Rated I for Innocent: Horrific Shooting Massacres

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Columbine High School. Virginia Polytechnic Institution. Sandy Hook Elementary School. These are only a few of the American institutions in which horrific shooting massacres have transpired, and they are all intrinsically linked by one common element: electronic interactive experiences, or video games. For decades, video games, especially those featuring violent or obscene aspects, have been the scapegoat for real world violence- mental insanity and violent records brushed aside for a simpler explanation for a large, naïve demographic. Much like rock n’ roll and graphic novels before it, the video game industry has been blamed time and time again for atrocities that have had no viable connection between the two. This is a trend that must stop before it sees the destruction of a multi-billion dollar industry that has inspired millions of people from all backgrounds. Video games are not simply cesspools for which violence and profanity can run rampant, in fact the opposite is true: video games are an interactive art medium in which players are given the chance to influence their virtual surroundings, while also being exposed to whole new cultural, social, and philosophical concepts. The vocal spectrum of society, therefore, needs to be educated on the false taboo of video game influences, a taboo that must be eliminated through active personal involvement and letters to state and federal officials on the merits of electronic entertainment. The first step in clearing video games of their bad reputations is to get the facts across: for decades they have bestowed a wealth of cultural and intellectual knowledge. The Smithsonian museum, for example, currently has an “Art of Video Games” exhibit that showcases the artistic integrity of v... ... middle of paper ... ... 17 Mar. 2014. “Introduction to Video Games: Opposing Viewpoints.” Video Games. Ed. Laurie Willis. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. n. pag. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. “Instead of blaming media violence for kids who kill, demand more nonviolent video games”. Christian Science Monitor. 18 Feb. 2013. n. pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. Kelleher, Elizabeth. “Video Games Music Played by Orchestras Draws Audiences.” Washington File. 2 Aug. 2007. n. pag. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. Kutner, Lawrence, Ph.D. and Olson, Cheryl K. Sc.D. Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Video Games and What Parents Can Do. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008. Print. “Video Game Ratings, 2007.” Media Violence. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

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