"Murder" at My Wal-Mart | Teen Ink

"Murder" at My Wal-Mart MAG

By Anonymous

     I was walking through Wal-Mart, looking at theCDs, when I passed an older couple with their grandson. At first glance, theyseemed like a friendly couple who took pleasure in their grandson's enjoyment ofthe video game he was playing. But as I passed them my thoughts quickly changedas I listened to what their four-year-old grandson was saying: "Murder!Murder! I murdered him!" It horrified me to hear a four-year-old screamabout murder while his grandfather stood by with a big smile. What are theyletting him play? I wondered.

All the violent video games I knew began tofilter through my mind. These thoughts were quickly stopped when, out of thecorner of my eye, I caught sight of the screen. The boy was playing a dirt bikeracing game and was supposed to be trying to kill deer. Instead, he was trying tokill the rider by slamming him into the wall. This made me seriously wonder howmuch of a role video games play in violence today.

Don't get me wrong, Ilove video games. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of playing them withmy cousins. Racing, wrestling, snowboarding - you name it, we probably played it.But in recent years games have become increasingly violent. I have no doubt thatchildren who play violent video games when they are too young to understand thedifference between right and wrong will want to go out and be just like the heroin that game. A four-year-old has no way to distinguish the difference betweenkilling a bicycle rider in his game and killing a real person on the side of theroad. Children should not be exposed to this kind of violence at such an earlyage - it influences them in ways that are more harmful than we canimagine.

As a society, we do nothing about what goes on around us on adaily basis. We let our children play these video games because it makes themhappy. No one reacted to the four-year-old at Wal-Mart because he seemed sohappy, despite the fact his screams could be heard all over the store. Noemployee asked him to be quiet and no customer complained - not even me. I guessI was too scared to complain, scared that it wasn't my place to say anything, and more scared of what our society has become.



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This article has 12 comments.


on Oct. 25 2019 at 12:05 pm
SergeantSteel82 GOLD, Fort Wayne, Indiana
11 articles 0 photos 30 comments

Favorite Quote:
one of the greatest tragedies of our time is this impression that has been created that science and religion have to be at war.
-Francis Collins

I may never let go of my anger and wrath,
But I will always have the last laugh.
-Corey Taylor

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
-Voltaire

There are multiple sides to an argument like this, I like to play some violent games like Star Wars Battlefront 2, The Crew, N.O.V.A. 3, etc. But I was not allowed to play them till I was 13, so I can understand concerns for elementary school grade kids playing games like that. The last thing I have about this is to read the rating, some games are purposefully rated too high (for ex. Just Cause 3) but they will tell you what you need to expect while playing that game.

i love this so much!

Brooklynn W said...
on Jul. 11 2009 at 2:37 am
I agree with you. Our society sees murder as an atrocity (which is a good thing), yet many violent video games have been created that encourage murdering in a form. Video games are aimed at kids, right? Kids believe anything and everything, and I know many young boys who just love and obsess over video games, trying to act like the players in the game. Even if it is pretend, when they grow oldeer the violence of the video games they grew up playing will stick with them and I'm almost sure they will affect them in some way or another. But, I'm not talking about every video gamer out there. I'm just saying there's a chance those majorly addicted little kids who, when they don't have their computer games, have a Nintendo Ds in their hands, may be affected. Also, I'm only talking about violent games that include any type of hurting, murder, stealing, etcetera. Great article, other than the spacing(: Sorry, I'm a grammar freak haha.

vivaladolce said...
on Jul. 11 2009 at 2:35 am
vivaladolce, Sarasota, Florida
0 articles 0 photos 7 comments
I tottaly agree. My brothers are addicted to video games. They would rather stayed cooped up in the house instead of go outside and swim in the pool or something. I am so dissapointed in the amount of violence and the quantity in video games these days. Keep writing!

Alex Coleman said...
on Jul. 10 2009 at 11:57 pm
Alex Coleman, Mesa, Arizona
0 articles 6 photos 19 comments
Violent videogames are not a source of violence in todays society, just something that attracts a person with the mental state who enjoys violence. Games that are violent are no more a harbinger of violence then the military or CNN, both sources of constant violence, and something that many people are constantly "exposed to".

Kacee91 said...
on Jul. 10 2009 at 9:00 pm
I completely agree with the message you're trying to get across here. Video games have their place-they can be really great-but we need to be aware of what our little brothers, etc., are playing! I recognize many things my little bros. do in relation to violent games. The more they play them, the more violent and irritable they get themselves. I don't want that to be part of their childhood. I don't want them to grow up to be violent, nonsensical people who think it's ok-because it's just not!

trouble BRONZE said...
on Jul. 10 2009 at 2:34 am
trouble BRONZE, Mason, Tennessee
1 article 0 photos 2 comments
i tink if they understand that it's not right in real life it's ok

Mikeisnice. said...
on Feb. 5 2009 at 10:49 pm
I dont agree that they should play games like grand theft auto, but as you get older, you should be able to tolerate certain games.

on Jan. 30 2009 at 3:22 am
This is so scary, when I walk into Best Buy I see a 7 year old playing Grand Theft Auto and the parent is just watching

mikey 1243 said...
on Jan. 22 2009 at 4:30 pm
I agree they're ONLY kids i cant believe that!

sd846 said...
on Jan. 21 2009 at 7:51 pm
I think they should really constrict the age limit of the games if you know what im saying because when i go into a gamestop i see 6 year olds getting rated "M" games.

John98 said...
on Jan. 6 2009 at 1:04 pm
To me, it depends if the child is responsible or not.