Aug 28, 2018
What kind of effect do video games have on gamers? Do video games make people violent?
Listen as Craig discusses the latest news story about the video game shooting in Florida with Jim Polito.
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Transcript:
Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.
Airing date: 08/28/2018
Psychology And Videogames
Craig Peterson: [00:00:00] Hey, Good Morning everybody! Craig Peterson here. And I'm saying good morning cause as you probably already know tape these in the morning. This morning I was on with Jim Polito. Jim was all by himself this morning. He didn't have Danny. His board op and producer to help him out. So, I kind of took it easy with him and we stuck with the one big story in the news this week, which of course is the story about the video game shooting down in Florida. So, we went a little bit more detail obviously a different track than I went on with Jack yesterday. But, you know if you heard Jack's interview you might skip today's, but you might want to listen to today's because there's always a little bit different.
[00:00:41] So, here we go with Mr. Jim. Here he is, our tech guru, the man with all the answers. Craig Peterson. Good morning, sir.
[00:00:55] Good morning, Jim. It's been quite a morning here with all of the video game stuff going on. Mental health issues. Did you know I was the chairman of the oversight board for Health and Human Services in New Hampshire for a couple of years?
[00:01:11] Yeah, yeah I did not know that.
[00:01:15] Oh, OK.
[00:01:17] Yet another hat that I've worn. Craig every time you're on the show, it's something else, next going to tell me you were an astronaut.
[00:01:29] That would be fun I always wanted to go to that place down in Alabama. Are you kidding me? Yeah right. Right. No. Rocketown.
[00:01:40] Absolutely. You're absolutely right.
[00:01:44] No, go ahead. No, I'm just a space cadet. That's all.
[00:01:48] Never ever made it into the space force. This whole thing is really interesting when you're talking about mental health issues and kids and video games. In fact, a lot of people might not really be aware of what it's like, nowadays. You know you and I might have played some Donkey Kong or I you remember when Pong came out and I had pong.
[00:02:11] I wish I had the original game because my parents bought it for me one Christmas.
[00:02:18] Do you burn in the TV tube? Pretty much
[00:02:21] It was an old black and white. And you know eventually, I did. But, nobody cared because it was an old black, a spare black and white that we had.
[00:02:32] When did you get your first color TV? I remember my family of like 1970.
[00:02:37] I think we were '72 because it was a tiny one. It weighed a ton. And I actually ended up bringing it to college as my TV. It was a small way too tiny it was one of those so-called portables. But, you know it was like a medicine ball trying to lift the thing. It was around 72 because this is the anniversary right about now the 72 Olympics I was just doing something on it earlier this morning Mark Spitz. I remember watching that small color TV when the Israeli athletes were taken hostage, in the siege and the slaughter. I remember watching Jim McKay on that little-colored TV that weighed a ton. So, it had to be around 72. The first real color TV like a big one. I don't remember but this was 72. The big old console TV.
[00:03:39] Yeah, we had a console TV in the living room, exactly.These games have come a long way. Now, what's happening at this event and if you've never seen one of these or been one of them. I think this will be a real eye-opener for a lot of people because these are huge events, and there is more excitement in the stands than I have ever seen anywhere, except for maybe the U.S. first event, the first robotics. To me, it's interesting Jim because I don't watch professional sports, right.
[00:04:13] Period. Right. Right. Not even the Canadian Football. Craig, not even Canadian football but that's real football. An extra 10 yards on the field a field and one less down you know by that, by the way, no hockey, Craig.
[00:04:31] Yeah. I was captain of my hockey team. But, you know I've never watched the game other than my dad was watching or my brothers were watching. My brother was on the minor league team for the Toronto Blue Jays.
[00:04:45] That's a big deal.
[00:04:47] It's a very big deal, but not me. Right. So, I just don't get it. Why would you be there cheering on someone? Watching them play a video game because that's what it is. You have the players up in the front and the players are playing, in this case, Madden football and they're they're all up at the front there's huge screens so everyone can watch. Yeah, and they're going through it. Now, there's lots of them. There's a shoot up scenarios you know you can be in World War Two. Yeah, and you're there with your platoon and you're talking back and forth with the other members of your platoon. Your killing zombie nazis and things, right, as you're going around. Now, they have this artificial feeling, like they are actually there. When they might be in their mom's basement and somebody else might be in Siberia, it doesn't really matter. They're all around the world. In reality, they're not building real friendships they're not really communicating, People, there's a whole huge business, look up twitch, a huge business built around people going to twitch and watching other people play video games. And you're not even watching them play the video game watching, you're watching their screen.
[00:06:11] Yeah right. I don't get it.
[00:06:13] I don't either. I've seen it. I went to what is at PAX East and I watched some competition. Danny, who's not here today. Danny watches other people compete in things like Fortnight. I mean it's actually become something that people do. Watch these competitors on these games. I mean I get it. I do. I do get it. Now, the question is you know psychologically and I know you used to be when we were younger, Craig, people would say oh watching violent movies make people violent, you know. And now it's OK so playing these video games makes people violent. I just don't think that's it. I think it's like my psychiatrist friend years ago, 20 years ago, said to me how do you know if this person didn't have a psychiatric issue. If they wouldn't be violent, anyway. And the same thing about a gamer, just because they're playing the game, maybe if they weren't a gamer they'd still be a violent person.
[00:07:25] There's a difference between correlation and causation, right. And that's kind of why I was going to add to Jim these types of games are attractive to certain people with certain types of mental disorders. However, the same can be said about circuses or almost anything that you might name, right. This is not causal, near as we can tell. I've had a number of psychiatrists and psychologists on my radio show, talking about this whole issue in general. Is it harmful? I think what we have to look at and I think pretty much everyone's in agreement when the child is very young like, in the single digits of age, particularly the first four or maybe even as much as eight years of their life. Now the first four certainly. Do not expose them to a whole lot of time either in front of the TV or in front of an iPad or in front of a computer. Because their brains need to mature those pathways need to develop. And near as we can tell those pathways don't develop as well when the kid is sitting watching something. As opposed to maybe they're outside or creating. I used to love Lego when I was a kid. Yeah, I made all kinds of stuff, that that's the right things flowing in the brain. Jim, I don't think there's really anything conclusive, there certainly is no agreement as to whether this is just kind of an associative sort of thing at that track that people with these types of disorders and obviously doesn't track a lot of them like this. This isn't happening frequently but it is a different world that I think a lot of people should look into a little bit. You know you mentioned PAX East. I have a son that went to that event. In fact, he went there with a girlfriend because he loves to play the video games on his little video game console. You know when you're 30 35 40 and you're still spending a lot of time in your video game. It's you know it's time to move on to real life.
[00:09:33] I get it. Craig I know we had so much other stuff to talk about today but it's always good to get your perspective when things like this are in the news. Especially I found fascinating, the stuff you sent me about how Google is still tracking me even when I tell it not to. That's a great, great piece and folks that's just some of the stuff, you can get from Craig Peterson if you text him my name Jim to this number 8 5 5 3 8 5 55 53 that is text the Jim or ask any questions you might have.
[00:10:13] to 8 5 5 3 8 5 fifty five fifty three.
[00:10:18] That's right. Standard data and text rates apply. You get great information from Craig Peterson. If there's some type of an emergency with a massive hack or a data breach, he gets you the facts and what you need to do. He doesn't try to sell you anything and it's all free. Craig, thank you so, so much I really appreciate the time and your perspective on that news story.
[00:10:45] Take care, Jim. Already. Bye-bye folks don't go anywhere. Final word when we return you're listening to.
[00:10:52] Hey, everybody. I want you know this is a bit of a heads up. Starting next week for the entire month of September every week I'm going to be doing a special webinar. We're going to talk about how to protect yourself from certain types of attacks. And I have a package I'm going to offer to you if you are on the Webinar some really special deals with some real special bonuses. But, overall a whole lot of learning and stuff. I don't think you are already aware of. So, keep an eye out for that in your e-mail. And if you want to sign up you can always just text me or e-mail me at Craig Peterson dot com. Have a great day bye-bye.
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