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But doesn't it seem similar to past "moral panics"? I have a 12-year-old and I'm super concerned about social media and kids's wellbeing— there seems to be an o

But doesn't it seem similar to past "moral panics"? I have a 12-year-old and I'm super concerned about social media and kids's wellbeing— there seems to be an obvious relationship. But there also seemed to be an obvious relationship between violent video games and violence — or with comic books and reading. This is the best study i know about digital media and adolescent wellbeing and they find an extremely small effect size (accounting for less than 0.4% of adolescent wellbeing). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562%20018%200506%201?mod=article_inline https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562%20018%200506%201?mod=... This doesn't mean we shouldn't be concerned, especially if we are motivated to design better media culture. I can't stand Facebook.

cutemonster 5y ago
> doesn't it seem similar to past "moral panics"? No I don't think so. I've played lots of first person shooters and it's harmless. But social media causing damaging self worth worries, I slightly experience myself, sometimes. It's a real problem, in my eyes. (Loot boxes, and computer gaming addiction, are real problems with the games though.)
- Apocryphon 5y ago
  I don’t even think that violent video games are harmless. I just think the desensitization is more insidious and longer-term, maybe something with cultural and spiritual ramifications, but not something that’s as immediately harmful to public health like depression caused by social media social stresses.
  - cutemonster 5y ago
    Hmm. I'm thinking that if there was a graphical video game based on the book "American Psycho" where one was playing that character, maybe it could be damaging to some. I never saw such a game. -- The FPS games I've seen, I'd compare them more with looking at a ww2 movie. "The last of us" -- that game maybe that one can cause, like you wrote, a bit desensitization. It's more realistic brutal violence in that game than what I saw in the games i played as a kid. Any games come to your mind?
    - Apocryphon 5y ago
      Manhunt jumps to mind. There's a few games, some of which from Rockstar, that aims to be edgy and gratuitous for the sake of it. Maybe the Hitman games, since they are literally murder simulators?
      - cutemonster 5y ago
        I had a look at Manhunt, it's an a more brutal game than what I would have thought. For sure I wouldn't want military or policemen to play such games, and not kids either

cutemonster 5y ago

> doesn't it seem similar to past "moral panics"? No I don't think so. I've played lots of first person shooters and it's harmless. But social media causing damaging self worth worries, I slightly experience myself, sometimes. It's a real problem, in my eyes. (Loot boxes, and computer gaming addiction, are real problems with the games though.)

Apocryphon 5y ago
I don’t even think that violent video games are harmless. I just think the desensitization is more insidious and longer-term, maybe something with cultural and spiritual ramifications, but not something that’s as immediately harmful to public health like depression caused by social media social stresses.
- cutemonster 5y ago
  Hmm. I'm thinking that if there was a graphical video game based on the book "American Psycho" where one was playing that character, maybe it could be damaging to some. I never saw such a game. -- The FPS games I've seen, I'd compare them more with looking at a ww2 movie. "The last of us" -- that game maybe that one can cause, like you wrote, a bit desensitization. It's more realistic brutal violence in that game than what I saw in the games i played as a kid. Any games come to your mind?
  - Apocryphon 5y ago
    Manhunt jumps to mind. There's a few games, some of which from Rockstar, that aims to be edgy and gratuitous for the sake of it. Maybe the Hitman games, since they are literally murder simulators?
    - cutemonster 5y ago
      I had a look at Manhunt, it's an a more brutal game than what I would have thought. For sure I wouldn't want military or policemen to play such games, and not kids either