But like you said, every healthy society needs a Dionysian outlet, and GTA is miles above public lynches.

You’ve only scratched the surface though. This topic isn’t a can of worms it’s a barrel full.

I agree, to an extent, on the difference between being a passive observer versus making a conscious decision to commit a violent or illegal act in game. I agree that violent video games can act as a trigger to some people but I’m still skeptical of claims that they are more influential than the majority of the events in a person’s life. Is it possible that playing video games could tip someone other the edge, yes, almost certainly. But are video games more likely to effect a person than say getting fired, a nasty breakup, a tour of duty overseas or a death in the family.

I realize that it’s a fallacy to attribute blame to other events when we are talking specifically about video games but I believe that the impact of video games on the human psychology is comparable to other events in a persons lifetime. From memory studies show that parents have a much greater impact on a child’s development but don’t quote me on that.

Further more when you do start censoring you stand on a very slippery slope and the question begs to be asked ‘Where do you start and stop censoring?’So, a game designed to allow pedophiles to live out their fantasies should be banned because such acts are illegal? But as shown below in the case of the Spiderman comic the decision becomes less clear when illegal acts are shown but with negative consequences.

What are factors for determining which illegal acts are acceptable to be shown to the public and which aren’t? Are films and books to be held to the same standards? And where does the nightly news fit in? In some cases it would be difficult to argue that the news is presented in an entirely objective manner. But does objectivity really matter if you’re constantly bombarded with violent acts occurring in your local community on a daily basis?

In the 1970s a three issue story arc of the Spiderman comic was refused classification by the Comics Code Authority as it contained drug use. The story arc in question portrayed drugs completely in a negative light and acted as a morality tale for readers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_Green_Goblin_Reborn!).

If you look at the situation from the perspective of harm caused to society some interesting points are raised. I do believe that video games have the potential to be harmful to a small percentage of people but I do not think that banning them is a reasonable response. Do we then turn to alcohol? What about cigarettes or contact sports? All of the above can cause harm, how do we determine if the amount of harm caused is acceptable?

Additionally, I do believe that video games have become somewhat of a scapegoat for this generation. And I know it’s been stated to death but I refer to similar issues surrounding rock and roll / Dungeons and Dragons and the danger the posed to society.

In conclusion I’m not trying to persuade anyone, rather to start readers thinking about the complex issues surrounding censorship.

Thanks for a great read!