Video game violence: Bangkok teen’s mall shooting sparks #Don’tBlameTheGame trend
A trending hashtag, #Don’tBlameTheGame, emerged online following a violent incident involving a 14 year old boy in a Bangkok shopping mall.
The teenage killer, who allegedly had a history of playing the Battle Royale-style game, sparked a debate about the link between video games and violence. However, many online users assert that blaming video games is not the solution and fails to address the root cause of such incidents.
A 14 year old boy was found to have murdered two women and injured five more in a shooting incident in the Siam Paragon shopping mall.
Initial investigations revealed that the suspect had a history of playing Battle Royale-style games, which ignited discussions on the connection between violence and gaming.
This led to the surfacing of the hashtag #Don’tBlameTheGame, as many users expressed their view that blaming games for such violent incidents is wrong and does not address the root problem.
Instead, users said the focus should be on other issues such as the boy’s upbringing and the problem of gun possession. They argue that not everyone who plays games wants to commit a crime and that “games are not an excuse for wrongdoing.”
In 2020, the American Psychological Association (APA) stated…
“There is insufficient scientific evidence to support a causal link between violent video games and violent behaviour.
“Violent behaviour is a complex societal issue that can result from multiple factors. Playing violent games may affect other aggressive behaviours more than it causes violence.
“Blaming games as the primary cause is not scientifically valid and attention should be drawn to other causes, such as a history of violence or being a victim of violence, which research indicates can lead to violent behaviour in the future.”
Moreover, Professor Whitney DeCamp from the Department of Sociology at Western Michigan University revealed that playing video games cannot make children behave violently, reported KhaoSod.
This aligns with a study published in the Royal Society Journal in the UK, indicating that teenagers who play violent games do not exhibit more aggressive behaviour than those who do not play games.
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