CNN warns against video games as a 'virtual boot camp' for possible mass shooters

As Twitchy reported earlier, President Trump seemed receptive to a lot of suggestions at a bipartisan meeting on school safety, including Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s concerns about violent content in video games and movies — triggering flashbacks to Tipper Gore for some of us older folks.

Still, Trump is scheduled to meet with video game industry executives this week to talk about … something — maybe another rating system to tack on to the existing rating system?

Now CNN is jumping on the bandwagon with an opinion piece by Jeremy Bailenson, a professor in the department of communication at Stanford. Bailenson sees violent games as a “virtual boot camp” to train possible mass shooters — at least he’s not blaming the NRA for training Nikolas Cruz by helping fund JROTC programs.

If a possible mass shooter wants to hone his craft, don't hand him a virtual boot camp | via @CNNopinion https://t.co/1Lbl04ubcc pic.twitter.com/DznOMpghri

— CNN (@CNN) March 5, 2018

Bailenson notes that “there is at least one documented case of a killer using a first-person shooter game to improve his combat skills,” and that was Norwegian shooter Anders Breivik in 2012 — not Nikolas Cruz.

To be fair, Bailenson’s specialty is virtual reality, so he wants to make sure virtual reality games don’t become training grounds for mass shooters. He even has three suggestions. Are you sitting down?

First, let’s change the physics of bullets. Think about a Frisbee. In order to hit a target straight ahead, one needs to arc it to one side, to account for its return swing. If virtual reality bullets also traveled with a slight curve, then virtual shooters would always be pointing away from a target in order to eventually hit it. This learned side-aiming would likely carry over to the real world, and people would have trouble hitting a target straight ahead.

I grew up in the military.

I spent weekends at the gun range starting at age 10.

I know how to make my own ammo.

I know how to disassemble and reassemble firearms.

I play video games daily since age 18.

I haven't killed anyone.

I could.

But I won't, I have no desire to. https://t.co/OrQr0OX3GD

— Kole (@Isa_Kole) March 5, 2018

Not only is this argument outdated, but the thumbnail is too https://t.co/NhB9P4aeAV

— Soul Kiwami @ Pokemon Sword/Atelier Ryza (@soul_societyy) March 5, 2018

Fun fact: Tom Brady perfected his craft by playing Madden alone for hours on end. He actually never touched a football until his first Superbowl! https://t.co/t9K33i7ME7

— The First Member of the DK Crew (@WillardFilmore) March 5, 2018

https://twitter.com/RoonMian/status/970766851063144448

And this is why new sites needs to curate their opinion sections a lot more. https://t.co/xXsUgivLJb

— Drift0r (@Drift0r) March 5, 2018

Hey, can we collectively figure out how to get @CNN and other news outlets to stop posting b.s. like this and have actual research and industry experts instead of ridiculous scapegoating? https://t.co/YXsAkUMgny

— Uncertain Sound ?? (@UncertainSound) March 5, 2018

Related:

Targeting video games has put Trump on the expressway to Brandon Morse's bad side https://t.co/Vm39ta9jzV

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 2, 2018