I know, I know. It's the same old song and dance. Blah blah blah.
But, I found out today, fast food and video games and violence are very closely related. I'm sure you've heard of both of the "controversial issues.""Violent video games influence kids to make bad decisions." "Fast food makes you fat." "Today's rap is disgusting and infecting our kids minds." The list goes on and on. But these are all very closely related.
We are putting the blame on the wrong people.
Society today has some sort of issue with putting the blame on themselves. It is not video game companies' fault for infecting the minds of children. It's not fast food companies' fault for making kids fat. It's not rap artists' fault for giving teenagers bad ideas. It's the people that buy them.
Does the ESRB not do enough for you? They rate every game, give you reasons why, and even offer details about each specific game to those who want them. (They're free, online!) Does the news about fast food resturants not tell you enough? How it isn't real meat, how it's all bad for you? Do you not see the "EXPLICIT" marking on iTunes, or the "Parental Advisory" sticker on the album cover? These are all the precautions made for people that don't seem to understand why exactly something is bad.
And yet, somehow, people seem to make it "not their fault." How do you "unknowingly" show your ID when buying Grand Theft Auto for your kid, then find out it's obscene, then decide to blame the developer of the game, and not yourself?
This is what has made me so mad about the whole argument on video games and violence today, along with obscene lyrics and fast food. If you don't like it, don't buy it! You can talk about how horrible it is that other kids are getting their hands on some of this stuff when they really shouldn't be (and, heck, I agree with you), but you can't say that it's anyone else's fault but their own. There are already precautions in place to keep people from doing said things, and it's best to let those people be.
But, I found out today, fast food and video games and violence are very closely related. I'm sure you've heard of both of the "controversial issues.""Violent video games influence kids to make bad decisions." "Fast food makes you fat." "Today's rap is disgusting and infecting our kids minds." The list goes on and on. But these are all very closely related.
We are putting the blame on the wrong people.
Society today has some sort of issue with putting the blame on themselves. It is not video game companies' fault for infecting the minds of children. It's not fast food companies' fault for making kids fat. It's not rap artists' fault for giving teenagers bad ideas. It's the people that buy them.
Does the ESRB not do enough for you? They rate every game, give you reasons why, and even offer details about each specific game to those who want them. (They're free, online!) Does the news about fast food resturants not tell you enough? How it isn't real meat, how it's all bad for you? Do you not see the "EXPLICIT" marking on iTunes, or the "Parental Advisory" sticker on the album cover? These are all the precautions made for people that don't seem to understand why exactly something is bad.
And yet, somehow, people seem to make it "not their fault." How do you "unknowingly" show your ID when buying Grand Theft Auto for your kid, then find out it's obscene, then decide to blame the developer of the game, and not yourself?
This is what has made me so mad about the whole argument on video games and violence today, along with obscene lyrics and fast food. If you don't like it, don't buy it! You can talk about how horrible it is that other kids are getting their hands on some of this stuff when they really shouldn't be (and, heck, I agree with you), but you can't say that it's anyone else's fault but their own. There are already precautions in place to keep people from doing said things, and it's best to let those people be.
1 comment:
1.) It's Megan; I stalked your blog.
More importantly, 2.) just because someone wants something doesn't mean it's good for society, even if they're informed. A twenty six year old can go buy GTA, but it doesn't mean they won't be influenced by it.
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