Boys can't become men because of video games and porn


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It's not often that the former president of the American Psychological Association makes the front page of The Christian Post, but this article is so spot on!  http://www.christianpost.com/news/porn-and-world-of-warcraft-video-games-digitally-rewire-boys-minds-into-manhood-meltdown-says-distinguished-psychologist-139034/

 

Now to grumble a bit.  Why is it that when we preach this from the pulpit we're just meddling, prudish religious tyrants?  :cool:

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It's not often that the former president of the American Psychological Association makes the front page of The Christian Post, but this article is so spot on!  http://www.christianpost.com/news/porn-and-world-of-warcraft-video-games-digitally-rewire-boys-minds-into-manhood-meltdown-says-distinguished-psychologist-139034/

 

Now to grumble a bit.  Why is it that when we preach this from the pulpit we're just meddling, prudish religious tyrants?  :cool:

If you figure out the answer to this, please let me know.

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I recently heard on a radio show that a college in Chicago called Robert Morris is now offering scholarships to gamers. Those who think they are good enough can try out for the team and if they make it , full ride scholarships. Supposedly other colleges are offering these too. Who would have thought ??

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If you figure out the answer to this, please let me know.

 

Oh, I was just grousing.  The answer is obvious.  The good doctor is offering evidence-based research with some preliminary conclusions that people may digest, and do with as they please.  In contrast, we are telling them, "God says no to looking at dirty pictures and reveling in evil (killing as entertainment).  So stop!"

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Guest MormonGator

While growing up, the most irritating thing to me was when people said "Be a man". Actually, a real man wouldn't let the opinion of someone else define his masculinity, but anyway. I've also found it sort of offensive that you don't hear little girls being told "be a woman." Double standard much? 

 

Than again, my wife and I are totally opposite when it comes to gender roles. I do the dishes, laundry, everything while she fixes the car, uses the lawn mower, and does other things that normally a guy would do. In fact, to the eternal credit of my wife when someone in the church said "He makes you do these things?" She shot back "He makes me do nothing. He does the dishes, laundry, cooking-I choose to do the others out of love." She was extremely irritated at the comment. (I really am so blessed) 

 

I'm fully confident in my abilities to "be a man" while playing video games, which I do often. 

 

The porn thing is just kind of gross to me. Never been an issue. In fact, I think it's unhealthy for both men and women. 

Edited by MormonGator
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I'm guessing that the issue with video games is not the generic playing of any type game for entertainment, or as a hobby.  Rather, it's the more violent games, being played extensively, to the point where the virtual reality is openly declared preferable to the real world. 

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Guest MormonGator

I'm guessing that the issue with video games is not the generic playing of any type game for entertainment, or as a hobby.  Rather, it's the more violent games, being played extensively, to the point where the virtual reality is openly declared preferable to the real world. 

 Oh I'm sorry. I totally misread that. 

Edited by MormonGator
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It is an interesting study that in my experience with high school has some truth. We hate the trope of the geek that can't get a date, but it has truth! Years back when I browsed the internet more than I do now I came across a man on another forum that didn't seem to have any solid concept of the female mind and sexual behavior, yet insisted his perception was right. I believe this was a man that was probably involved in these problems and way and too much computer life.

 

I once saw another study, in reference to the ED medicine, that men of surprisingly young ages are struggling with... well... pretty much all of the shebang, and guess what one of the big common factors was?

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I have an interesting story (at least to me) regarding the insidious nature of violent video games.

 

Years ago I had a first-person shooter game called "DOOM" on my computer. I've never been a serious video game player, but I enjoyed playing DOOM now and then.

 

During that same time frame my two oldest sons (who were about 5 and 6 years old) loved watching a cartoon called "Rescue Heroes". The show consisted of a number of different characters whose job it was to rescue people who were in danger in a variety of different circumstances. Each "Hero" had his or her own special abilities that were useful in the different rescue scenarios. 

In conjunction with the cartoon, there were "Rescue Hero" action figures that kids could play with and my sons absolutely loved them. They would play with them for hours at a time, rescuing everything that could possibly need rescuing. My wife and I appreciated the fact that the cartoon was about people helping people, and likewise our sons' play acting with the action figures was the same.

 

Anyway, back to "DOOM". 

Like I said, it was a first person shooter where you played the character of a space marine on Mars who was tasked with fighting hordes of demons to keep them from attacking earth. 

My sons were fascinated with the game and continually pestered me to play it. My wife was against it, but I, in all my wisdom, told her it was just harmless fun and all they were doing was killing monsters.

So I allowed them to play it. 

They split much of their "play" time between "Rescue Heroes" and "DOOM".

 

Then one day I came home from work to find my sons playing "Rescue Heroes". 

Only this time something didn’t seem right.

As I watched them playing with the action figures I soon discovered that they were no longer rescuing people.

My kindly and compassionate little boys had half the Rescue Heroes arrayed against the other half, and they were in the process of killing each other!! Billy Blazes was killing Wendy Waters; Rocky Canyon was killing Jack Hammer; and poor Al Pine was being shot by Jake Justice.

 

Needless to say, "DOOM" was doomed. I tossed it that very day and then apologized to my wife.

And I have never forgotten the lesson. Violent video games absolutely DO have negative effect on kids, and most likely adults as well. 
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Not to take too much away from your story Capitalist_Oinker, which I believe has merit...however...I grew up without video games and my toys and action figures and whatnot still killed each other (of course that was likely more the fault of Star Wars and the like). But really, my point...boys will be boys.

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Boys playing with toys--interacting with other boys--using their imagination, and all at a real-world pacing--is a far cry from the all-encompassing fantasy world, with high-speed, high-definition graphics and sound found in video gaming.  Also, many of these games meld extreme violence with unrealistic sexuality--doubling down on the effects of pornography.

 

I'm thinking that comparing plastic-toy-action-figure play to late-adolescent video gaming would be like saying that Koolaid and Mogan David wine are basically the same thing--grape drink.

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Not to take too much away from your story Capitalist_Oinker, which I believe has merit...however...I grew up without video games and my toys and action figures and whatnot still killed each other (of course that was likely more the fault of Star Wars and the like). But really, my point...boys will be boys.

 

I understand what you're saying, but remember, my sons had never exhibited ANY sort of violence in their play up until they were introduced to DOOM. 
The fact that "killing" suddenly became more appealing to them than "rescuing" hints at something more than just “boys will be boys”.
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I grew up hunting.  I do not remember my first “kill”.  But by the time I as 12, killing things was more than fun; there was a adrenaline rush.  I would rather go kill something for dinner than go buy something or pull something from the cupboards or refrigerator.   Then one day it occurred to me that I enjoyed killing way too much.   I came home cleaned my weapon, gave it away and have not been hunting since.

 

I think there is something that may not be understood. The combination of violence and pornography does more than just create habits or addictions that are difficult to break.  What the report is finding is that these exposures to activities hard wires a boy’s brain and changes their perceptions – especially during adolescents.   In essence – it changes things that cannot be changed back.  It changes things that will remain with boys for their entire life.

 

The March 2004 edition of National Geographic Mag – is devoted to brain development in adolescents.  In the past I have referenced the research they made concerning cognitive activities – especially with adolescents.   For example – since sexual behavior is a cognitive behavior – whatever cognitive behavior is learned during adolescents – will have life time consequences.  Behaviors learned during adolescents associated with and adrenaline rush or a release of endorphins – are more than just hardwired – it becomes an “attraction” that is so wired – that such “rewards” will not be obtained any other way.

 

This article once again warns us – that behavior can be acquired during adolescents that will remain with a person throughout their lives.  Encouraging children to experiment with sexual or violent behaviors is much more dangerous than many are willing to recognize – especially those that have somehow acquired those behaviors thinking that they were born with them.   The reality is – it does not matter if they were born with such behaviors – the results is that they are powerless (or next to powerless) to change the behaviors.

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I told one of the psychologists at work that since Dr. Zimbardo's book was such a success, that we should work off the pattern he established.  I would forward my sermon notes to him, and he could do a bit of research, and then publish it as the newest greatest psychological discovery.  I said I wouldn't even take any pay--though he would have to tithe on any profits.

 

My good doctor friend just smiled.  :-)

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It struck me one day that games like WoW were based on the Cain syndrome (Moses 5:32); kill your brother to get gain.  Seems ironic we have gone that far back, but on the other hand, it has always been with us, we have just developed more ways to do it.

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I honestly don't have a clue what this article is talking about. "Less demanding"? Physically maybe, but some games demand a lot of thought, planning, strategy, tactics, and focus. And I socialized more before I quit Mass Multiplayer Games with teams and guilds (whom you talk with almost constantly, plan missions and raids with, and discuss personal lives and interests together) than I currently do in college studying alone in my room and at work where I am the only programmer on the team.

 

This article seems incredibly biased. That's just my opinion. I agree porn certainly makes a mess of peoples expectations for relationships and sex, but I don't believe video games alter or deny reality. Most of the socially inept people I have met took up video games to find a way to communicate and escape the issues they already had in society (I took up video games because I was viciously bullied in middle school, and it often made me want to turn to violence or depression). It opens a world of opportunity for people with autism and asbergers. Games often tell interesting and complex stories, develop creative worlds, and allow the player to make decisions and consider concepts they never would have been exposed to.

 

Sounds kinda familiar

Like books

Like reading books

No one ever said reading books destroys manliness....

 

And the fact that this article tries to make a definition of what a "man" is is disgusting and non-scientific.

My fiance has been a gamer his whole life. He is intelligent, observant, artistic (best painter I know), and understands social interaction more than I do. He may think sports are a plague on mankind, but does that make him unmanly? Does the fact that he'd rather be indoors reading or enjoying a videogame rather than outside on a field make him less masculine?

Didn't even bother studying the tragedies of pornography. Most game studies show that video games have more positive influences than negative, and if the RULES are followed (Rated M is for ADULTS people, stop giving your developing 5 year old Grand Theft Auto and wondering why they think driving high speed chases sounds like fun and blaming video games) do no harm to kids or to the establishments of families. Heck, bonding time between my dad and I alternates between working in the garden to shooting Nazi Zombies on Call of Duty.

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