Videogame Violence, Cyberbullying, and Suicide
Ga Maleven
This journal will be covering topics a little different from some of my other Educational Journals, but the message is just as important. I hope that this journal helps you if you are going through bullying, depression, or suicidal thoughts. I’ll say this now rather than wait till the end of the journal: If you are suffering from suicidal tendencies and/or depression, please talk to someone. If you feel like there is no one you can talk to and don’t want to use the Suicide Prevention Hotline, feel free to message me. I’m always available to talk, and even though my own story with bullying and suicide may be different in some regards, I still know that feeling of being alone, and the dreadful places your mind goes to. Please, reach out to someone. You’re loved, even if you feel like you are not.
Videogames are a popular pastime for many, and for people like me, a future career in the industry of making them. Videogames have gained in popularity, realism, and storytelling over the years, practically movies and books you can interact with. The stories and characters are so well developed, thought out, and interacted with that they feel almost real at times. These characters, worlds, and stories help players to just forget about real life for a time, delving into their own world and escape. These games help with depression, anxiety, stress, and simply bring much needed relaxation. In my own experience, videogames have been one of my coping mechanism from PTSD and abuse. And many others have used them for this reason as well. And simply put, they are works of art.
But while videogame bring much needed adventure, fun, and exploration to millions, there are those who believe that violent videogames are creating troublemakers. While some serial killers/murderers have had a past of playing violent games, that still is not enough evidence to show all games are making gamers violent. Out of the 1.2 billion videogame players, only a handful are actually committing serious crimes. In fact, videogames have offered distraction from violent behavior by allowing release and busying people from actually going out and doing something harmful. To top this, violent movies, books, plays, and activities have existed for thousands of years. In fact, those who harm non-human animals turn to harming humans. There is undeniable evidence that those who harm non-human animals turn onto humans, and using non-human animals for food and entertainment creates more sociopaths and abusers for humans than videogames ever have or will. And while some murderers do take inspiration from videogames and/or movies, the games and movies weren’t the reasons these people became violent. These people have shown violent tendencies from a young age, often from abuse, bullying, or poor parenting. In some cases mental health may be to blame, but while mental health may have led to it, the lack of addressing the health concerns is the real underlying issue.
No, videogames do not make us violent. Society, poor parenting, using animals, and mental illnesses are the primary reasons for creating murderers. While games may cause some violence in the form of violent outburst over losing, or other wild behavior, such behavior from these people stems from other sources then games.
Bullying anyone for any reason is wrong. Beating someone whether human or non-human animal is abusive, cruel, and not part of a civilized society. While physical bullying is a big deal, I’m going to concentrate on cyberbullying in this journal due to its rapid growth and not enough people talking about it.
Cyberbullying is much like physical/verbal bullying only done online with computers or phones. It can take the form of throwing insults on facebook, deviantART, or any other social media. Threats, crude drawings, and mocking someone for their beliefs are all common in cyberbullying.
To share my own experiences with cyberbullying, I have been horribly attacked with threats, insults, and crude drawings of me being raped. What for? Because I’m vegan, asexual, and Christian. Which is ridiculous to mock veganism since it’s literally a lifestyle about NOT harming others (why would anyone hate peaceful, compassionate people trying to HELP others? But that’s for another journal), sexual orientation is not a choice, and real religion is not cultist nor promoting violence. I have been told to kill myself, called a slut, had other very vulgar words thrown at me, and even had someone draw crude images of me being raped by a gorilla (they were really bad, but the idea was clear). While being in denial about learning truths, facts, or hearing about something you may not know much about may bring some denial, anger, and opposition, going to the extent of insults and threats is immature and simply unnecessary.
Activist receive so many threats and nasty insults for bringing forth the uncomfortable truth, but what do bullies hope to gain by attacking us? What do bullies hope to gain by attacking anyone, activist or not? What does insulting, harassing, and threatening someone bring to any discussion or debate? What does it do for the bully? If instant self gratification is brought by being vulgar and offensive to others, the problem is with you, not the people you are attacking.
While trolling nasty people may be satisfying (Like trolling Westboro Baptist Church), we must remember that sinking to such levels don’t make us any better than those promoting hate/ignorance. I am not perfect and I too will insult people who come to my page simply to harass me. Most of the time I do it because they have been so rude towards me and ignorant of what I say in my defense (and the defense of others) that I sink to insults to make them just leave, but sometimes I do admit I have become engulfed in enough anger that insulting feels justifiable. In reality, being rude to others never is. Being overly nice to bullies probably pisses them off more than anything.
Cyberbullying hurts the victim and the attacker. Cyberbullying has the same affects as any other bullying. It’s verbal abuse, harassment, and can make the victim feel bad about themselves, self-doubt, self-loathe, believe lies, and sometimes commit suicide. The attacker isn’t better off for they are learning it’s okay to hurt others, they don’t grow as individuals, and they become the cause of someone else hurting themselves or committing suicide.
Cyberbullying has hurt me, and it has hurt many others. And given how anyone can now access the internet and reach each other, the victims and attackers range from the age of 10 years olds to people in their 60s. Gang ups have to be the worse, in my opinion, because you feel the most helpless. When I say something and I have 10 people all turn and attack me for it, or when anyone else posts something harmless or progressive and they are harassed for it. It’s one thing when one person is going at you, but it’s worse when multiple are.
Bullying someone for being vegan, their religion, race, sex, sexual orientation, whatever is wrong. As long as they are <b>NOT</b> hurting others (whether human or non-human animals), who cares what they do or believe? We should be putting our efforts to stopping abuse, war, bullying, and serious issues. Not attacking those bringing real issues forward or living a lifestyle that doesn’t harm anyone. And who cares if someone is overweight, doesn’t look a certain way, or have some disability. While some people do need to make diet and exercise changes to help with their weight, some people have medical conditions that make it extremely difficult to lose weight. Instead of insulting overweight people, let’s help encourage them to eat healthy and go for walks daily. It’s not easy dealing with weight issues, and some people simply don’t know where to begin. As for how you look, everyone looks different and the idea of beauty is constantly changing. In ancient times the fatter a woman the more beautiful she was. Women who had some meat on them were always seen as healthier ad prettier until recently when extremely skinny women became fashionable, despite health concerns. And across the globe there are many beauty standards. As sappy as it sounds, it really is a person’s soul that matters, not how they look on the outside. As long as they are good people not harming others, that’s all we should care for.
With bullying comes depression and sometimes suicide. Not everyone who feels suicidal actually commits suicide. But that doesn’t mean they are any less important than those who do. I have struggled with suicidal thoughts since 14. Maybe even younger, but 14 was when I came close to doing something. I had my dog and cats to keep me from pulling the trigger multiple times now, but sadly not everyone has someone here for them. Or at least not that they feel like they do. Bullying others, ignoring them, not giving them respect… They may pretend it doesn’t bother them, but in reality it cuts deep. And once they are brought to that place, it’s not easy getting out of if ever.
Maybe a human friend isn’t around to help you. Maybe humans really are that bad. I know I feel that way. And I encourage you to have a pet, play videogames, write stories, draw, volunteer for an animal rescue, do something to help distract you and bring some meaning, some help to you. Talk to someone, talk to a therapist, seek help. You’re never alone.
With suicidal thoughts, mental illness, and bullying, you have to do whatever you can to protect yourself. Online, it may be necessary to block people from harassing you. This sometimes is just necessary to take care of your mental health. If someone is bothering me I give them a warning that if they do not stop I will block for my own protection. They may scoff thinking they aren’t endangering anyone with bullying and/or harassment, but the protection I mean is also for my mental health. Seeing death threats or just rude comments from people constantly puts a drain on anyone. So, sometimes it’s best to block and forget.
While prescription drugs do help with depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses, don’t believe that they are the only way to heal yourself. As said above, care for pets for their mere presence helps to relieve stress. Get a hobby, play videogames, write, try to do something you love and enjoy. Some people can use distractions such as pets and games and get through their depression, some need just medicines, some need both. Try everything until you find something that helps. But never resort to self harm. If you have to hurt someone, I have put that frustration on fictional characters I write about, on videogame characters, even just destroying something like an old car with a sledge hammer helps. Don’t take that pain out on yourself. Hurt fictional characters and inanimate objects. And if the self harm urges are too hard to control, please see a therapist, go to the Emergency Room, call for help.
Mental illness comes in many forms. While most are developed during your life whether from abuse, trauma, or other extreme cases, some are caused by genetics or the mother not being healthy during the pregnancy, or even abusing substances. Autism is actually caused by mutated chromosomes that happen during pregnancy, as well as some forms of schizophrenia, and several other common mental illnesses. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar, and many more are caused by abuse from parents, peers, spouses, traumatic events, etc. Whether or not a person’s mental illness was present from birth or later developed doesn’t make the person any less of a person. Everyone is in need of help, love, and support.
I suffer from PTSD and I have gone through discrimination for it, the most common being everyone telling me I don’t have it because I was never in the military, even though PTSD is caused by extreme trauma. Abuse victims almost always suffer from PTSD or some form of anxiety. Understanding mental illness is important, and unless the person is comfortable talking about theirs, don’t ask or prod them to tell. Not everyone is open to talking about it and there’s nothing wrong about that, just as there’s nothing shameful about having a mental illness. Furthermore, if someone says they have a service dog, don’t demand to know why they have one.
There is so much to mental illnesses, treatments, causes, etc. that I simply cannot put all that information here. As always, I provide more links on the discussed topics below. If there’s a mental illness you want to learn more about, Googling is not a bad answer if the links provided below don’t explain enough.
There’s nothing shameful about having a mental illness, and it’s NEVER right to bully anyone. In fact, there are laws against bullying/harassment that can have severe consequences if broken. Keep that in mind before you decide to verbally attack someone, and remember the harm you are causing on the person you are attacking. As the golden rule goes, “Do unto others as you would have done to yourself.”
https://youtu.be/Vetf9eu3Lbwhttps://youtu.be/YiFRpXUu5yk
The Bridge Between Suicide and Life (video): [link]
Teen Bullied into Plastic Surgery (video): [link]
Normani Kordei on Online Bullying (video): [link]
Hurting Others in Arguments (video): [link]
How to Love Yourself (video): [link]
What is Cyber Bullying: https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it/index.html
Cyberbullying: https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/index.html
Cyberbullying: http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/cyberbullying.html
Cyberbullying Research Center: http://cyberbullying.org/
What is Cyberbullying: https://www.pacerteensagainstbullying.org/experiencing-bullying/cyber-bullying/
Cyberbullying: http://www.ncpc.org/topics/cyberbullying
Stop Cyberbullying: http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/what_is_cyberbullying_exactly.html
How Should Schools Handle Cyberbullying: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/style/28bully.html
How to stop Bullies: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/03/how-to-stop-bullies/309217/
Cyberbullying: https://www.netsmartz.org/Cyberbullying
Father Invites Child’s Bullies to Her Funeral: https://globalnews.ca/news/3956331/amy-dolly-everett-child-model-bullying-suicide/
9 Year Old Commits Suicide Because of Bullies: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2279142/Aaron-Dugmore-Schoolboy-9-hanging-home-dies-hospital-targeted-bullies.html
Bullies Nail Board to Autistic Boy’s Head as He Screams: https://eaglerising.com/46344/young-autistic-boy-screams-for-help-as-bullies-nail-wooden-plank-to-his-head/
Bullying: https://www.meganmeierfoundation.org/resourcecenter.html?gclid=CLGI6q2qt9QCFYtWDQod_9YIVA
Verbally Abusing Your Vegan Friend is Just Harassment: http://www.ecorazzi.com/2016/02/10/verbally-abusing-your-vegan-friends-isnt-edgy-its-just-being-a-bully/
Vegan Bullying is Not Acceptable Either: https://happyherbivore.com/2011/03/vegan_bullying/
What to do if Bullied for Being Vegan: https://www.peta2.com/news/vegan-bullied/
Bullying: https://theresanelephantintheroomblog.wordpress.com/2017/12/05/bullying-an-analogy/
Veganphobia: [link]
How to Stop a Bully: [link]
How to Handle Workplace Discrimination: https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/solutions/how-handle-workplace-discrimination
Student Bullies Other Student for Being vegetarian: http://www.theblaze.com/news/2016/03/17/sixth-grader-tells-vegetarian-classmate-that-vegetarians-are-idiots-school-board-calls-it-harassment-then-the-whole-thing-goes-before-a-judge/
How to Handle Vegan Harassers: http://www.holistichealthliving.com/how-to-handle-anti-vegan-harassers/
Bullying Statistics: http://americanspcc.org/bullying/statistics-and-information/?gclid=CLDC8qOyudQCFVpMDQoddaYHhw
Cyberbullying: http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/cyber-bullying.html
Policies and Laws on Bullying: https://www.stopbullying.gov/laws/index.html
Analysis and Implications of Law on Bullying: http://cyberbullying.org/cyberbullying-laws
Current State of Cyberbullying Laws: http://cyberbullying.org/the-current-state-of-cyberbullying-laws
Bullying Laws Across America: http://cyberbullying.org/bullying-laws
Bullying Laws: https://www.meganmeierfoundation.org/laws.html
49 States With Cyberbullying Laws: https://www.instantcheckmate.com/crimewire/post/cyberbullying-laws-by-state/
Understanding the Life of a Bully: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/i-thought-my-bully-deserved-an-awful-life-but-then-he-had-one/2018/02/21/5c36bc94-1013-11e8-9570-29c9830535e5_story.html?utm_term=.5ad52abf7873
Florida School Shooter Encouraged by Cyberbullies and Trolls: https://wonkette.com/629807/of-course-florida-school-shooter-was-a-girl-hating-white-supremacist-of-course-i-am-tired-of-writing-this-article
Before We Use Certain Words: http://www.upworthy.com/before-we-use-certain-words-we-should-all-look-at-these-pictures-they-might-make-us-think-twice?c=ufb1
Do Videogames Lead to Violence: http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/25/health/video-games-and-violence/index.html
Do Violent Videogames cause Violence: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/do-violent-video-games-cause-violence_us_58f64c4ce4b0156697225316
Do Videogames Inspire Violent Behavior: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-video-games-inspire-violent-behavior/
Videogames Normalize Animal Cruelty: https://www.counterpunch.org/2013/11/29/video-games-normalize-animal-cruelty/
Do Videogames Make People Violent: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33960075
Violent Videogames Found Not to Affect Empathy: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170308081057.htm
What Science Knows About Videogames and Violence: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/body/what-science-knows-about-video-games-and-violence/
Stop Blaming violent Videogames: https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-08-02/stop-blaming-violent-video-games-for-societal-violence
The Truth About Videgame and Gun Violence: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/06/video-games-violence-guns-explainer/
APA Says Videgames Make You Violent, but Critics Cry Bias: http://www.newsweek.com/apa-video-games-violence-364394
Do Violent Videogames Contribute to Youth Violence: https://videogames.procon.org/
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
The Truth About Suicide: https://www.thetrumpet.com/10215-the-truth-about-suicide
The Truth About Suicide and College Depression: https://afsp.org/our-work/education/truth-suicide-real-stories-depression-college/
Suicide Truths: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/truth-about-suicide
Depression and Suicide Facts: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20507781,00.html
The Truth About Death: https://www.truthaboutdeath.com/free-resources/audio-library/radio-programs/e/828/t/suicide
Woman Writes About Sister’s Suicide: http://www.today.com/health/woman-writes-about-sister-s-suicide-tell-truth-about-depression-t82666
Lawyers and Suicide: http://www.lawlifeline.org/articles/448-the-truth-about-suicide
Why Are Lawyers Killing Themselves: http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/19/us/lawyer-suicides/index.html
Suicidal Thoughts or Threats: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/tc/suicidal-thoughts-or-threats-topic-overview#1
Suicide Statistics: https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/
SAVE Suicidal Awareness: https://www.save.org/
Suicide: https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/suicide
Going to the Emergency Room For Suicidal Thoughts: https://themighty.com/2015/11/what-its-like-going-to-the-emergency-room-for-suicidal-thoughts/
Suicide… Read This: https://www.metanoia.org/suicide/
Suicide in Greenland: http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/04/21/474847921/the-arctic-suicides-its-not-the-dark-that-kills-you
Teen Commits Suicide: http://www.sonomanews.com/news/6979304-181/sebastopol-school-community-mourns-teen
Veterinarians and Suicide: https://www.independent.com/news/2018/mar/08/veterinarian-suicides-reflect-quiet-professional-c/
The Suicide Paradox: http://freakonomics.com/podcast/new-freakonomics-radio-podcast-the-suicide-paradox/
Reading Suicide Notes (video): [link]
Why We Choose Suicide (video): [link]
I Jumped Off The Golden Gate Bridge and Survived (video): [link]
Man Visits Golden Gate Bridge 10 Years After Almost Jumping (video): [link]
My Roommate Committed Suicide in My Closet (video): [link]
14 Ways to Tell if Someone is Suicidal (video): [link]
The Bridge (video): [link]
Parents Explain Suicide (video): [link]
Those Considering Suicide (video): [link]
Please Don’t Kill Yourself (video): [link]
Kids React to Amanda Todd Video (video): [link]
Amanda Todd Video (video): [link]
If You Really Knew Me (video): [link]
Teen Commits Suicide After Publishing Decision on Youtube: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/health/teenager-commits-suicide-minutes-after-publicizing-her-decision-youtube
Mental Health Myths and Facts: https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/myths-facts/index.html
Mental Illness is Not Always What You Think: http://www.stopstigmasacramento.org/the-truth/
Real Diseases vs Mental Disorders: http://www.cchr.org/quick-facts/real-disease-vs-mental-disorder.html
Mental Disorders and Marketing Campaign: https://www.cchrint.org/psychiatric-disorders/
Mental Health Month: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may
10 Misleading Assumptions on Mental Illness: https://www.talkspace.com/blog/2015/10/10-misleading-assumptions-about-mental-illness-learn-the-truth/
The Truth About Mental Illness: http://www.vernoncoleman.com/mentalill.html
Truth on Mental Health: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mental-health-stigma_us_561ea089e4b050c6c4a3e4f2
May is Mental Health Month: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/may-mental-health-month-learn-truth-illness-william-badzmierowski
Mental Disorders and Conditions: https://psychcentral.com/disorders/
Alphabetical List of Mental Illnesses: http://mental-health-matters.com/psychological-disorders/alphabetical-list-of-mental-disorders/
Types of Mental Illness: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-types-illness#1
Mental Disorder Symptoms: https://www.mentalhelp.net/symptoms/
Alphabetical Index of Disorders: https://allpsych.com/disorders/alphaindex/
List of Mental Health Disorders: https://www.healthyplace.com/other-info/psychiatric-disorder-definitions/adult-symptoms-of-mental-health-disorders/
List of Mental Disorders: https://www.healthyplace.com/other-info/mental-illness-overview/list-of-mental-illnesses/
Mental Health: http://mentalhealth.com/p20-grp.html
Mental Health Conditions: https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions
Common Mental Disorders: http://ourhealthyminds.com/family-handbook/appendix-common-mental-illnesses.html
Psychological Disorders List: http://www.psychone.net/psychological-disorders-list.php
Mental Disorders: http://teenmentalhealth.org/learn/mental-disorders/
List of Mental Disorders and Conditions: http://www.psy-ed.com/wpblog/mental-disorders/
Warning Signs of Mental Illness: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/warning-signs-of-mental-illness
Types of Mental Health Problems: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/
I’m Not a Monster – Schizophrenia: [link]
TedTalks Has Many Videos on Mental Health, Bullying, Suicide, and Other Educational Talks. This is their Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/TEDxTalks/featured
Multiple Personality Disorder Documentary (video): [link]
20 Diverse Tactics Abusive People Use to Silence You: http://thoughtcatalog.com/shahida-arabi/2016/06/20-diversion-tactics-highly-manipulative-narcissists-sociopaths-and-psychopaths-use-to-silence-you/
Girls Abusing Boyfriends: http://www.boredpanda.com/girls-stop-abuse-boyfriends/
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