So how about that Connecticut Elementary School Shooting; Troll at Your Own Risk

[Ksandra]

This discussion is somewhat of a side discussion. It was already stated that more proactive parenting (that is really what we are talking about here) will only work if the child is of a state of mind where they are receptive to it. If they have mental issues that means that it most likely will not work. Certain mental disorders make it so a person is unable to feel empathy towards others. Those cases need different help.I think this discussion is important because no single action is going to be a solution to the problem we need an entire society shift in many directions to help reduce the amount of mass murders that happen in the US. We need to have better more proactive parents, we need more responsible gun owners who actually lock up their guns, we need better/easier access to mental health care, we need as a society to place less of a stigma on needing such health care, we need to try to reduce the ease to obtain high round capacity high fire rate weapons that facilitate these acts. All of these things contribute to preventing these events. And as Qalbert has said we need a good mix of parents talking to their kids while also being more aware of what their kids are playing/watching and keeping them from overly violent media until they are at an appropriate age where they can understand the difference between fake and reality.

I want to fuck you so hard right now.

[Kerberoz]

If they have mental issues that means that it most likely will not work.

...think about that for a second.

[Qalbert]

I want to fuck you so hard right now.

cheating on your husband is also terrible parenting
lol

[Ksandra]

cheating on your husband is also terrible parenting
lol

hey now. He'd be cheating on his wife. WHY THE SEXISM QALPAL?

[zoobernut]

Oh man lol...

[Kohan]

I'm saying that if your kid is exposed to Call of Duty, and doesn't understand the basic concepts that hurting/killing people is wrong, then yes, you have failed as a parent.

A child may understand the basic concepts by then, but that does not mean that they will agree with and abide by them. They may also change their minds. This isn't necessarily a failing on the parents' part, as children aren't strictly a product of their parentage, but their environment, as well. Your entire posts are essentially working with a black and white scenario, as if a child's opinion on violence were a switch that forever remained on once it's flipped. That isn't how it works. Parenting is not that simple, and your painting people with a brush lacking nuance demonstrates that you don't know that. It isn't that you haven't explained yourself clearly enough—it's that your explanation is too far detached from reality to matter.

Beyond that, I've seen a few people say that they would either be embarrassed or insulted by their parents having a talk with them, one of those being Kerberoz. To you crybabies, I say too fucking bad. This isn't the kind of mentality that brings well-adjusted, knowledgeable people into the world; it's the sort responsible for ignorant know-nothings. You may have been of the right personality necessary to become a decent person without this influence, but assuming that everyone is as precious of a snowflake as you is the most reckless, irresponsible mindset position that you can take. It's not more important for you to be your kid's friend than it is for you to be their parent. You don't gloss over something because the time for that topic has "expired" (which is one of the most bullshit mentalities someone can possibly have). You brought that life into the world? You adopted that kid? You're taking care of that grandchild? You have that fucking conversation, you Goddamn wimp, and you embarrass that kid and you deal with that awkwardness, because that's what you're supposed to do.

Not only do I hope that you were embarrassed by similar "unnecessary" talks in your youth, but I hope that those of you who haven't had children yet change your mind about this by the time you do, and then sit them down and "embarrass" them too. You would've been mad at your parents for having a talk with you? Well, that's what moody kids do. They become unhappy when they're not being treated like adults, and as they aren't adults yet, they're going to get those kinds of talks, and they'll have to deal with it. Some of them will pretend it's unimportant, but they've still heard it. Others may need it repeated, multiple times, especially since everyone's opinions and feelings—including children's, naturally—can change over time.

Now, before I end this, I'll add that no amount of proactive parenting will remedy actual mental issues. To believe that anyone with psychological problems can simply will them away is to be just as ignorant and useless as assumptions regarding the ease of molding a child's mind. This is why I too strongly support improving the sort of mental health care that's made available to our society, and discouraging the harmful stigmas that prevent this from happening.

[Aksannyi]

Kohan pretty much hit it there. Talk to your damn kids. Talk to them about everything. TV, PS3, and WoW aren't good parenting substitutes.

[Icywave]

Just bring your kid up on JRPGs and they'll think the power of compelling arguments, friendship and magic swords will solve everything. At worst they imitate altruistic acts like helping old people across streets, feeding animals, assisting shopkeepers and rummaging around trashcans for items.

+1

[Pikarya]

Just bring your kid up on JRPGs and they'll think the power of compelling arguments, friendship and magic swords will solve everything. At worst they imitate altruistic acts like helping old people across streets, feeding animals, assisting shopkeepers and rummaging around trashcans for items.

[Icywave]

lol, it is worthy of your own sacrifice if that sword is Kusanagi, or Murasame, even, Kotetsu!

[Dotsudoku]

Kohan pretty much hit it there. Talk to your damn kids. Talk to them about everything. TV, PS3, and WoW aren't good parenting substitutes.

Not the point etc., but as sad as it may sound, FFXI has indirectly been one of the greatest influences on me as a whole

Game mechanics got me interested in math, this forum got me interested in politics and logic, and I want to say that something having to do with discussion on this forum first sparked my interest in shifting my degree towards the physical sciences

[Aksannyi]

Not the point etc., but as sad as it may sound, FFXI has indirectly been one of the greatest influences on me as a whole

Game mechanics got me interested in math, this forum got me interested in politics and logic, and I want to say that something having to do with discussion on this forum first sparked my interest in shifting my degree towards the physical sciences

Myself as well, but I also had parents who wanted to spend time with me and not let games raise me. I grew up in the 80s, when NES was the best new thing, and my dad played with us - he was always Luigi - and my mom wouldn't let us play video games unsupervised. She wouldn't even let us watch MTV (though we watched it while she was at work, scrambling to change the channel when we heard her key in the door). I'm posting on a video game forum for god's sake, I'm not saying games are bad, just that parents shouldn't just shove their kids off on the TV and expect it to do the job for them.

[Dotsudoku]

Oh, I gotcha', just a sad funfact about some games' capacities for personal growth! (I was 13 when I first started, so it likely did a lot more person-shaping than in your case)

[Kohan]

Not the point etc., but as sad as it may sound, FFXI has indirectly been one of the greatest influences on me as a whole

Game mechanics got me interested in math, this forum got me interested in politics and logic, and I want to say that something having to do with discussion on this forum first sparked my interest in shifting my degree towards the physical sciences

I do strongly believe in video games being capable of improving problem solving, motor, and critical thinking skills (especially in regards to games with substantial, thought-provoking storylines). Restricting the amount of time a small child may spend with them is reasonable, but I would not forbid them. I'm one of those who would let a little kid play a tablet game, but not in place of other things; it would simply be another option.

I've held this opinion for a long time, coincidentally. There was a mother's letter that I read in Nintendo Power magazine, which I was once subscribed to, and I've never forgotten about it. Fortunately, I've found it again on the Internet; unfortunately, it's on Sean Baby's site, and I'd have to try hard to find a bigger try-hard than him. Regardless, his write-up is uncharacteristically tasteful, but you don't even have to read that—just look at the scanned letter itself.

http://www.seanbaby.com/nes/dearnintendo03.htm

EDIT: Ah, hell. I'll make it easier for you lot. Here's the actual image:

Spoiler: show

[archibaldcrane]

Chicago Tribune, 1992:

September 29, 1992
What the doctor ordered: Some people complain that kids play too much Nintendo. But that wouldn`t stop 14-year-old Joe Snipes of Champaign. Joe is legally deaf and, though he can see out of the sides of his eyes, legally blind. His doctor told him to play video games to help him learn how to use his limited vision to its full ability. Now, after four years of daily games, Joe may be able to get a driver's license in a few years. Joe is the Nintendo champ at Mahomet-Seymour High.

[Dimmauk]

Letter that was written to Newtown shooting victim Jack Pinto by his best friend, John.

Spoiler: show

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/eKK...jack_pinto.jpg

Seriously, fuck your guns.

[MF Perm tha Fineass]

fuck man. unstoppable feels.

[Boyiee]

Shoot to kill and possibly shoot your family through a wall.

Lovely. An acceptable potential sacrifice, I suppose, because at least the perp is dead (possibly).

I guess you haven't been paying attention to how many times I've mentioned hollow points in this thread or noticed the picture of them I posted. Why anyone wouldn't use hollow points for home defense is beyond me, I thought it was common knowledge.

Shit, they're like $20 for .40 cal.

[Odesseiron]

Good lord with all the firearm bitching. Dumb cunt should have kept her shit under lock and key inaccessible. There is no excuse but poor parenting.

Oh and she should never have taught a mentally divergent person how to even handle any kind of firearm. If you know your kid is mentally ill, they should not know where the fuck the key even is. People act as if the rifle used got up and did it. Blame the fucking irresponsible people. Don't hold the 99% of careful firearm owners responsible.

[Kang]

Wow, never thought I would see a seanbaby reference. I agree with Kohan that video games can be used to help kids develop.