Virtual violence and aggression & young children

Nanfoodle · July 2016

The immersive and inescapable way children and teens are exposed to violence in their "media diet" on social media apps, video games and movies can make them more aggressive and fearful, the American Academy of Pediatrics says in a new policy statement.

The group released its updated advice, titled "Virtual violence," in Monday's online issue of the journal Pediatrics.

"We've switched from calling it screen aggression or screen violence to virtual violence to capture the more immersive ways children can experience media violence today," said Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a pediatrician at Seattle Children's Research Institute and the principal author.

"Very soon it's going to be virtual reality violent video games. That makes the experience that much more intense and the recommendations that much more important."

Quantity of screen time has dominated the conversation about how parents can reassert control of their children's media habits, Christakis said.

Quantity of screen time has dominated the conversation about how parents can reassert control of their children's media habits. (Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

While limits are needed, it's more important to focus on quality, he said, adding that media can be educational and entertaining but there are also risks.

"Your child might be at greater risk than others, particularly when parents see aggressive tendencies in their children, they should make very concerted efforts to reduce the violence in their child's media diet."

The team defined aggressive behaviour as intention to harm another person, whether psychologically or physically. In kids, it includes being rude, arguing or driving aggressively.

Violence is aggression with the goal of extreme physical harm, such as injury or death.

Watch or play with your kids

The group's recommendations include:

Parents should be mindful of their child's media consumption, and should watch media and play games along with their children.
Protect children under age six from all virtual violence, because they cannot always distinguish fantasy from reality.
Policy-makers should consider legislation to prohibit easy access to violent content for minors and should create robust ratings for games that are clearer and more user-friendly to guide parents.
Pediatricians should advocate for and help create positive media for children and collaborate with the entertainment industry on shows and games that don't include violence as a central theme.
The entertainment industry should create content that doesn't glamourize guns or violence and eliminates gratuitous portrayals of violence, misogynistic or homophobic language.
In video games, humans or living targets should never be shot for points.
The news media should acknowledge the proven scientific connection between virtual violence and real world aggression.

The link between violence and aggression in children is settled, said Dr. Bruce Ballon, a psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. He agrees with the U.S. recommendations, though he was not involved in their creation.

Games desensitize to violence

"Not everybody who uses technology is going to get into problematic use of it," said Ballon, who treats young people aged 16 to 24 at CAMH and studies the effects of violent video games on mental health.

"There's lots of vulnerability factors, learning disorders, attention deficit issues, social anxiety," he added.

The problem is there is no way to tell who is vulnerable to simulations in video games, such as first-person shooter games developed by the U.S. military to de-sensitize soldiers, until it is too late, he said.

Youth and children may also be exposed to real-life violence through mobile devices. That may result in distress, victimization or fear among teens who don't yet have the skills to contextualize risk, Christakis said. For others, sharing real-life events seen on mobile may bolster valuable social action and encourage thinking about police accountability.

Ballon said he suspects the U.S. is further ahead than Canada on exploring the link between causes of gun violence and use of media.

The Canadian Paediatric Society said it's formed a task force to develop a similar updated statement for pediatricians and family physicians on how to discuss media use with parents and families.

JDis25 · July 2016

We had violence before video games, before TV, before hard rock music, humans can be inherently violent. There is no way to explain a psychopath other than a hate in their heart.

SEANMCAD · July 2016

There are some interesting conspiracy theories as to why there is so much violence in all media. It all sounds intresting but I personally do not think an entire industry is that organized with covert goverment objectives so I dont believe it.

Having said that one thing is for sure, violence and shock value in all media over done and passe to the point beyond boring. Time to move on to other innovations i say

Nanfoodle · July 2016

JDis25 said:

We had violence before video games, before TV, before hard rock music, humans can be inherently violent. There is no way to explain a psychopath other than a hate in their heart.

Difference is how easy violent content is available and the quantity it's being consumed. Also as it talks above about the quality. Games visual quality is so real its hard to tell the difference between a video clip of someone getting shot in real life and in a game. Are we sure we know the impact this is having on youth. As experts have conducted studies that show media consumption may have a bigger impact on youth then we thought.

SEANMCAD · July 2016

Nanfoodle said:

JDis25 said:

We had violence before video games, before TV, before hard rock music, humans can be inherently violent. There is no way to explain a psychopath other than a hate in their heart.

Difference is how easy violent content is available and the quantity it's being consumed. Also as it talks above about the quality. Games visual quality is so real its hard to tell the difference between a video clip of someone getting shot in real life and in a game. Are we sure we know the impact this is having on youth. As experts have conducted studies that show media consumption may have a bigger impact on youth then we thought.

I would also suggest that we humans are actually not as violent as video games assume we are.

I didnt kill anyone or anything coming to work today, nor did I working all day long and nor did I going to the gym in the evening or having dinner that night (although the meat was yummy

)

To me its not a value statement, its a question of over saturation. If nearly every single game that came out over the span of 20 years had magic ponies in them I would also say enough already

Nanfoodle · July 2016

SEANMCAD said:

Nanfoodle said:

JDis25 said:

We had violence before video games, before TV, before hard rock music, humans can be inherently violent. There is no way to explain a psychopath other than a hate in their heart.

Difference is how easy violent content is available and the quantity it's being consumed. Also as it talks above about the quality. Games visual quality is so real its hard to tell the difference between a video clip of someone getting shot in real life and in a game. Are we sure we know the impact this is having on youth. As experts have conducted studies that show media consumption may have a bigger impact on youth then we thought.

I would also suggest that we humans are actually not as violent as video games assume we are.

I didnt kill anyone or anything coming to work today, nor did I working all day long and nor did I going to the gym in the evening or having dinner that night (although the meat was yummy )

To me its not a value statement, its a question of over saturation. If nearly every single game that came out over the span of 20 years had magic ponies in them I would also say enough already

Yes but the media we consumed is different then the media kids consume today. Even movies that were R rated in the 70's would be PG-13 today. Also the studies are not talking about how it affects everyone's brains but young developing minds.

SEANMCAD · July 2016

Nanfoodle said:

SEANMCAD said:

Nanfoodle said:

JDis25 said:

We had violence before video games, before TV, before hard rock music, humans can be inherently violent. There is no way to explain a psychopath other than a hate in their heart.

Difference is how easy violent content is available and the quantity it's being consumed. Also as it talks above about the quality. Games visual quality is so real its hard to tell the difference between a video clip of someone getting shot in real life and in a game. Are we sure we know the impact this is having on youth. As experts have conducted studies that show media consumption may have a bigger impact on youth then we thought.

I would also suggest that we humans are actually not as violent as video games assume we are.

I didnt kill anyone or anything coming to work today, nor did I working all day long and nor did I going to the gym in the evening or having dinner that night (although the meat was yummy )

To me its not a value statement, its a question of over saturation. If nearly every single game that came out over the span of 20 years had magic ponies in them I would also say enough already

Yes but the media we consumed is different then the media kids consume today. Even movies that were R rated in the 70's would be PG-13 today. Also the studies are not talking about how it affects everyone's brains but young developing minds.

point taken and totally agree.

cameltosis · July 2016

That television and computers can harm the mental development of children is fine, most studies have shown this to be true. Its not really that television or computers actually harm the child, its more the fact that the child could be doing other things that would be more beneficial. For example, playing with lego not only develops creativity but it helps with spacial awareness. Or, playing in the garden with your siblings helps build social skills, keep fit, get sunlight for the vitD etc, compared to sitting on ur ass in front of a tv.

That television and computers can desensitise children to violence.....I'm not so certain how you even measure it. For example, I've been playing video games since I was 5, at around age 7 or 8 I played DOOM2 a lot which is very violent. However, I'm not convinced that a lifetime of violent video games has made me better able to cope with witnessing a rape or a murder. I'm pretty sure I'd still find it shocking.

That television and computers can make children more violent is widely disputed. There is no academic consensus on this issue, in fact most studies say it has no effect or even reduces violence (as we can express our natural violence through video games, rather than taking it out on other people).

The biggest danger from virtual violence being accessed by children is that parents are using the convenience of digital media to replace traditional parenting techniques. Parents are an extremely important source of learning morals, but if the parent ignores this function and dumps their child in front of the tv all the time then it is only natural that the child is at increased risk of learning bad habits. But, bad parents are bad parents, so if they are the sort to ignore their children anyway then chances are that child is going to have a tough time, regardless of whether they watch too much tv or not.

SEANMCAD · July 2016

cameltosis said:

That television and computers can harm the mental development of children is fine, most studies have shown this to be true. Its not really that television or computers actually harm the child, its more the fact that the child could be doing other things that would be more beneficial. For example, playing with lego not only develops creativity but it helps with spacial awareness. Or, playing in the garden with your siblings helps build social skills, keep fit, get sunlight for the vitD etc, compared to sitting on ur ass in front of a tv.

That television and computers can desensitise children to violence.....I'm not so certain how you even measure it. For example, I've been playing video games since I was 5, at around age 7 or 8 I played DOOM2 a lot which is very violent. However, I'm not convinced that a lifetime of violent video games has made me better able to cope with witnessing a rape or a murder. I'm pretty sure I'd still find it shocking.

That television and computers can make children more violent is widely disputed. There is no academic consensus on this issue, in fact most studies say it has no effect or even reduces violence (as we can express our natural violence through video games, rather than taking it out on other people).

The biggest danger from virtual violence being accessed by children is that parents are using the convenience of digital media to replace traditional parenting techniques. Parents are an extremely important source of learning morals, but if the parent ignores this function and dumps their child in front of the tv all the time then it is only natural that the child is at increased risk of learning bad habits. But, bad parents are bad parents, so if they are the sort to ignore their children anyway then chances are that child is going to have a tough time, regardless of whether they watch too much tv or not.

To be fair I dont think its the computer or the TV inherently, its the content that is chosen to be delivered that is the problem.

In fact, TV and computers can be a highly educational and human developing tool if you just have things other than explosions all the time

alkarionlog · July 2016

the world is a violent place, saying otherwise or hidding it does not make it less violent.

but if you ask me only reason I see to anyone say violence is never the answers is simple a way of control, far easier to control a population who will never take action against or use violence to keep his rights and freedom

Sovrath · July 2016

cameltosis said:

That television and computers can desensitise children to violence.....I'm not so certain how you even measure it. For example, I've been playing video games since I was 5, at around age 7 or 8 I played DOOM2 a lot which is very violent. However, I'm not convinced that a lifetime of violent video games has made me better able to cope with witnessing a rape or a murder. I'm pretty sure I'd still find it shocking.

That television and computers can make children more violent is widely disputed. There is no academic consensus on this issue, in fact most studies say it has no effect or even reduces violence (as we can express our natural violence through video games, rather than taking it out on other people).

Yeah, I've watched violent movies and played violent video games for a good part of my life and I have no desire to do violence and I don't like witnessing violence. I don't like watching mob movies as "the violence", the cruelty, seems more "real" to me than most movies that incorporate battles and the like.

Nephaerius · July 2016

There are so many problems with this study I want to gouge my eyes out. Just going to leave some articles here that firmly refute the claims made by the research in the OP.

There is academic consensus here. Short term there is an increase in potential aggression whether thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. Long term, little to no impact. Go figure right after you're exposed to something you think about it or things similar to it.

http://pcl.missouri.edu/sites/default/files/Engelhardt.etal_.PsycSci.2015.pdf
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15205436.2011.632106?journalCode=hmcs20&;
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12103-012-9177-z
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563212000623

And if you want a simpler version here's a Kotaku article for ya:
http://kotaku.com/why-most-video-game-aggression-studies-are-nonsense-1724116744

whilan · July 2016

On violence, video games have no effect on me, movies have no effect, plays have no effect, music has no effect on me. Watching a riot in the news however upsets me because actual people get hurt.

filmoret · July 2016

DMKano said:

JDis25 said:

We had violence before video games, before TV, before hard rock music, humans can be inherently violent. There is no way to explain a psychopath other than a hate in their heart.

On the contrary Psychopathy is a very well understood personality disorder.

It has nothing to do with "hatred in their heart", and everything to do with lack of empathy, remorse and persistent behavior involving disregard and hurting others.

I think the problem lies when it becomes too much life like. A game like Contra was violent and involved shooting things with guns. But when you compare that with GTAV on how and why they are killing people. It just does something negative to a child's mind. A child playing with figures of army men blowing things up with tanks is all in his mind. But when its reality in front of them blowing up hospitals and watching people bleed out on the streets. Then the child is enjoying this content and playing it more and more. Might explain how and why these same children have so many mental disorders. Today's society has more mental disorders then all other societies combined. I strongly believe it is because they have enjoyed being entertained with such content.

A 10 year old child can watch his village slaughtered by gorrillas and even told his 6 year old brother not to move and watched him run out in the street to be killed. That 10 year old boy is living reality of what our 10 year old children laugh at for entertainment. Yet it is our children who cannot stay out of mental hospitals and the children of war are normal members of society.

Nanfoodle · July 2016

Nephaerius said:

There are so many problems with this study I want to gouge my eyes out. Just going to leave some articles here that firmly refute the claims made by the research in the OP.

There is academic consensus here. Short term there is an increase in potential aggression whether thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. Long term, little to no impact. Go figure right after you're exposed to something you think about it or things similar to it.

http://pcl.missouri.edu/sites/default/files/Engelhardt.etal_.PsycSci.2015.pdf
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15205436.2011.632106?journalCode=hmcs20&;
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12103-012-9177-z
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563212000623

And if you want a simpler version here's a Kotaku article for ya:
http://kotaku.com/why-most-video-game-aggression-studies-are-nonsense-1724116744

Everything you linked only one talks about youth and young minds. The one that does says...

"While both real world and media sources contributed to predicting past inmate copycat behaviors, they also interacted significantly. With the additional enhancement of real world models, the media appear to form crime by providing instructional models to inclined individuals. The results did not support strong direct media exposure effects and the model of media as stylistic catalysts for crime was more supported. The media remains best perceived as a rudder for crime more than as a trigger"

And that supports the OP info. Some kids may not be affected but kids who have a tendency to violent behavior will have that re-enforced by the media they consume. Or as what you linked. A rudder for crime. Problem that the OP brings out, you dont know what kids have that tendency till its too late.

Nephaerius · July 2016

DMKano said:

JDis25 said:

We had violence before video games, before TV, before hard rock music, humans can be inherently violent. There is no way to explain a psychopath other than a hate in their heart.

On the contrary Psychopathy is a very well understood personality disorder.

It has nothing to do with "hatred in their heart", and everything to do with lack of empathy, remorse and persistent behavior involving disregard and hurting others.

Psychopathy is not a personality disorder.

Nephaerius · July 2016

filmoret said:

DMKano said:

JDis25 said:

We had violence before video games, before TV, before hard rock music, humans can be inherently violent. There is no way to explain a psychopath other than a hate in their heart.

On the contrary Psychopathy is a very well understood personality disorder.

It has nothing to do with "hatred in their heart", and everything to do with lack of empathy, remorse and persistent behavior involving disregard and hurting others.

I think the problem lies when it becomes too much life like. A game like Contra was violent and involved shooting things with guns. But when you compare that with GTAV on how and why they are killing people. It just does something negative to a child's mind. A child playing with figures of army men blowing things up with tanks is all in his mind. But when its reality in front of them blowing up hospitals and watching people bleed out on the streets. Then the child is enjoying this content and playing it more and more. Might explain how and why these same children have so many mental disorders. Today's society has more mental disorders then all other societies combined. I strongly believe it is because they have enjoyed being entertained with such content.

A 10 year old child can watch his village slaughtered by gorrillas and even told his 6 year old brother not to move and watched him run out in the street to be killed. That 10 year old boy is living reality of what our 10 year old children laugh at for entertainment. Yet it is our children who cannot stay out of mental hospitals and the children of war are normal members of society.

As to your first paragraph, yes you should provide your child with age appropriate violence. For example, cartoon violence is probably fine for a child while an adult horror movie most likely is not. This goes without saying regardless of the medium. However, research does not suggest any long term increase in violent behaviors even in these cases of exposure to fictional violence.

The children of war aren't in mental hospitals because their country is at war. The vast majority of children in America never even come close to the inside of a mental hospital. I'm a therapist and even among my patient population the majority aren't going into mental hospitals.

You're using a lot of common sense arguments that are not backed up by science.

Nanfoodle · July 2016

Nephaerius said:

filmoret said:

DMKano said:

JDis25 said:

We had violence before video games, before TV, before hard rock music, humans can be inherently violent. There is no way to explain a psychopath other than a hate in their heart.

On the contrary Psychopathy is a very well understood personality disorder.

It has nothing to do with "hatred in their heart", and everything to do with lack of empathy, remorse and persistent behavior involving disregard and hurting others.

I think the problem lies when it becomes too much life like. A game like Contra was violent and involved shooting things with guns. But when you compare that with GTAV on how and why they are killing people. It just does something negative to a child's mind. A child playing with figures of army men blowing things up with tanks is all in his mind. But when its reality in front of them blowing up hospitals and watching people bleed out on the streets. Then the child is enjoying this content and playing it more and more. Might explain how and why these same children have so many mental disorders. Today's society has more mental disorders then all other societies combined. I strongly believe it is because they have enjoyed being entertained with such content.

A 10 year old child can watch his village slaughtered by gorrillas and even told his 6 year old brother not to move and watched him run out in the street to be killed. That 10 year old boy is living reality of what our 10 year old children laugh at for entertainment. Yet it is our children who cannot stay out of mental hospitals and the children of war are normal members of society.

As to your first paragraph, yes you should provide your child with age appropriate violence. For example, cartoon violence is probably fine for a child while an adult horror movie most likely is not. This goes without saying regardless of the medium. However, research does not suggest any long term increase in violent behaviors even in these cases of exposure to fictional violence.

The children of war aren't in mental hospitals because their country is at war. The vast majority of children in America never even come close to the inside of a mental hospital. I'm a therapist and even among my patient population the majority aren't going into mental hospitals.

You're using a lot of common sense arguments that are not backed up by science.

Have you been watching the news? DMKano talked about this problem not leading to the crimes we see in game but lowering people's empathy. Also kids to have a tendency to violence cant be identified till they are older and if their mids are fed from a young age with the wrong content. You have only made the problem worse. Then redirecting behavior becomes harder to do. Safest path is to avoid that type of media till the child is older and you can observe their behavior and tendencies.

filmoret · July 2016

Nephaerius said:

filmoret said:

DMKano said:

JDis25 said:

We had violence before video games, before TV, before hard rock music, humans can be inherently violent. There is no way to explain a psychopath other than a hate in their heart.

On the contrary Psychopathy is a very well understood personality disorder.

It has nothing to do with "hatred in their heart", and everything to do with lack of empathy, remorse and persistent behavior involving disregard and hurting others.

I think the problem lies when it becomes too much life like. A game like Contra was violent and involved shooting things with guns. But when you compare that with GTAV on how and why they are killing people. It just does something negative to a child's mind. A child playing with figures of army men blowing things up with tanks is all in his mind. But when its reality in front of them blowing up hospitals and watching people bleed out on the streets. Then the child is enjoying this content and playing it more and more. Might explain how and why these same children have so many mental disorders. Today's society has more mental disorders then all other societies combined. I strongly believe it is because they have enjoyed being entertained with such content.

A 10 year old child can watch his village slaughtered by gorrillas and even told his 6 year old brother not to move and watched him run out in the street to be killed. That 10 year old boy is living reality of what our 10 year old children laugh at for entertainment. Yet it is our children who cannot stay out of mental hospitals and the children of war are normal members of society.

As to your first paragraph, yes you should provide your child with age appropriate violence. For example, cartoon violence is probably fine for a child while an adult horror movie most likely is not. This goes without saying regardless of the medium. However, research does not suggest any long term increase in violent behaviors even in these cases of exposure to fictional violence.

The children of war aren't in mental hospitals because their country is at war. The vast majority of children in America never even come close to the inside of a mental hospital. I'm a therapist and even among my patient population the majority aren't going into mental hospitals.

You're using a lot of common sense arguments that are not backed up by science.

You are a therapist and the reason you even exist is because children in our culture have been enjoying stuff that the human mind should never enjoy. Kick a dog enough and eventually you start laughing when you do it. 90% of the people who get therapy shouldn't even need it. Our entire society is drugged up on mental medicines and why or how did this happen to a society that has never seen the threat of war? Its because they watch and enjoy some twisted stuff and it has had such a negative impact on their minds that the only way to live with it is to take sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and anything a mental doctor will give them. I'm not accusing you personally sorry if that sounds that way. But the entire field of psychology has caused more problems in our society then just about anything. Instead of seeing the real problem and blaming the parents they end up blaming the children and putting them on medications. Which is why I have 3 children and none of them are on medication and some people have all their kids on some kind of mental medication.

Kyleran · July 2016

whilan said:

On violence, video games have no effect on me, movies have no effect, plays have no effect, music has no effect on me. Watching a riot in the news however upsets me because actual people get hurt.

You are able to discern the difference, children not so much.

JDis25 · July 2016

Even if all violent media and art was removed from the planet, I doubt that actual committed violence would be reduced by a significant amount.

Nanfoodle · July 2016

JDis25 said:

Even if all violent media and art was removed from the planet, I doubt that actual committed violence would be reduced by a significant amount.

Well that would be an opinion and mine would disagree with yours but thats not what this thread is about.

SomeHuman · July 2016

By the age of twelve the average child visually experiences 8,000 murders according to the American Psychiatric Association. Any way you slice that, it's not good. Mental health is an underlying issue of murderers. They are not well-adjusted to live in society. I don't think we should blow off any influences like this. The reason we are so interested in violence and mayhem is because it is the opposite of what we regularly experience. As a society, if we all were experience constant war, hunger, and despair, I think our games and visual media generally be more joyful because it is in opposition to the daily experience. We've had such a media explosion in the last twenty years, that I feel it's worthwhile to examine it and maybe ease-up a little.

SEANMCAD · July 2016

alkarionlog said:

the world is a violent place, saying otherwise or hidding it does not make it less violent.

but if you ask me only reason I see to anyone say violence is never the answers is simple a way of control, far easier to control a population who will never take action against or use violence to keep his rights and freedom

but its not as much.

Think of your day to day. How many acts of murder do you commit with your own hands in a week?

how many in a game?

its WAY out of sync

Phry · July 2016

There have been numerous studies that have tried to link violence etc. in computer games and for that matter on television, with violence in real life, a causational link has never been found. What has been found, is that people who have a propensity for violence will often use such media as an outlet. It does not however encourage a propensity for violence regardless of what some would try to infer.
Of course there is an issue with bad parenting where parents allow their children to access content that is not suitable for their age group, but thats another issue entirely.

cameltosis · July 2016

filmoret said:

Nephaerius said:

filmoret said:

DMKano said:

JDis25 said:

We had violence before video games, before TV, before hard rock music, humans can be inherently violent. There is no way to explain a psychopath other than a hate in their heart.

On the contrary Psychopathy is a very well understood personality disorder.

It has nothing to do with "hatred in their heart", and everything to do with lack of empathy, remorse and persistent behavior involving disregard and hurting others.

I think the problem lies when it becomes too much life like. A game like Contra was violent and involved shooting things with guns. But when you compare that with GTAV on how and why they are killing people. It just does something negative to a child's mind. A child playing with figures of army men blowing things up with tanks is all in his mind. But when its reality in front of them blowing up hospitals and watching people bleed out on the streets. Then the child is enjoying this content and playing it more and more. Might explain how and why these same children have so many mental disorders. Today's society has more mental disorders then all other societies combined. I strongly believe it is because they have enjoyed being entertained with such content.

A 10 year old child can watch his village slaughtered by gorrillas and even told his 6 year old brother not to move and watched him run out in the street to be killed. That 10 year old boy is living reality of what our 10 year old children laugh at for entertainment. Yet it is our children who cannot stay out of mental hospitals and the children of war are normal members of society.

As to your first paragraph, yes you should provide your child with age appropriate violence. For example, cartoon violence is probably fine for a child while an adult horror movie most likely is not. This goes without saying regardless of the medium. However, research does not suggest any long term increase in violent behaviors even in these cases of exposure to fictional violence.

The children of war aren't in mental hospitals because their country is at war. The vast majority of children in America never even come close to the inside of a mental hospital. I'm a therapist and even among my patient population the majority aren't going into mental hospitals.

You're using a lot of common sense arguments that are not backed up by science.

You are a therapist and the reason you even exist is because children in our culture have been enjoying stuff that the human mind should never enjoy. Kick a dog enough and eventually you start laughing when you do it. 90% of the people who get therapy shouldn't even need it. Our entire society is drugged up on mental medicines and why or how did this happen to a society that has never seen the threat of war? Its because they watch and enjoy some twisted stuff and it has had such a negative impact on their minds that the only way to live with it is to take sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and anything a mental doctor will give them. I'm not accusing you personally sorry if that sounds that way. But the entire field of psychology has caused more problems in our society then just about anything. Instead of seeing the real problem and blaming the parents they end up blaming the children and putting them on medications. Which is why I have 3 children and none of them are on medication and some people have all their kids on some kind of mental medication.

Are you really saying that psychologists and psychiatrists have CAUSED all these mental problems in society?

That seems ridiculously short sighted and very blatantly wrong.

Psychologists and psychiatrists IDENTIFY problems, they don't cause them. Then they try to help. Today's society knows more about mental health than it did 50 years ago, allowing us to identify a wider range of problems with greater accuracy. Its called progress.

There are obviously problems with the treatment routes some countries take. I live in the UK but worked on a summer camp in the US whilst I was at uni as was shocked at how much medication the children were on. But, thats not an issue with the fields of psychology and psychiatry, thats a specific systemic problem in the USA with approaches for treating mental health issues.

As to enjoying stuff the human mind shouldn't enjoy? What the fuck man. Kids aren't fucked up because they play violent video games or watch adult horror films too young. The majority of kids aren't fucked up at all, nor are they all medicated. Nor are these problems even new, they are just arising from different sources.

There are specific problems that are relatively new in western society that are causing mental health issues. Digital technology replacing human interaction is the prime cause. Humans need personal contact, without it we develop mental health issues. Watching too much TV instead of hanging out with friends. Playing too many video games. Spending all your time on social networking sites. These are all contributing to decreased social abilities, leading to mental health issues.

But, go back 50 years and that didn't exist, but a whole different set of problems did. Class issues (being born into a working class household carried stigma if you tried to elevate yourself), sexuality, race.....the world was a generally tougher place in the past with just as many mental health issues, just caused by different things and generally ignored. At least now we're making progress with mental health, getting ever better at identifying problems and getting ever better at fixing them. We're a long way from being perfect and over medication can be an issue, but its better now than at any time in the past.

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Virtual violence and aggression & young children

Watch or play with your kids

Games desensitize to violence

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Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

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Virtual violence and aggression & young children

Watch or play with your kids

Games desensitize to violence

Comments

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV