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Boys who don't play videogames 'are at risk'
News.com.au ^ | May 9, 2008 | Andrew Ramadge,

Posted on 05/09/2008 12:32:34 PM PDT by PROCON

BOYS who don't play videogames at all are at greater risk of getting into trouble than those who play violent games occasionally, according to two Harvard psychologists.

The pair also said there was also no evidence to suggest violent games turn young people into criminals or violent people, despite some media reports.

"If you look at the violent crime in the US over the past 20 years among teenagers it's gone down, and gone down significantly, and if you look at videogame play, it's gone up," said Dr Lawrence Kutner and Dr Cheryl Olsen of Harvard Medical School in a recent interview.

"The big concern that you hear the politicians and the pundits argue, that playing violent videogames will somehow turn your child into a criminal or a violent person, there's absolutely no evidence for that."

(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: boys; psychology; videogames; violence
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Interesting logic.
1 posted on 05/09/2008 12:32:34 PM PDT by PROCON
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To: PROCON

Sedentary vs. active?


2 posted on 05/09/2008 12:34:42 PM PDT by Hegemony Cricket (Friends with umbrellas are outstanding in the rain.)
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To: PROCON

Sounded interesting until I saw “...Harvard psychologists.” Sorry, but anything coming out of that clown school that’s not from the science/engineering/math departments should be considered as believable as a CBS news broadcast.


3 posted on 05/09/2008 12:34:42 PM PDT by Da Coyote
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To: PROCON

I’ll bet boys who don’t play video games are also at greater risk to be physically fit, have a job, and date real girls.


4 posted on 05/09/2008 12:35:23 PM PDT by live+let_live
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To: PROCON

As many strategy games as I’ve played, I should have conquered the world by now. At least I have stomped out the Elves and the Goblins. You don’t see many of them around now do you?


5 posted on 05/09/2008 12:37:03 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: Da Coyote

Someone such as Charles Krauthammer?


6 posted on 05/09/2008 12:37:24 PM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: PROCON
If you look at the violent crime in the US over the past 20 years among teenagers it's gone down, and gone down significantly, and if you look at videogame play, it's gone up," said Dr Lawrence Kutner and Dr Cheryl Olsen of Harvard Medical School in a recent interview.

Apparently he never read that correlation does not equal causation.

I think the reduction in violent crime over the last 20 years has more to do with the fact that the "crack wars" that ravaged our cities during the late 1980s/early 1990s ended.

7 posted on 05/09/2008 12:37:27 PM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (Here they come boys! As thick as grass, and as black as thunder!)
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To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus

Then you think wrong. Apparently you missed this study:

BOYS who don’t smoke crack at all are at greater risk of getting into trouble than those who smoke crack occasionally, according to two Yale psychologists.


8 posted on 05/09/2008 12:39:50 PM PDT by Flash Bazbeaux
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To: PROCON

I read a lot of crime novels and true crime stories. I must be at risk of being a mass murderer.


9 posted on 05/09/2008 12:40:31 PM PDT by WarToad
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To: PROCON
If you look at the violent crime in the US over the past 20 years among teenagers it's gone down, and gone down significantly, and if you look at videogame play, it's gone up," said Dr Lawrence Kutner and Dr Cheryl Olsen of Harvard Medical School in a recent interview.

Oh, and forgot to add this, too.

The type of kids (socioeconomic status, etc.) who regularly play video games on expensive electronic videogame systems tend not to be the class of kids who committed many crimes in the first place, so I doubt he'll get far with a "playing video games reduces crime" argument. These same kids ARE, however, the pool of kids who have produced most of the school shooters and the like (who've been overwhelming from "good" families in "good" neighbourhoods and district, the kids who basically are doing in real life what is depicted in a lot of the first-person shooter games.

10 posted on 05/09/2008 12:41:07 PM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (Here they come boys! As thick as grass, and as black as thunder!)
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To: PROCON

When I was a kid, boys played with toy guns, army men, played cops & robbers, King of the Hill, etc., and that seemed to be where they got their violent tendencies out.

Now guns are bad, the Army is evil, cops are demonized, etc., and there is no outlet for little boy behavior.

So, maybe video games are a way for boys to be boys?


11 posted on 05/09/2008 12:43:19 PM PDT by mountainbunny
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To: DannyTN

“At least I have stomped out the Elves and the Goblins. You don’t see many of them around now do you?”
They just all moved to New Zealand and went to work for Peter Jackson. :)


12 posted on 05/09/2008 12:48:37 PM PDT by 95 Bravo ("Freedom is not free.")
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To: DannyTN
At least I have stomped out the Elves and the Goblins. You don’t see many of them around now do you?

Now we're overrun with trolls!
Gee! Thanks alot!


13 posted on 05/09/2008 12:49:13 PM PDT by uglybiker (I do not suffer from mental illness. I quite enjoy it, actually.)
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To: PROCON

Oh Sure... I bet those Amish kids are at great risk for becoming highly dysfunctional and dangerous too.


14 posted on 05/09/2008 12:53:55 PM PDT by tflabo (Truth or tyranny)
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To: live+let_live
I’ll bet boys who don’t play video games are also at greater risk to be physically fit, have a job, and date real girls.

lol..yup. ...something with which I suspect those "Harvard psychologists" don't have much experience.

15 posted on 05/09/2008 12:55:15 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: PROCON
Well, these boys won't get into trouble!


16 posted on 05/09/2008 12:56:20 PM PDT by LibFreeOrDie
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To: DannyTN

Those aliens from Half Life are pretty rare too. You can thank me later. :^)


17 posted on 05/09/2008 12:56:48 PM PDT by ovrtaxt (This election is like running in the Special Olympics. Even if McCain wins, were still retarded.)
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To: PROCON
Dr. Leonard Sax, in Boys at Risk, states that video games contribute to the wussification (my term, not his) of boys today.
18 posted on 05/09/2008 12:57:10 PM PDT by Salvey
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To: DannyTN

Bow down to the Supreme Commander, Tech 1 Unit!


19 posted on 05/09/2008 1:00:24 PM PDT by farlander (Try not to wear milk bone underwear - it's a dog eat dog financial world)
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To: ovrtaxt

Damn head crabs... Where’s a crowbar when you need one...


20 posted on 05/09/2008 1:02:21 PM PDT by farlander (Try not to wear milk bone underwear - it's a dog eat dog financial world)
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