Page 4-5:
"Video Games: 'The uncomfortable fact is, videogames have an unhealthy obsession with bloodshed,' stated a British magazine for video-game enthusiasts. It added: 'To some degree, a love of videogames demands a love of violence.' For example, one popular game enables players to simulate beating women to death with baseball bats. Some authorities believe that video games, being interactive, may have a more powerful negative influence on children than TV does."
There's a lot to be said about this feature article. The first thing is, they went on the attack against the media for allegedly being to blame for a lot of the violence in the world today. That was the first question, stated on page 3, to be considered in the series of articles: "What part does the media play in the spread of violence?" So many variables involved when considering this issue are saved for the subsequent article, for the sake of taking cheap shots at the media in general first. End result? Interested person gets a seed of distrust for the media at the very beginning.
The paragraph above quoted gives us a lot of information without giving us any information. 'A British magazine for video-game enthusiasts'. What was its name? When did it make that statement? Who knows? No source given.
'One popular game enables players to simulate beating women to death with baseball bats.' Again, what game? I don't know. Notice that it says this unnamed game enables players to beat women to death. So then it's not a requirement for one playing this game to beat women to death with a baseball bat, but a choice. Oh. Might've mentioned that. (It wasn't a requirement for 'Double Dragon' back in the day, but it sure made it easier...but then, you beat up men and women, but mostly men, and used bare hands, feet, boulders, boxes, oil barrels, bats, whips, and even dynamite, so...wow, okay never mind, evil, evil...)
Oh, and uh, I'm sure 'Steve' must've been playing this unnamed game just before he hit 'Selma' for making a point--remember that one in the WT? But remember, it was Selma who needed to adjust her viewpoint. So maybe this game was just a training simulation for a JW marriage?
'Some authorities believe' that games may be more influential to kids. It's uncertain, or else that sentence would say games are more influential to kids. Also, which authorities? The Governing Body? Or an actual authority? No source given. Even if it's a valid point, it's so vague that the article undercuts its own logic. You get all these suggested, authoritative opinions from thin air. I know I'm convinced--a British magazine, a description of a popular game, and some authorities sure got me told!
But the real whopper is this quote: "To some degree, a love of videogames demands a love of violence." The Society didn't even have to say it, they just quote someone else! We don't know the context of this statement, but as a 25-year video game veteran, I can tell you that a love of video games does NOT demand a love of violence. There are plenty of games that are educational or fun that don't require gore and bloodshed. By this logic, to some degree, a love of movies demands a love of violence. To some degree, a love of books demands a love of violence. A love of sports demands a love of violence. A love of humans...animals...space...cooking...We could go all day with flawed reasoning. Come on.
Well, I did find this paragraph in the following article quite interesting:
The mob spirit.
As is often seen at sporting events, people in groups or mobs seem to have fewer inhibitions against bad behavior. Why? They are “less aware of their own moral standards and are much more likely to respond to violent or aggressive cues,” says the book Social Psychology. Such individuals, states another work, may become mindless puppets, losing 'all the feelings of social responsibility.'"
Interesting point from an organization where individual moral standards and social responsibilities are utterly cast aside in favor of Watchtower directives. Maybe groups with leaders who tell them to put aside their own personal thinking and do as they're told without question might be...nah. What am I thinking? This is JEHOVAH'S organization! They'd NEVER--!
They also have a lovely picture on page 7 with a church building right next to an angry, evil-looking guy and a gun just off to the side of the church. Well that's subtle...
Okay, just had to get it out of me...sorry this is so long. And yes, the irony of the Mega Man avatar is not lost on me. But he's Three Laws of Robotics Safe, so...it's cool.
--sd-7