CyberCafes = violence?
January 7, 2003 12:26 PM   Subscribe

Hopefully, the officials won't find a connection between the internet cafe and youthful violence. This smells of a problematic future.
posted by tatochip (22 comments total)
 
Yes, let's blame the problem on Counter-Strike. Not the fact that these kids can't lose gracefully.
posted by ao4047 at 12:36 PM on January 7, 2003


uhh... yes, we will blame it on Counter-Strike. Violence begets violence. I like the game as much as anyone. But it's no surprise that this is the result. The easy fix is to ban the game from the Cafe... by the Cafe's choice.
posted by Witty at 12:38 PM on January 7, 2003


The catalyst for the violent outbreaks is partly being blamed on the online game Counter-Strike, a multiplayer counter-terrorism game that uses cash prizes to drive competition between players.

now that's just silly.
posted by lotsofno at 12:50 PM on January 7, 2003


I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, just south of Northridge. Kids there are always shooting each other for one reason or another. So now we're blaming Counter-Strike?
posted by eyeballkid at 2:08 PM on January 7, 2003


Anytime you get a large group of teenagers in one spot, you're increasing the odds of trouble. Anyone else here waste their youth in arcades?

When I was a teen, the local arcade had violent-content video games (Mortal Kombat, anyone? FINISH HIM!) and almost weekly fisticuffs as well. However, the kids playing the video games weren't the ones taking part in the rowdiness; it was a small group of troublemakers, wannabe tough guys, bored angry suburban kids, and other assorted ne'er-do-wells that were out in the parking lot. The players were too into the games to pick fights.

It seems to me that the cyber-cafe is the same kind of phenomenon as arcades were in my day, or pool halls were in my father's day. You always have that small group of people who stir up trouble, regardless of the entertainment involved. If the only thing going on for teens to hang out at is a quilting bee, you're going to get that samll number of bad apples stabbing each other with knitting needles.
posted by Jughead at 2:16 PM on January 7, 2003


If the only thing going on for teens to hang out at is a quilting bee, you're going to get that samll number of bad apples stabbing each other with knitting needles.

...nahh
posted by Witty at 2:32 PM on January 7, 2003


I hate the Counterstrike playing teens at the cybercafe I frequent. They never shut up. The yelling, the battle tactics - geez! I don't think it makes them violent though. Just annoying.
posted by Karmakaze at 2:38 PM on January 7, 2003


uhh... yes, we will blame it on Counter-Strike. Violence begets violence.

witty, real violence begets violence.
posted by SoftRain at 2:39 PM on January 7, 2003


In a related story [d01t]SkyR0cketpants not only announced his intentions to run in the Los Angels mayoral race, he also responded to allegations that Internet Cafes catered to violent anti-social psychopaths and highschool kids hooked on pearl tea in a press conference today. He began with a challenge to his opponent by demanding "stfu n00b!!!1" and continued "I will p0wn you stupid camper".

This could be an interesting election, back to you Jim.
posted by ex.pr.ni at 2:50 PM on January 7, 2003


witty, real violence begets violence.

So you say. But the last time I was at one of the Cafe's that serve colas as coffees and fill the place with board games and such, I didn't see anyone get their skull bashed in over a game of Chess.
posted by Witty at 2:54 PM on January 7, 2003


There were always big fights after high school football games when I was a kid. Even a shooting and a couple of stabbings. I guess nobody wanted to ban football though. That's nice healthy violence.
posted by sheik_yerbooti at 3:01 PM on January 7, 2003


Ok... so how do you propose that the violence be curbed? should it just continue... "that's just the way kids are, killing each other over a video game". I didn't call for a nationwide ban on the game. But the cafe itself could make that call and probably do itself a favor by doing so.
posted by Witty at 3:08 PM on January 7, 2003


"Whatever happened to crazy? What, you can't be crazy no more? Did we eliminate crazy from the dictionary?"

— Chris Rock
posted by KiloHeavy at 3:13 PM on January 7, 2003


Witty, no one sees much violence at internet cafes either. The point is it's as uncommon at an internet cafe sporting terminals with counter-strike as whatever kind soda-pop dispensing coffee shops or chess rodeos you've been visiting.

This article was written by an idiot and it's good for a laugh in that "ha ha the media is either lying to me or just pathetically stupid" sort of way. It's a sad sort of laugh, a bitter sort of laugh, a familiar sort of laugh.
posted by ex.pr.ni at 3:13 PM on January 7, 2003


If this thread is going to consist of a lot of people throwing out correlations without context ("I knew someone who played Parcheesi and killed four people!" "I played Counter-Strike and I'm mellow!"), well, then what's the bloody point?

What are people in this discussion to accomplish, anyway -- just scoring a lot of trivial mini-points? How about the larger issue? And what level of violence would be unacceptable, if any? What about games featuring vivid dismembering or rape? Is there no line at all?
posted by argybarg at 3:13 PM on January 7, 2003


And what level of violence would be unacceptable, if any? What about games featuring vivid dismembering or rape? Is there no line at all?

Good question. What are we talking about? Books? Movies? Television?
posted by eyeballkid at 3:18 PM on January 7, 2003


Oh, yeah, we're talking about video games. I forgot, we treat them differently from other creative works.
posted by eyeballkid at 3:22 PM on January 7, 2003


Again -- your point?
posted by argybarg at 3:48 PM on January 7, 2003


My point is simple. If we were considering limiting the amount of "acceptable" violence in books, there would be talk of book burning and the first amendment. When you bring up the amount of acceptable violence in video games, people dive right for the "what about the children?" points and warp the entire situation.

I haven't been a child for a long time and I play video games. I'm willing to bet that a majority of MeFi users are, at least, casual gamers.

You asked the question, Is there no line at all? My answer is the same line that you wouldn't cross with other creative works.

Also: If this thread is going to consist of a lot of people throwing out correlations without context ("I knew someone who played Parcheesi and killed four people!" "I played Counter-Strike and I'm mellow!"), well, then what's the bloody point?

I provided a bit of context to the story when I mentioned earlier in the thread that I grew up near the area this story takes place. Kids have been shooting each other there for longer than Counter-Strike has been around. That's a problem with the gang culture in the high schools in SFV, not a problem with video games.
posted by eyeballkid at 4:18 PM on January 7, 2003


Don't allow guns or other weapons in bars, like they do for cigarettes. Problem solved.

Note: ok not really solved, you should still teach those idiots that life is better then death by gun : but hey isn't there TV doing this job ? :)
posted by elpapacito at 6:09 PM on January 7, 2003


eyeballkid: Stop kidding yourself. Children don't go seeking out BOOKS. They do sneak over to Timmy's (even though mom said not to) to play Vice City because mom won't allow it in her home, however. Books don't try to make violence a "game" or even necessarily fun for that matter (I'm sure there are exceptions). No one is trying to exclude movies and TV either. But this thread is about video games... and the POSSIBLE violence that they contribute to.

When children start skipping school to go read a book then I'll hear your argument. When they stay up 'til 5am to watch a violent movie 8 times in a row, then we might treat all media equally.
posted by Witty at 8:35 AM on January 8, 2003


They do sneak over to Timmy's (even though mom said not to) to play Vice City because mom won't allow it in her home

Really? I need to ask my mommy to sneak over to Timmy's to play GTA:VC? As an adult, I want my video games violent, just like my slasher flicks and episodes of the Sopranos.

When children start skipping school to go read a book then I'll hear your argument.

Apparently you didn't read my argument, but I'll answer yours anyway. I used to ditch school to go to the beach and stay up until 5 am playing music with friends. Maybe we should ban the beach and my friends. Kids skip school and stay up late. What's your point?

But this thread is about video games... and the POSSIBLE violence that they contribute to.

Possible? The story in question can't even make the connection. If you'd read my previous statements you'll notice I've mentioned twice that the neighborhood that this occured in, that the San Fernando Valley in general, has a good share of teen violence that was going on when I was in high school and video game graphics were pixelated and not polygonal.
posted by eyeballkid at 3:45 PM on January 8, 2003


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