Funny you should say that. I played gears of war at 13/14, I remember gleefully giggling as I chainsawed locust and cog into little pieces all night long.
Guess where I ended up?
Oh, I'm a graphic designer, great friends, fantastic social life, and I've never once considered defacing or damaging another's property or being.
I can tell you, it's not the game, it's the person. Anyone of any age can develop anti social tendencies, or a violent/abusive temperament. If you think your kid is gonna turn out like that, then you need to do more than just block video games. Start looking at their social activities, the people they talk to, the way they behave.
If I see a kid egging someone's house, I definitely don't think "well, he's clearly played too much Destiny, all those thrall must be having such an adverse effect on him!"
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You have to admit that the younger you are, the easier is to be influenced. I'm a graphic designer too, by the way... Not sure that proves our mental sanity LOL!!!
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Edited by A Flying Ewok: 6/26/2015 1:52:40 PMOf course, developing minds are much easier to influence in any way, but if a parent is concerned about the way their kid is developing, they need to get involved, and not just simply blame "damn video games". I'd argue that video games can even help people who aren't great at socializing in person, because if they feel uncomfortable, escape is just a few button presses away. In the end, I just think parents need to assess games on a case by case basis, and help their kid develop to be decent. Seen too many parents let their kids go rampant and get into serious trouble because they never said no! And yeah, most designers I work with are pretty crazy!
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Exactly! Videogames are just one of the many things parents have to EXPLAIN to their children. They're young, not stupid. I've read a few minutes ago the post of a 15 years old boy (or girl) who asked for help. He wanted to quit playing, but wasn't able to. I don't know if it was true or not. It just left me a little shocked.
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Precisely! Too many parents opt for the fix after, not the prevent before, because to many, it seems easier. Wish this wasn't the case! As in they physically couldn't stop playing Destiny? Like, an addiction? Because that's quite a concern, especially for their education!
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Like an addiction, yes. I hope it was a troll.