. Since playing video games often requires sitting for a long time, the condition has also been associated with gamers. The condition has been referred to as ‘gamer’s thrombosis’ and some incidents have been fatal. Chris Staniforth, a 20-year-old Xbox player from the UK, who would spend over 12 hours online, died of DVT in 2011. A Russian teenager died from DVT after playing DOTA for several days straight. Xiao Han, a 20-year-old gamer, from China almost died of DVT after a 40-hour session."

Tragic but video games are not entirely to blame. People need to be responsible with their physical activity and leisure time. There are addictive things in video games and people are trying to clamp down on it, but this only gets in the way of those efforts.

...and that's where the video ends. No flipside, no attempts to balance the conversation, no real conclusion. Jesus wept in an RGB gaming chair.

Edited August 15, 2022 by Withywarlock
Formatting.

[Kane99]

lol why is this crime channel on YouTube going on about video games anyway? I checked their channel and they seem to discuss crime and cases around them. I hate when videos like this don't link to sources for their supposed truth. The whole seizure bit, I could see most things causing it, especially if you have epilepsy. 

They probably found stories/articles online about a couple studies that went nowhere for all we know. I wouldn't take this video seriously. 

[Empire]

Any negative effects from video games can mostly be the parents fault. I absolutely don’t get how parents blame games when they fail to be a parent and monitor what their kids do online or what video games they play. We have rating systems for them but they ignore it anyway, and refuse to teach their kids right from wrong so the kid doesn’t learn fucked up things. As with most hobbies and entertainment, moderation is key. Yet parents never teach their kids this.

[Clasher]

Please be informed that most people on YouTube this day are just there to make money off your views and the number of views they get would determine how much they get paid, so they can post whatever they feel would catch the attention of users and give them more views.

But as the thread topic says "this is bullshit" and watching the video would only give them more views encouraging to them to put out more videos like this, so please if you are going through the comments section of this thread don't even Bother clicking the video. 

[Justin11]

He should first tackle his obesity life before addressing other issues, he has an issue unsolved, I don't see anything tangible with what he said.

Moderator Edit: Please refrain from using personal attacks.

Edited August 17, 2022 by Withywarlock
[Withywarlock] Added moderation notice.

[Kane99]

The youtuber probably has sources, he just never checked them. The sources are probably just quick studies, or studies that don't necessarily prove anything. Either way, a lot of what was said in this video could be argued that they're wrong or not 100% correct. 

2 hours ago, Justin11 said:

He should first tackle his obesity life before addressing other issues, he has an issue unsolved, I don't see anything tangible with what he said.

Moderator Edit: Please refrain from using personal attacks.

I don't think the guy in the thumbnail of the video is actually the person who produces the video. I think it's a still from the video itself, it was during the #2 spot I believe. And even so, I don't think weight has anything to do with someone's views and opinions. 

[ForwardSlashDownPoke]

I just plain do not watch stuff like that. Like I said in another topic today: I tend to entirely reject people's opinions that video games are bad, and could care less what they think. As far as all of the "facts" outlined in the video: Science is a constant evolving entity, so what can be true today may be wrong tomorrow.

 

Handwashing at one time was entirely rejected by the core scientific establishment leading to a massive scientific showdown for quite some time; and then it was simply accepted as both fact and normal one day. Video games are extremely complex in the sense that what the person in the video is ALLUDING to is true, in the sense that video games can potentially change behavior, albeit the stuff would need to be examined on a case by case basis.

[Heatman]

On 8/17/2022 at 12:00 PM, Empire said:

Any negative effects from video games can mostly be the parents fault. I absolutely don’t get how parents blame games when they fail to be a parent and monitor what their kids do online or what video games they play. We have rating systems for them but they ignore it anyway, and refuse to teach their kids right from wrong so the kid doesn’t learn fucked up things. As with most hobbies and entertainment, moderation is key. Yet parents never teach their kids this.

Take a look at this video and see the state at which this 12 year old boy's parents failed to do their job and that left the boy in his difficult situation right now. 

They will always blames but have the power of prevent such from happening but they let it happen. 

[Kane99]

1 hour ago, Heatman said:

Take a look at this video and see the state at which this 12 year old boy's parents failed to do their job and that left the boy in his difficult situation right now. 

They will always blames but have the power of prevent such from happening but they let it happen. 

Yeah that's just bad parenting. I think I remember watching this episode of Dr Phil when it aired. They pretty much just let him game all the time, and when they try to make him take a break or stop, he throws a fit and then they of course allow him to continue playing. 

If that was my kid, I would literally take the console away from him. I'm not going to let my kid talk to me that way and then still play. Let the kid cry about it. He'll soon learn with good behaviour he can have time to play again. 

Also, I find it funny that they show this fake gameplay to highlight he likes to kill stuff in games lol. Of course, leave it to Dr. Phil and his crew to make gaming look bad. Oh and his mother saying she's worried he will become a school shooter, wow.  

[Heatman]

2 hours ago, Kane99 said:

Yeah that's just bad parenting. I think I remember watching this episode of Dr Phil when it aired. They pretty much just let him game all the time, and when they try to make him take a break or stop, he throws a fit and then they of course allow him to continue playing. 

If that was my kid, I would literally take the console away from him. I'm not going to let my kid talk to me that way and then still play. Let the kid cry about it. He'll soon learn with good behaviour he can have time to play again. 

Also, I find it funny that they show this fake gameplay to highlight he likes to kill stuff in games lol. Of course, leave it to Dr. Phil and his crew to make gaming look bad. Oh and his mother saying she's worried he will become a school shooter, wow.  

My summary of the whole thing that's happened with the kid on the YouTube video and even his parents body language and attitude towards it feels like they have given up on the kid or not even going to try and get him big help which is something he requires like his life depends on it. 

[Empire]

15 hours ago, Heatman said:

Take a look at this video and see the state at which this 12 year old boy's parents failed to do their job and that left the boy in his difficult situation right now. 

They will always blames but have the power of prevent such from happening but they let it happen. 

When your that young and can’t take it, then don’t provide it to your child. Read the description to the game before buying it for your child. Video Games don’t really do anything to anybody, but it does effect then if you give it to them at a certain age. Phil is not wrong because she doesn’t give him discipline and take those games. Don’t give your kids violent games at a young age, they won’t effect you when you get to the age requirements on the game description. He could play games young give him something peaceful.

[Clasher]

18 hours ago, Heatman said:

Take a look at this video and see the state at which this 12 year old boy's parents failed to do their job and that left the boy in his difficult situation right now. 

They will always blames but have the power of prevent such from happening but they let it happen. 

A child can pick up bad habits from their parents and the things the see or hear them do and that's how it is for virtually everything, this kids aren't dumb they observe and learn.

If you allow your kid get access to whatever they like without you first scrutinizing it to check if it is appropriate for them then come back to blame the industry for your irresponsibility then that's absurd.

My nephew loves video games though he is just 8 years old and whenever they want to get him a new video game his parent always ask for my advice since they know little about it ,so I just recommend a video game that is appropriate for a child his age and that solves all the drama afterwards.

 

[Justin11]

On 8/17/2022 at 10:37 PM, Kane99 said:

I don't think the guy in the thumbnail of the video is actually the person who produces the video. I think it's a still from the video itself, it was during the #2 spot I believe. And even so, I don't think weight has anything to do with someone's views and opinions. 

I've corrected myself from the personal attack I used against the guy on the thumbnail. He might not be the one speaking directly through the voice over, their is nothing the media can't bring up. 

[Heatman]

8 hours ago, Empire said:

When your that young and can’t take it, then don’t provide it to your child. Read the description to the game before buying it for your child. Video Games don’t really do anything to anybody, but it does effect then if you give it to them at a certain age. Phil is not wrong because she doesn’t give him discipline and take those games. Don’t give your kids violent games at a young age, they won’t effect you when you get to the age requirements on the game description. He could play games young give him something peaceful.

That's exactly the point because there was no way the kid would be able to afford getting himself that kind of game set up and the games he's playing. 

Everything was down to his parents who FAILED him woefully!!