Video Game Bashing All The Rage

It seems that video games are to blame for everything. If it is possible to find a study or survey and relate it in some way to video games then researchers will do it. Gamespot are reporting that a study undertaken in the UK says that respondants claim to drive more dangerously after playing video games.

The BBC reported as such, "More than a third of young drivers are more likely to go faster on the roads after playing on-screen driving games, a survey suggests. And 27% of motorists aged under 24 admitted more risk-taking on the road after a gaming session."

The thing that made me laugh the most was that 34% of the drivers questioned believed that playing video games made them a better driver. Does that mean that if questioned in the same manner video games would make them a better killer or better soldier or better voyeur (as in the case of The Sims).

What will we see video games become the fall guy for in the future? The drought we are having at the moment has been reported to be the cause of video games. Increased interest rates - video games. Global Warming - more video games. Michael Jackson's bad plastic surgery - once again blamed on video games. Lee Harvey Oswald yelled that he was just a patsy. Maybe the video game industry should be doing the same.

Of course, the bottom line is that drivers don't drive faster after playing a video game because they are easily influenced or (let me say) stupid, but because of video games.