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Comment by kiliancs | Hacker News Reader

Intuitively, it's hard to believe that witnessing and using violence doesn't have any negative effect on a person, even if in videogames.

I think that rather than asking ourselves "does this have a negative impact?" we should ask "what can I do that has a positive impact?".

Personally, I would never work on a game with significant violence. From my point of view, there are so many other things a human being can contribute towards the well-being and progress of humanity, and I would not feel happy with myself if I limited my contribution and my creativity to making another shooter.

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I work with a nonprofit group that does this. We produce prosocial video games intentionally designed to encourage prosocial outcomes.

The published studies (two so far) support their effectiveness. It's not easy to get the word out though without the funds for a publicist, advertising, etc.

-we should ask "what can I do that has a positive impact?"-

That's part of the point of this essay that was on HN last year: "Fortnite and the Good Life," which seems relevant here.

https://theconvivialsociety.substack.com/p/the-convivial-soc...

headshot === positive impact

they are just games and most (non crazy) people understand that

like hansel and gretel when they push the witch in the oven - its fiction and not intended to be a guide to life

I think you might be underestimating the fragility of the human being in so many aspects (2020 might be trying to teach us something in that regard). Consider how alcohol has a very negative (often disastrous) effect in so many lives, even though most people start drinking thinking they understand how alcohol is going to affect them and that they can keep it under control.

Missing the point.

Alcohol is real.

Games are not.

Yeah... I don't think ethanol is a very fair comparison considering that it's a physical substance that bypasses the blood brain barrier.

> its fiction and not intended to be a guide to life

You might read the actual tale of Little Red Riding Hood. It is very much meant as a guide for young girls in what to expect and watch out for in life.

That's an excellent article, thank you.

This comment got my interest but I don't see anything linked here that's written by Yuval Harari. I can't tell if I've missed something, or if you're referring to another book called Sapiens other than Yuval's, or something else.

I was replying to something else I believe and got mixed up. Edited reply...

I rarely play videogames, but when I do, I usually play FPSs. I think that a small dose of virtual violence could help in discharging your stress/anger.

The Columbine murderers played a bit of FPS, I wish it had reduced their anger.

And yet the millions who buy Call of Duty every year somehow keep it in check and don’t commit mass murder.

My point is that it doesn't guarantee reduction in anger or stress, therefore should probably not be prescribed as such.

Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear enough. I'm not saying this should be prescribed as a cure to people with actual psychological problems, just that in my case sometimes I felt better after discharging playing some FPS videogame.

I'm not sure I agree with your comment. While I would be willing to concede that witnessing the visualization of violence might have some kind of affect towards increased desensitization, that's not necessarily a negative.

In some situations being able to keep a cool head in a crisis or in an area where something like this might occur could actually prove to be a benefit, as you are less likely to enter a panicked state (such as working in an environment where you may witness excessive amounts of blood/gore, eg paramedic)

I think that the vast majority of people (teenagers included) are more robust than we give them credit for, and can distinguish fantasy from reality.

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