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"The world, as usual, is more complex than we'd like it to be," said Georgia Tech Ian Bogost, addressing concerns that an amateur video game based on the Columbine massacre inspired a 25-year-old man to go on a shooting rampage in Montreal on Wednesday.
Bogost, interviewed by CTV, added, "Certainly, (the shooter) was using media of all kinds to culture his antisocial fantasies. Should we hold (this game) responsible? Clearly, these are overly simplistic explanations."
Bogost has much more on the Dawson shooting on his Water Cooler Games website.
John Pungente of the Toronto's Association for Media Literacy told CTV that every generation has taken issue with media violence. Pungente cited comic books, movies and television as examples.
"You can't blame the media," he said. "People have been doing these violent things since before there was even media... Parents certainly have to be more aware of what their children are seeing."
Pungente, whose organization seeks to have media literacy programs included in Canadian school curriculums, added that those who would blame the Dawson rampage and other events on video games would have difficulty explaining why only a tiny fraction of gamers become violent.
September 15 2006, 12:55:01 UTC 5 years ago
That's been one of my biggest questions for a while now.
September 15 2006, 13:12:41 UTC 5 years ago
History
I wonder if way back when Abraham's (or any other biblical figure) talked in council meetings arguing about the worst influence on their children: Sheep sheering.September 15 2006, 16:14:18 UTC 5 years ago
I don't have to read anymore of this story
"Certainly, (the shooter) was using media of all kinds to culture his antisocial fantasies. Should we hold (this game) responsible? Clearly, these are overly simplistic explanations."A-friggen-men.
oh, and the rest is the same, good stuff. I'll have to find out more about the association for media literacy.
September 15 2006, 17:52:37 UTC 5 years ago
I'm glad CTV interviewed Bogost
I was worried their coverage would approach Toronto Sun-ish type tabloidism on this topic, considering how CTV loves splashy headlines.Then they turn around and actually do some proper investigative journalism.
On the CBC, they've pretty much dropped the game angle, and are doing the same sort of stuff, but with "goth culture". Getting psychologists on to explain that while it's a concern, it's also an outlet for frustration, and so is more therapeutic than keeping such feelings bottled up.
September 15 2006, 17:53:56 UTC 5 years ago
What gets to me about scape-goating in general is that it hides the real problem. There are real causes at work here. Things can be done about them, but not if everyone's busy pointing fingers at Doom and GTA.
September 15 2006, 18:14:41 UTC 5 years ago
Someone should have noticed
CBC Newsworld talked about this yesterday. They interviewed several experts on the "goth culture", and most of them talked about how the culture is all about shock value. So it's difficult to discern someone who's talking about death because they want to "fit in" to the motif, all morbid and moody, and someone who is seriously f'd up.
(there was one guy who was basically the Jack Thompson of goth culture, but he was an obvious scaremonger, even the reporter was giving him the "so we should lock up goths?" look)
September 15 2006, 19:48:17 UTC 5 years ago
Re: Someone should have noticed
Fair enough. I'm certainly not suggesting that anyone who's obsessed with death should be locked up. I still feel that someone should have taken a closer look. If one of my friends started obsessing about death, I'd try to find out why (especially if they already displayed an obsession with guns). If they described themselves as an Angel of Death, I'd wonder if they really meant it.I've been told that there's usually warning signs, but the signs are often subtle, and no one's looking closely enough. Gil's case at the very least should have suggested to the people around him that they might want to keep an eye out for warning signs.
September 15 2006, 19:33:27 UTC 5 years ago
September 16 2006, 00:01:26 UTC 5 years ago
September 16 2006, 16:21:45 UTC 5 years ago
OH NO THAT'S TOO HARD CANT WE JUST BLAME IT ALL ON THOSE EVIL VIDEO GAMES AND SATANIC ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC RATHER THAN ACCEPT THE FACT THAT SOME OF OUR PRECIOUS LITTLE BABIES ARE JUST FUCKED UP AND SOME OF US SUCK AT RAISING OUR KIDS OWWWWW YOU MAKE MY HEAD HURRRRRRRRRT!!!!!