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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Violent video games

1     Sir: I was disappointed to see the    same basic principle as Doom. Attacks
 Analysis on violent video games (8 on games for presumed effects of their
 January) trotting out the same old violent content is merely another stage
 myths about media violence. in the history of media criticism.
2     American researchers into media Exactly the same comments were made
 violence persistently present when the novel, newspaper, music hall,
 correlations as evidence of causality cinema, television, comic books and
 (which is a basic misunderstanding in videos began to reach a mass audience.
 social science methodology); they5     People need to realise that media
 consistently claim long-term effects content does not determine
  from studies examining only short-  individuals’ behaviour, and if more
  term immediate responses; and make  people were aware of the range of
 utterly meaningless comments about effects research over the last 70 years
 the responses of known violent that clearly shows this, we might
 individuals to media violence. They do finally see the end of the influence of
 this because American effects research moral conservatives determined to
  is highly influenced by the socio- censor the media.
  political environment, in which the Dr VINCENT CAMPBELL
 media are branded as scapegoat in Senior Lecturer in Media Studies
 order that other causes of violent crime6     Sir: As a teenager who loves video
 in the US, such as the easy access to games, I think the problem you report
 guns, are not addressed. on refers only to the weak-minded who
3     What such researchers consistently are not smart enough to realise that
 fail to even address is why millions of games are games, not “reality”. I own
 people exposed to exactly the same Grand Theft Auto Vice City and I just
 media products fail to respond in see it as a game in which I have
 aggressive and violent ways. missions to undertake - not a shoot-
4     Video games are becoming more ’em-up.
 graphically sophisticated but not, as CHARLES ROBINSON
 the article claims, more violent; Space (Aged 13)
 Invaders involved the wiping out of 
 entire waves of alien invaders, the The Independent