Violent Video Games -- Do They Harm Our Youth?

[Toadrax]

Now what about the children who were raised in a perfect home with perfect parents, yet are total screw ups today?

Or.. what about identical twins with the same genetics, same environment, yet totally different?

[PennyQuilts]

Heavens, I don't know other than that it happens. A lot of times mental illness hopscotches through a generation hitting one brother and leaving the other - maybe that might contribute. Some kids are favored while some are the target child for abuse. We see parents coddle and spoil a particular child to the point where he/she simply can't function on his/her own all the time. It drives the responsible siblings nuts.

[Toadrax]

I think personal responsibility is the key.

Perfect example: Teens Steal From Girl Scouts from That Happened!

There is nothing a parent can do to raise a child as bad as that, some people are just bad cause they want to be.

It doesn't matter what happened to you, someone had it worse and still managed to make better choices than you did.

Even if I am wrong and it is 100% in the parenting skills, than my pushing of personal responsibility happens to be a pretty effective way to parent. The only screwups in this world are people who want to blame other for their own choices.

[PennyQuilts]

One of my grown kids once thanked me for not making excuses for her when she messed up. She was distressed that a dear friend was completely messing up her life and that her friend took no responsibility for her own choices - it was always someone else's fault, fate, life or whathaveyou. Daughter pointed out that unless and until the friend realized that she had control over the decisions she was making, the friend was just a floating target for misfortune. By taking responsibility, you have power to change. When we teach kids they are victims, you take away their intiative and realization that they can take steps to fix a bad situation and make their lives better.

[PennyQuilts]

I went back and watched the tape. Sadly, that is not really surprising, to me. A lot of kids that age lack a sense of decency. I honestly think part of it is that their brains are not developed. Get them in a room, apart, away from each other and the tv cameras (on camera, they can be rock stars) and the remorse will probably kick in. Or not.
It honestly doesn't shock me. I see this all the time working at court. It is one of the reasons I tend to be fairly conservative - I see everyday how depraved people can be. I used to believe that people who were poor were primarily victims and the poor things would be nicer if life was just nicer to them. Not anymore, at least not without more information.

Hard to feel bad about the sucky lives of so many who are NOT victims of misfortune - Many are stone cold, mean spirited, predatory cons who won't work and don't care for their families and not because they are downtrodden. In the paper we read about "assaults," taking place, for example. What we don't read are the details - horrific, humiliating, mutilating attacks inflicted out of pure meaness. Most of us are nice people. We tend to not believe that people standing right next to us, who seem pleasant, may not be. They may lack a conscience, entirely. The percentage of sociopaths in our society is a lot higher than the public realizes. They don't take responsibilty for their children, they don't consider the needs and happiness of their mate, they'll steal from their neighbor or employers and they'll con grandma out of her last nickel if someone isn't watching them. And sleep soundly at night.

Most people are poor because they are mentally ill or because they choose to be by not working. At the same time, I see people being wonderful on a regular basis, too so I don't want this post to be completely negative.

[ddavidson8]

Do games harm our youth?

I'm only 12 but if you keep asking these stupid questions I'll cut you.