Yesterday we ran a piece exposing the scare tactics media like to use when discussing video games and violence. Flashy edits, buzzwords, complete ignorance, that sort of thing. Today Katie Couric, the host of the particular segment we analyzed, reached out to her Twitter followers to ask for the “positive side” of violent games.
https://kotaku.com/breaking-down-the-absurd-anatomy-of-a-video-game-scare-487437560
When I noticed her tweet, I went to look at the replies. Some were decent! Others…not so much. I decided it had to do with her particular brand of audience. She wasn’t getting the full scope of the gamer audience, and that wouldn’t be fair. So I retweeted her on Kotaku‘s official Twitter account. And boy, you guys did not disappoint.
But first let’s look at the disappointing replies:
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330304777885986816
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330305625475129344
@katiecouric Positive side? Sorry, can't include positive & violent in the same sentence. To Answer the ?… None.Cant wait to read answers
— Michelle (@wathankfulheart) May 3, 2013
@katiecouric Positive side? Sorry, can't include positive & violent in the same sentence. To Answer the ?… None.Cant wait to read answers
— Michelle (@wathankfulheart) May 3, 2013
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330315987217960961
@katiecouric Sorry there is none!!! Violence of any type is never good!!!!!
— Karen DerMargosian (@Karenlynn0423) May 3, 2013
I’m happy to say these…misguided responses were few and far between after Kotaku‘s community (and gamers in general) got there. Good job, guys! Here are some insightful, supporting comments:
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330315239704895488
@katiecouric Games, violent or not, are something my son and can share. We have just as much fun w/ Gears of War as we do w/ Wii Sports.
— Jennifer Amlie (@jenniferamlie) May 3, 2013
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330314596705505280
@katiecouric Games can make the players engage with highly creative and abstract forms of thinking again and again across the many genres.
— Jonny Wick (@spookyview) May 3, 2013
@katiecouric Games can offer deeper human introspective+commentary through story+theme. Like books+film, not all do that, but many games do.
— Russell Lee (@RJ_Lee) May 3, 2013
@katiecouric Studies have shown that certain games can help establish quicker reflexes, better vision, and also think faster.
— Lt. Surge (@TorukMakto323) May 3, 2013
@katiecouric Friendship and Comradery. The people I played those games with as a child remain some of my closest friends.
— Kyle Harrison (@DeathbyHappy) May 3, 2013
@katiecouric A lot of them involve a good deal of strategy; teamwork in multiplayer mode. And they're fun. Clean way to relieve stress.
— Kara Thornton (@UVaKareBear) May 3, 2013
@katiecouric the worlds I inhabit in games/books/movies/tv are my passion. They give me balance and enhance enjoyment of my daily life.
— Deast (@ThreeDeast) May 3, 2013
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330317295064858624
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330316782722232323
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330316614421598209
@katiecouric Look at the pictures of actors on your twitter profile. Did you quiz them on what's positive about the violent films they make?
— James Filus (@Syph79) May 3, 2013
@katiecouric Both of my kids play violent video games. They're 15, 13, both staight a honor students with no history of violence =PARENTING
— DerrickGott007💎 (@derrickgott007) May 3, 2013
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330309754645794816
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330309427427168256
@katiecouric To the people who say "video games perpetuate violence"; please tell me what video games were being played 500 years ago.
— Dave Jewitt (@IrregularDave) May 3, 2013
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330317655795961857
It warms my heart to see so many people rally against the inexcusable ignorance in the media’s coverage of video games. This will continue to be a thing if we don’t speak up, so good on all of you who did.
And, of course, there were some jokes, snarky replies and, er, maybe some questionable ones, too!
@katiecouric The positive side is that gamers don't destroy their bodies the way football, baseball, and basketball players do. #esports
— Roy Isaac Johnson (@toastymow) May 3, 2013
@katiecouric it keeps creepy gamer people sequestered in their parents' basements until their 30's
— POWERFUL CRAB FART🦀 (@FartCrab) May 3, 2013
@katiecouric Do you know how cool clockwork guns look, bro? That's also a reason I like violent games.
— Vincent (@ne0ncowboy) May 3, 2013
@katiecouric I can use swords in violent video games
— Vincent (@ne0ncowboy) May 3, 2013
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330324754584178688
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330324262479097856
@katiecouric RE: Video games: Misanthropic, college educated, unemployed southern male seeks socially acceptable outlet for frustration.
— Ned Lesesne (@DrNed) May 3, 2013
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330323244185964544
@katiecouric if you have never played super smash bros with friends (where u battle to the death) then u will never know joy and bonding
— Michael Harley (@pwrlftrHarley) May 3, 2013
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330322684045053952
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330322635097509888
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330322285565198337
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330322055469887489
@katiecouric people dont drive over the walkways at 80 miles an hour after playing need for speed
— WootyBooty (@Ewout_LeJuke) May 3, 2013
@katiecouric or start hitting trees with their bare hands after playing minecraft
— WootyBooty (@Ewout_LeJuke) May 3, 2013
.@katiecouric Video games, vis a vis violence, enable mentally cripple white males to *FART NOISE*
— Grubb (@JeffGrubb) May 3, 2013
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330320787502399490
@katiecouric I get to stab up bitches
— James Humphries (@Humpy1988) May 3, 2013
https://twitter.com/embed/status/330320036524851200
@katiecouric @Kotaku i don't want to beat u up in real life because i can super impose ur face into a violent game and beat u up virtually.
— TeeF (@teefonline) May 3, 2013
.@katiecouric they are the only thing suppressing my urge to hunt Matt Lauer and take his skin for my own
— Griffin's Cool 2018 Tweets (@griffinmcelroy) May 3, 2013
Lastly, let’s all remember to bring this up when people try to make a correlation between violent games and real-life violence. Because I’m honestly sick of people thinking they can ignore the facts we do have.
https://kotaku.com/from-halo-to-hot-sauce-what-25-years-of-violent-video-5976733
To contact the author of this post, write to [email protected] or find her on Twitter at @tinaamini
