[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Mariah_Carey

That's probably the issue here.

There's a world of difference between a trigger and a cause.

A trigger sets off something already wrong, and can come from a multitude of things. A cause is something different and suggests something like a video game can cause a mentally healthy person to change.

I believe they can trigger, like many things in life can trigger unwell people to do irrational and violent things. I don't believe they're a cause in any way shape or form.

Out of the millions upon millions of people who have watched Chuckie of all ages and backgrounds, 2 kids using it as inspiration for the despicable acts they'd have committed with or without it is no evidence that horror movies or video games cause these things.

I did't put forward the chuckie analogy.

Could it not be a trigger for those who do have issues and a cause for those who don't?

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Christmas treeza

I did't put forward the chuckie analogy.

Could it not be a trigger for those who do have issues and a cause for those who don't?

I genuinely do not believe that playing violent videogames can turn an otherwise normal person into a killer. I really don't. Is this what you mean by this?

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Christmas treeza

I did't put forward the chuckie analogy.

Could it not be a trigger for those who do have issues and a cause for those who don't?

I never said you did. I used the point about triggers vs cause to add my thoughts to the threads conversation which included the Bulger case.

In answer to your question, no I don't think so. As I've never come across any such crimes committed by people without issues and I've never come across anyone nor have any studies highlighted an individual who became mentally unbalanced due to a video game, movie or other.

I agree with Vicky on the Scream quote.
Movies and games might give psychos ideas but they were a psycho beforehand. Bulger's killers were apparently influenced by Chucky, if that film didn't exist they'd have used other methods. Chucky didn't make them kill.

It's like the other point someone made about kids play fighting. Kids use their imaginations and play make believe anyway. So if they didn't have the idea from watching TV to play "Power Rangers" for example, they'd be messing about and playing something of their own creation.

The same goes for psychos IMO.

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Christmas treeza

I did't put forward the chuckie analogy.

Could it not be a trigger for those who do have issues and a cause for those who don't?

No game, film, book, song, TV show etc can make someone a killer, they can (like all things) can TRIGGER violent behavior in violent individuals but they are never the cause of violent incidents.

Blaming video games for violent behavior is essentially vindicating violent people for their actions.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

No game, film, book, song, TV show etc can make someone a killer, they can (like all things) can TRIGGER violent behavior in violent individuals but they are never the cause of violent incidents.

Blaming video games for violent behavior is essentially vindicating violent people for their actions.

Well we won't go into that whole cause and effect debate again

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Christmas treeza

Well we won't go into that whole cause and effect debate again

It's not a debate though, a psychologically healthy individual can't be prompted to commit murder by an external source like a movie or game. It's just not even a realistic claim. An already disturbed individual might be "triggered by", or get specific ideas from, something like a game, movie or book but that's sort of a moot point... because the same could be said of myriad sources. They could be triggered by or get ideas from the 6 o'clock news, or something as simple as a word-of-mouth story. Should we ban news broadcasts and conversation?

In fact - if you care to have a look into some of the world's most notorious serial killers - there are a very large numbers who were inspired by other real-life killers more than anything else... so, by reading the news, basically. Mass shootings and things like that, especially, are often inspired by the infamy of previous mass-shooters, and the vast amount of media attention.

I maintain that there are far more disturbing and horrific stories in the real world / real news every single day than I have ever seen in any movie or video game.

Potential triggers of all sorts of things are absolutely everywhere, and you can't even fully identify each one until hindsight. Some people may be tempted to "ban everything!!" in an attempt to remove those triggers and keep people "safer" but not only would it be logically impossible - it would also be ineffective. If it's not one thing, it'll only be something else that no one had considered.