Dark Side

I read with surprise and dismay in today's Today that the deceased NTU student was "an avid gamer", a point highlighted in the sub-title. The journalist's ears must have pricked up (with glee) on hearing such a description of the guy, and i am almost certain tomorrow's forum will have someone writing in bemoaning the fact of how gaming leads to violence.

To set the case straight, there is no proven direct correlation between gaming and violence. What's more, the guy played World of Warcraft, not Counter-Strike or Grand Theft Auto. Unless there is some quest in WOW where you have to kill the evil sifu and then commit hari-kiri, there is really nothing (i feel) in WOW that would provoke someone to do something like that.

Gaming may lead to anti social behaviour, but it is just about as anti social as reading or doing jigsaw puzzles, where you get absorbed in your own world. The violence part i cannot agree, because there is so much violence on the tv, in the cinemas, and pretty much everywhere around the world. You cant just blame it on gaming.

So if i do see such a thing in the papers tmr, i will stop my game, take my chopper (whom i have christened Frostmourne) and hack it (the paper) to bits.