The Munich killer was mentally ill and was addicted to violent video games. How do you feel about these violent games?

2016-07-24T13:50:01-04:00

I personally feel these games are not good especially for someone who has mental heath issues. The shooter in Sandy Hook was also addicted to these kind of video games. Do you all feel the same?
http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/24/europe/germany-munich-shooting/

One study goes into violence and young people. I am trying to find some research dealing with mental illness.
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/violent-video-games-and-young-people

http://www.charismanews.com/culture/52651-14-mass-murders-linked-to-violent-video-games

Munich gunman planned attack for a year, officials say

The gunman who killed nine people in a rampage in Munich on Friday was obsessed with mass shootings and appeared to have planned the attack for a year, officials said.

Response by SSG Stephan Pendarvis made Jul 24 at 2016 1:57 PM

2016-07-24T13:57:34-04:00

Actually...I believe every killer is mentally ill...video games or not.

Response by SP5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2016 2:00 PM

2016-07-24T14:00:08-04:00

SFC William Farrell A good topic in today's game-focused world. You hit the key with "mental health issues". I agree that the games are not good, but also believe that most players are able to distinguish reality versus the game environment. How to determine a player with mental health issues who will be influenced by the game is the major challenge, and goes from parents at home to teachers at school to supervisors and peers at work. None of those individuals, absent a professional capability in psychology, can with certainty identify the at risk person. It may be a matter of detecting small clues or pattern behavior.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2016 2:50 PM

2016-07-24T14:50:36-04:00

Video games does not a killer make. However, I do agree with other posts who mention the desensitization aspect. I think that is a piece of the puzzle in the culture of death.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Jul 24 at 2016 4:35 PM

2016-07-24T16:35:24-04:00

SFC William Farrell, I think such videos games are unhealthy, but I guess the same could be said for movies, television, books, and the list goes on. When video games came along, I felt like I was too old to engage them, and never did. However, I've many violent TV shows and movies, and have never felt the urge to go out and kill people. So if the person was mentally ill, does that essentially excuse the occurrence? Did playing the video games contribute to his illness? We could go around with this one forever and ever!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2016 7:47 PM

2016-07-24T19:47:38-04:00

As you said, The killer was mentally ill. Whether a video game or crocheting, if the guy had it in his head to go on a murder spree then it would have transpired because of one reason or another.

Response by SGT David T. made Jul 25 at 2016 8:30 AM

2016-07-25T08:30:28-04:00

Video games do not cause violent behavior. We need to stop blaming inanimate things for people's behavior. It all comes down to choice plain and simple. He made a conscious decision to kill. Simple as that. The games didn't cause that.

Response by MGySgt James Forward made Jul 25 at 2016 9:35 AM

2016-07-25T09:35:07-04:00

Sandy Hook shooter was autistic, the Munich shooter was classified as depressed. I suspect that they were deeper issues going on but we will never know. Personally, I have no use for violent games; I kick ass with pacman and other similar games. I think that all Shooter/violent games should be for 18 and up but that will more than likely never happen as there is too much money to be made selling them. Semper Fi.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Jul 25 at 2016 2:10 PM

2016-07-25T14:10:45-04:00

No. It's not the damn video games fault. They're just looking for something to blame. Should we deny literature to the mentally ill as well. People might get so engrossed in a good story that they can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

Evil people do evil things. The only one to blame is the individual involved. To blame it on video games or a mental illness or whatever is ridiculous.

Response by CMSgt Mike Esser made Jul 25 at 2016 3:19 PM

2016-07-25T15:19:12-04:00

I don't like them, it makes you callous to the outcome.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 25 at 2016 4:33 PM

2016-07-25T16:33:36-04:00

I know the OP means well, but can we please dispense with blaming something or someone other than the perpetrator of these incidents?
It isn't the guns fault, nor a video game's, nor the political climate, nor mean things someone said, nor how much their mommy gave them hugs.
It is the fault of the nut job who decided his best choice was to kill unarmed civilians and go down in some sort of macabre blaze of glory. The sooner we stop trying to blame everything else and confront the real problem, the sooner we will have a legitimate chance to get the problem under control.
This could be applied to a lot of things in current events.

Response by CSM Richard StCyr made Jul 27 at 2016 3:06 PM

2016-07-27T15:06:33-04:00

I've never been a fan of them. I can't get the bullets to skip off pavement and under vehicles or off masonry walls like real ones and it frustrates the heck out of me.
Seriously though, like all things too much of anything is not good for you and personally I think the games desensitize people much in the manner shooting at pop up silhouettes do on the range.

Response by SSG Jim Beverly made Jul 31 at 2016 9:08 PM

2016-07-31T21:08:16-04:00

This article may help your research. The American Psychological Association has published a study as of August 2015. To summarize, while they did link a predisposition towards aggression in players of violent video games, they have found no sufficient evidence to link criminal or delinquent behavior as a result of exposure to violent video games. I agree with many other posters here, that in a reasonable person, a violent video game is not a danger. It's a scapegoat. I hear your argument that someone with mental health issues may have a different reaction, but I feel there's little difference blaming the video games for a mentally ill person's response to them and blaming beer for an alcoholic abusing it.

Link: http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/08/violent-video-games.aspx

APA Review Confirms Link Between Playing Violent Video Games and Aggression

Violent video game play is linked to increased aggression in players but insufficient evidence exists about whether the link extends to criminal violence or delinquency.

Response by Bergman Oswell made Aug 5 at 2016 10:58 AM

2016-08-05T10:58:34-04:00

Most reputable studies (by which I mean those without visibly flawed methodology or published by a group already biased towards the 'findings' of the study) have found that there is either no connection between violent video games and an increase in actual violent behavior or have found that playing such games reduces the risk of actual violent behavior. Video gamers as a demographic group are one of the least violent in the teen to young adult age range.

Many studies claim a link to violent video games because those who were violent also played games. By that standard, you should never breathe air, drink water or eat food because every single person who ever committed violent crimes did all three of those things.

Response by SMSgt Matthew Hoyer made Sep 17 at 2016 11:17 AM

2016-09-17T11:17:31-04:00

Yeah like most other people on this response list, i'm of the same opinion. People that go on mass shootings are insane and even if violent video games didn't exist at all, they probably still would have inevitably gone postal at some point. I love me some violent video games, but i understand where reality and fantasy divide.