Requiem for the
Puppet Master, proposes that highly sophisticated, life like video games could
be used to program a teen-aged boy to commit murder. The story was conceived and written before
the recent rash of mass murders in 2012, and of course is pure fiction. Writing the story, I had
no doubt that a violent video game or movie could influence the chemistry in
the human body. Our fight or flight
responses can be triggered by both real and imagined danger or threat. Our
breathing becomes faster and shallow, our heart rate and blood pressure
increase. So the basis for the story was
something I thought readers could buy into. And they have.
Some time ago I
took an afternoon off and went to see a movie.
Wait Until Dark was
showing in a big, but mostly empty, RKO Orpheum Theatre. In the movie a recently blinded woman, Susy,
(played by Audrey Hepburn) is terrorized by a trio of thugs while they search
for a heroin stuffed doll they believe is in her apartment. Susy breaks out all the lights in the
apartment hoping to give herself an edge.
What she doesn’t know is that the refrigerator door is open and the
light in the refrigerator is on. The movie is intense. I wanted to tell her about the light. She thinks she is in total darkness.
I was sitting there in the theatre, totally hooked, hoping and praying for
her escape when one of the bad guys comes flying out from the side and grabs Susy. I was startled and immediately got wrapped up
in the ensuing struggle. About three minutes later as the adrenalin receded I realized that I had stood
up and was still standing. And that was just a very old movie (1967 I think). Consider the difference in sophistication, and technology between that movie and a new violent video game. Consider also the amped up ability of the video game to keep the adrenalin flowing.
There is no
doubt in my mind that vivid, realistic, images can influence our body
chemistry. Iowa State University professor Douglas
Gentile tells us:
These gamers do have an adrenaline rush, and it's noradrenaline and it's
testosterone, and it's cortisol — these are the so-called stress
hormones," Gentile says. "That's exactly the same cocktail of
hormones you drop into your bloodstream if I punched you."
But, is the
rush, by itself, strong enough to change behavior? Probably not. Lots of kids, millions, are playing violent video games and staying in sports, reaching for honor roles, getting ready for college, enjoying their high school years.
There are
other important factors that lead to strong enough motivation to kill. Mental illness, poor self esteem, rejection
by peers, being bullied, not having positive, supportive role models all can
lead to a very skewed view of the world and his place in it. The need for recognition combined with some
of these other factors can lead some very bizarre behavior including murder.
And what
about girls? My wife explained it to
me. She says, “Men and boys fight with
their fists, guns and knives. Girls use
words to fight.” She’s probably right,
she usually is.
