I don't blame playing years of Leisure Suit Larry in my early teens for the little touch of AIDS that I may or may not have.

I think online forums have a lot to do with it. Obviously a forum created for fisherman to gather and discuss fishing is not the culprit, but when the forum is created for social outcasts to discuss their hatred for others it becomes an enabler for these kinds of things. Sites like 4chan and possibly Reddit are used as a medium for lonely, angry, mentally ill men to discuss how much their lives suck and it eventually snowballs into some crazy going off the deep end. I know people who spend more time on these sites than they do with actual human beings and you can tell it has an effect on how they interact with others in real life.

I say a lack of positive roll models is the biggest factor. Just compare the amount of time kids today are spending with tv, movies, social media, and video games compared to the amount of time spent just 20-30 years ago. The TV and movies I grew up on were not filled with graphic violence and sex like they are today (for the most part). Our society as a whole has lost their moral compass which our kids are paying the price for.

My 7yr. old tried educating me on the killing power of a mini-gun. No more Fortnite for him. X-box is in pieces in my work shop. I told him if he can figure out how to put it back together then he can play it. I will either be raising a brain dead kid, or Michael Dell....give me a few years and ill let ya know.

I believe it and could care less what you think.

nobody asked you or addressed you.

No idea exactly how much less you COULD care, but for whatever amount of care you currently have... thank you for caring.

Look, we don’t have the answers. Some think they do, but they don’t.

I would like to say that none of us want to see this stuff happen. (There May be some that do for whatever reason, but I would say that’s a very small percentage.)

There are no absolutes here. Do all people that play video games do this stuff? The answer is no. Does everyone that smokes pot so this stuff? No. Does everyone that is not a Christian do this? No. Does everyone that has mental problems do this? No. Does everyone that takes drugs for mental problems do this? No. Does every racists do this? No. Does everyone that has a whacked out ideology? No.

People want to understand, and want to stop it. But, they usually just point ringers at stuff they don’t like as “evidence” that their beliefs are superior. That’s what people do.

Again, we don’t have the answers. If we did, it wouldn’t happen, period.

Machete caused this.

Great example of what I mentioned. Fortnite is rated T for Teen. The ESRB is very similar to the way movies are rated. I know parents have a lot to keep up with these days in terms of what their kids are exposed to, but the ESRB standardizes the process.

E for everybody
E10+ for everybody over 10
T for teen
M for mature

Each game has descriptors to let you further know what is in the game. Go to ESRB.org or check the box the game comes in or the screen where it is being downloaded and see what it says. The ESRB is very strict about the ratings and errs on the side of caution. Keep in mind, when playing a game online, there is no way to rate or restrict what other players say over the internet. Nothing can be done about that except parents sitting in the room while the kid plays and listening to what is being said.

Here is Fortnite’s ESRB page.

https://www.esrb.org/ratings/34948/Fortnite/

God bless you. Hope that little puss thing you have heals quickly.

Allow me to throw this out there...

Kids should not learn of guns while playing a mind numbing, ultra violent video game.

Like most everything else, kids should learn of guns while afield with their Dads, shooting real bullets at real targets. Let them shoot a two liter bottle full of red dyed water. Pop a few watermelons. Eventually, kill a game animal and prepare it for the table. And, of course, Mom should be there too.

That teaches reality and there can be no mistaking that. Teach them the truth. Make sure they know.

And what will happen? What will be the reward? They will tell their friends. Reality might actually take root.

You love your kids. Why would you allow them to play those games? There is proof of the damage they cause.