Virtual Blood on my Hands

Finding some time to play video games has been therapeutic lately, though I do feel that there is a bit too much virtual blood on my hands.

The last three games that I have submerged myself into have certainly been on the violent side. Assassins Creed II in particular has highlighted the prevalence of such violence. The name gives it away, but for people unaware of the volume of violence a quick summary will suffice. You play an assassin that is free to kill countless people using various types of sharp or bludgeoning weapons. Particularly vicious scenes are slowed down and emphasised by the game mechanics, glorifying in the violence. Of course, I play these games for fun.

But at times it seems like this fun could be negatively affecting me in other ways. The desensitization argument has been frequently trod in recent history and video game legislation. The fact of the matter is that video games frequently encourage us to escape into a fantasy world by encouraging us to take the part of a character. In many cases, these characters commit heinous acts.By proxy we are encouraged to imagine us committing these acts. How can this not have some sort of effect on us?

This violent side is attractive because it is taboo in ordinary life and yet acceptable in games and indeed films. So while we do imagine acts of depravity in these games perhaps it is best that some sort of outlet is used for these human desires. The danger only really comes when a person is unable to distinguish between the rules of a game and the rules of reality. This is exactly the reason that games have certified age ratings. An adult should have a better concept of reality (or at least a better concept of the rules of society) than a child and as such, should be more capable of using this outlet.

While there may be virtual blood on my hands, that realisation allows me to keep my real hands clean.

-The English Student