"Paul Levinson's It's Real Life is a page-turning exploration into that multiverse known as rock and roll. But it is much more than a marvelous adventure narrated by a master storyteller...it is also an exquisite meditation on the very nature of alternate history." -- Jack Dann, The Fiction Writer's Guide to Alternate History

Friday, November 9, 2007

Three High School Students Make a Good Video about Violence and Videogames

Jake Lackner contacted me a few months ago - he and a few of his colleague students in high school (Denver School of the Arts) were making a video about violence and videogames, and would I like to be interviewed. I said, sure.

Katie Aldworth conducted the interview by phone - as professional as any network or NPR or cable interview I've ever given, and with a lot less attitude than you sometimes get. She and Jake directed this video, "Consoles and Carnage: Violence in Videogames," which she, Jake, and Maxine Gallegos wrote, filmed, and edited.

I don't agree with everything everyone says in the video - of course not, because it tries to present a diversity of views. But I think the lack of cause between violent video games and violence in real life is clearly explained - not just by me, but even more persuasively by kids who play video games themselves.

I think Jake and Katie and Maxine could teach the "professional" media a thing or two about being fair and balanced. We're lucky to have people like this growing up in our country.

See for yourself...



And here, for contrast, is my "debate" with Jack Thompson on CBNC in 2006...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

ever since i played grand theft auto i began to believe i was black and i started stealing a bunch of cars our the kid who played resident evil and began believing everybody at the school was a zombie and they must die a bunch of child porn addicted wannabe role models telling me what to play i get up everymorning looking in the mirror thinking what would i do without videogames go visit the crack house use my allowance to buy a 20 dollar rock our hell might walk to blocks over and go to a titty bar and if i run out of money there i could always stand out front of foodmart till they run me off!

MC said...

I would be very interested to see a study about the cognitive effects of watching professional/collegiate athletics, playing the actual game or playing a game which simulates them as contrasted with the same sort of data of people who watch or play violent media to see if they are comparable.

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