Aggressive!

After reading Chapter 10 of Nielsen's book, I found it very hard to believe that there are so many people who might have some anger or anxiety issues after playing video games. Yes, the research was rock solid and the tests conducted seemed believable but as a gamer, and as a person who knows many gamers, I have never encountered any anger issues caused by video games.

If anything, sometimes I reach for video games as a way to get rid of some stress buildup and relax in way's that would be otherwise unacceptable in the real world. I steal, murder, race, destroy, blow up, beat up, cut up and make the world burn. In video games. Does that make me a bad, angry person? I doubt it. Ever since I was a little kid people were always concerned about whether playing violent video games might cause kids to go out and replicate those behaviors on the streets, but honestly - that very very rarely happens. The way I see it, is that playing violent video games might be a good way of picking out unstable, sick individuals with tendencies to do some damage to the society which allows for getting them the needed help sooner. I absolutely don't buy that violent video games make good, calm, easy going people all of the sudden go all out and shoot up a school. If anything, they might bring out who you are, and push you over the edge - and at that point, if you cannot distinguish between reality and a game, and still want to go out and kill - you NEED help.

On the final note, if you want to ban violent video games or look at how they influence your kids - start with the TV first. The day that all violence disappears from TV during the daytime hours when kids are awake - then you can start picking on video games. Video game rating exists for a reason.

Also sorry for not blabbing about the chapter too much. Blog posts ought to be opinions, not summaries of what everyone can read. IMO.