Comments on: Violent video games and movies make people numb to the pain and suffering of others. http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/02/violent-video-games-and-movies-make-people-numb-to-the-pain-and-suffering-of-others/ The official Derren Brown Blog Mon, 07 May 2012 09:24:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: TheKevster http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/02/violent-video-games-and-movies-make-people-numb-to-the-pain-and-suffering-of-others/#comment-5513 TheKevster Sun, 01 Mar 2009 06:16:45 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=614#comment-5513 That kid is an actor. If you don't believe, find the original video. He's done a bunch of funny stuff. That kid is an actor. If you don’t believe, find the original video. He’s done a bunch of funny stuff.

]]> By: Sara http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/02/violent-video-games-and-movies-make-people-numb-to-the-pain-and-suffering-of-others/#comment-5114 Sara Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:34:50 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=614#comment-5114 This is an old debate and something the tabloid papers use often, as a propaganda tool to manipulate the public's attitude, usually towards a specific story. For example, in 1993 James Bulger a three year old boy was murdered near Merseyside, England. His killers were two 10-year-old boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. During that time the newspapers suggested the two 10-year-old boys had watched Child's Play 3 the night before the murder had taken place and had inspired both children of this brutal act. Officers investigating the case rejected the implication and continued their analysis, whist the newspapers encouraged the story further and caused crowd riots over the film they ignored the fact that the two children had already violent home backgrounds. A detailed survey commissioned by the Home Office failed to establish a clear link between violent videos and aggressive behaviour by youngsters. Now I don't think that you should be altogether dismissive of this research, but what I do believe is the importance of examining the individual circumstance's of their upbringing and mental health. This is an old debate and something the tabloid papers use often, as a propaganda tool to manipulate the public’s attitude, usually towards a specific story. For example, in 1993 James Bulger a three year old boy was murdered near Merseyside, England. His killers were two 10-year-old boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. During that time the newspapers suggested the two 10-year-old boys had watched Child’s Play 3 the night before the murder had taken place and had inspired both children of this brutal act. Officers investigating the case rejected the implication and continued their analysis, whist the newspapers encouraged the story further and caused crowd riots over the film they ignored the fact that the two children had already violent home backgrounds.

A detailed survey commissioned by the Home Office failed to establish a clear link between violent videos and aggressive behaviour by youngsters. Now I don’t think that you should be altogether dismissive of this research, but what I do believe is the importance of examining the individual circumstance’s of their upbringing and mental health.

]]> By: Flapjack http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/02/violent-video-games-and-movies-make-people-numb-to-the-pain-and-suffering-of-others/#comment-5098 Flapjack Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:35:19 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=614#comment-5098 From personal experience, a while back I took a nightshift job to pay the bills and was working alongside someone who was an avid fan of "Grand Theft Auto". We got talking about it, and he told me, bold as brass that the reason he liked it so much is that he could have sex with prostitutes (not the words he used) for health points, then shoot them in the head afterwards so he didn't have to pay them. How much of that was the rules of the game and how much of that was him I don't know. It's debatable whether he applied these two lessons to his everyday life, but it does suggest a sociopathic mindset. From personal experience, a while back I took a nightshift job to pay the bills and was working alongside someone who was an avid fan of “Grand Theft Auto”. We got talking about it, and he told me, bold as brass that the reason he liked it so much is that he could have sex with prostitutes (not the words he used) for health points, then shoot them in the head afterwards so he didn’t have to pay them. How much of that was the rules of the game and how much of that was him I don’t know.
It’s debatable whether he applied these two lessons to his everyday life, but it does suggest a sociopathic mindset.

]]> By: ScreamingGreenConure http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/02/violent-video-games-and-movies-make-people-numb-to-the-pain-and-suffering-of-others/#comment-5065 ScreamingGreenConure Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:04:29 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=614#comment-5065 Jameshogg: I don't think your being a gamer does make you better at judging these things than scientists. If anything, I would think it makes you somewhat worse, since you are going to find it very difficult to take a step back and look at the results objectively. The article didn't say that video games change your personality drastically. It said that exposure to violent media had some short-term effects that aren't all that massively exciting. It also did not say that violent media in any form is a huge cause of violence or apathy towards violence in real life. Nobody in the article claimed to be an expert on games or movies. They made up some tests, they carried them out, they got some interesting results and if it stands up to peer review and all that stuff then other sciency people will probably want to try similar tests to see what happens. I don't understand why people get angry about this kind of research. Yes, it might suggest a result that you are very uncomfortable with, but science isn't there to produce only results you like. If this was not a fluke and violent games or movies produce short-term effects like this, then that's something you need to be aware of if you want to play those games or watch those movies, isn't it? Being aware of it means you can compensate for it. Then we can all live happily ever after. A guy creates a video game that turns you catatonic in a pub and you all completely believe in it and applaud, some scientists test for a really slight short-term effect of other games and movies and there's controversy. My brain is imploding. Jameshogg: I don’t think your being a gamer does make you better at judging these things than scientists. If anything, I would think it makes you somewhat worse, since you are going to find it very difficult to take a step back and look at the results objectively. The article didn’t say that video games change your personality drastically. It said that exposure to violent media had some short-term effects that aren’t all that massively exciting. It also did not say that violent media in any form is a huge cause of violence or apathy towards violence in real life. Nobody in the article claimed to be an expert on games or movies. They made up some tests, they carried them out, they got some interesting results and if it stands up to peer review and all that stuff then other sciency people will probably want to try similar tests to see what happens.
I don’t understand why people get angry about this kind of research. Yes, it might suggest a result that you are very uncomfortable with, but science isn’t there to produce only results you like. If this was not a fluke and violent games or movies produce short-term effects like this, then that’s something you need to be aware of if you want to play those games or watch those movies, isn’t it? Being aware of it means you can compensate for it. Then we can all live happily ever after.
A guy creates a video game that turns you catatonic in a pub and you all completely believe in it and applaud, some scientists test for a really slight short-term effect of other games and movies and there’s controversy. My brain is imploding.

]]> By: Sarith http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/02/violent-video-games-and-movies-make-people-numb-to-the-pain-and-suffering-of-others/#comment-5063 Sarith Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:31:07 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=614#comment-5063 I really don't take this kind of research seriously. Judging from my days in high school, I suspect being on the school rugby team also makes people numb to the pain and suffering of others. Being wealthy and having dominion over others probably do too. I really don’t take this kind of research seriously. Judging from my days in high school, I suspect being on the school rugby team also makes people numb to the pain and suffering of others. Being wealthy and having dominion over others probably do too.

]]> By: Tash http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/02/violent-video-games-and-movies-make-people-numb-to-the-pain-and-suffering-of-others/#comment-5058 Tash Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:28:28 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=614#comment-5058 lol -i just thought he couldn't get it working. Maybe i'm alone in simular behaviour to that video when my flintstones laptop jams up. Good point but then look at the violence in the victorian era - they didnt have computer games then. I used to love mario bros too - i used to love the cheats to get to higher levels but then got depressed when i realised i couldn't actually play them. :-( good and bad points to v.games. Hmmm - maybe they should only be allowed in pubs where derren sitting out the back ready to pounce! xx lol. x lol -i just thought he couldn’t get it working. Maybe i’m alone in simular behaviour to that video when my flintstones laptop jams up. Good point but then look at the violence in the victorian era – they didnt have computer games then. I used to love mario bros too – i used to love the cheats to get to higher levels but then got depressed when i realised i couldn’t actually play them. :-( good and bad points to v.games. Hmmm – maybe they should only be allowed in pubs where derren sitting out the back ready to pounce! xx lol. x

]]> By: ScreamingGreenConure http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/02/violent-video-games-and-movies-make-people-numb-to-the-pain-and-suffering-of-others/#comment-5057 ScreamingGreenConure Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:35:24 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=614#comment-5057 I agree with Flapjack, and also I feel the need to point out the irony of being too dismissive of this kind of research while watching a man on the telly convince middle-management professional types to rob an armoured truck, apparently by talking a lot, playing a Jackson 5 song and making people angry about green. That being the case, it's hard to believe that a few hours of running over Hare Krsna monks in a video game or watching people cut their own legs off or whatever happens in those Saw movies DOESN'T affect your behaviour in some way. I agree with Flapjack, and also I feel the need to point out the irony of being too dismissive of this kind of research while watching a man on the telly convince middle-management professional types to rob an armoured truck, apparently by talking a lot, playing a Jackson 5 song and making people angry about green. That being the case, it’s hard to believe that a few hours of running over Hare Krsna monks in a video game or watching people cut their own legs off or whatever happens in those Saw movies DOESN’T affect your behaviour in some way.

]]> By: Flapjack http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/02/violent-video-games-and-movies-make-people-numb-to-the-pain-and-suffering-of-others/#comment-5056 Flapjack Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:23:41 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=614#comment-5056 This is what's known as the 'Hyperdermic' model in media studies... the notion that we have no choice in how we view things and bad images go unchallenged. It's called Hypodermic as a metaphor for bad ideas being injected straight into our brains. It's like the old computer analogy... 'garbage in...garbage out'. Quite often the Hypodermic model is dismissed completely due to many other factors involved. Against that I would point out that Hitler used Goebbels for precicely that reason. If films and media had zero effect on the viewer, why appoint a propaganda minister to sell it to the masses? That said, it is fair to say that those most susceptible to subversive content are those with a frail grip on reality in the first place. I think there's some truth in it, but it's not the whole picture. This is what’s known as the ‘Hyperdermic’ model in media studies… the notion that we have no choice in how we view things and bad images go unchallenged. It’s called Hypodermic as a metaphor for bad ideas being injected straight into our brains. It’s like the old computer analogy… ‘garbage in…garbage out’.
Quite often the Hypodermic model is dismissed completely due to many other factors involved. Against that I would point out that Hitler used Goebbels for precicely that reason. If films and media had zero effect on the viewer, why appoint a propaganda minister to sell it to the masses?
That said, it is fair to say that those most susceptible to subversive content are those with a frail grip on reality in the first place. I think there’s some truth in it, but it’s not the whole picture.

]]> By: Aaris http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/02/violent-video-games-and-movies-make-people-numb-to-the-pain-and-suffering-of-others/#comment-5052 Aaris Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:51:13 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=614#comment-5052 I have witnessed many fights at school where two kids will start punching eachother and other teens will just gather round and watch cheering them on. in one case two girls were beating the crap out of eachother and two male teachers standing by just stood there and watched for a good 2 min while other kids swarmed them and a couple kids got it on video. in the case of the two girls it was during my lunch hour and i happen to be a female wrestler and a good person so i shoved the girls apart. (dont get the impression that im really big and strong im actually just little and wirey) I did watch for a couple min. though untill someone got kicked in the face. I have witnessed many fights at school where two kids will start punching eachother and other teens will just gather round and watch cheering them on. in one case two girls were beating the crap out of eachother and two male teachers standing by just stood there and watched for a good 2 min while other kids swarmed them and a couple kids got it on video. in the case of the two girls it was during my lunch hour and i happen to be a female wrestler and a good person so i shoved the girls apart. (dont get the impression that im really big and strong im actually just little and wirey) I did watch for a couple min. though untill someone got kicked in the face.

]]> By: Aaris http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/02/violent-video-games-and-movies-make-people-numb-to-the-pain-and-suffering-of-others/#comment-5051 Aaris Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:40:57 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=614#comment-5051 I think in this case technology has won. even though im a teen i don't think we should have video games or calculators. I've heard of this before cuz i'm from michigan, and its a pretty interesting topic. I think in this case technology has won. even though im a teen i don’t think we should have video games or calculators. I’ve heard of this before cuz i’m from michigan, and its a pretty interesting topic.

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