Porn reduces sexual violence!

Phaze SG

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped1104chapmannov04,1,7432359.column?ctrack=1&cset=true

In a paper presented at Stanford Law School last year, he reported that, after adjusting for other differences, states where Internet access expanded the fastest saw rape decline the most. A 10 percent increase in Internet access, Kendall found, typically meant a 7.3 percent reduction in the number of reported rapes. For other types of crime, he found no correlation with Web use. What this research suggests is that sexual urges play a big role in the incidence of rape -- and that pornographic Web sites provide a harmless way for potential predators to satisfy those desires.

eagle SG

then why are you waiting?

Laughing

Phaze SG

I didn't wait. Embarassed

Phaze SG

I believe this is the case for videogame violence as well.

Herzog_Zwei SG

Embarassed For eagle kor kor to lead the way....

SturmDerSchatten SG

Urgh, don't mention video game violence; I just finished PW (rrr, kill! kill!), and my topic was on that.

Aside from the off-topic rant, I seriously doubt there's anything wrong with pr0n. There's still the common premise of "it'll make you lust for more", but as you mentioned, video games and probably movies are similar. I don't see myself killing communists on the streets after playing World in Conflict.

Phaze SG

What's PW?

You're probably aware of the infamous Jack Thompson. Jack Thompson refers to many games as "murder simulators". The common argument about the difference between movies and videogames is that videogames are interactive whereas movie viewers are passive.

I don't think most people who have actually played games would disagree that for normal people, videogames do not make people violent. We are, for the most part, able to distinguish between fantasy and reality. After I play GTA, I don't feel like going out and shooting cops or running people over. Though I must admit I find it funny to imagine people trying to jump on mushrooms after playing Mario.

I accept that perhaps there might be the possibility that a small subset of people who have violent tendencies and have a poor grasp on reality and actually do use games as a stepping stone to more violence. But you don't ban steak knives just because they can be used to stab someone.

SturmDerSchatten SG

PW is probably the most harrowing experience for any JC student. It means "Project Work".

Jack Thompson doesn't know what he's talking about. Imagine a guy whose entire biological knowledge comes from "The British Book of Birds" criticizing the latest DNA research.

dumbdumb! SG

i think its a double edged sword.

it may encourage fantasy, until they really commit the act of rape. Neutral

Phaze SG

But hundreds and thousands of people play violent video games everyday without experiencing any urge to commit real violence.

A small minority of people may experience such an urge. But those people probably also have bigger problems to deal with.