Finance24, South
03-30-07
Guns v gamers
A NOVEL new approach to the old cash-for-guns policy was adopted this week in
Mexico City's barrio of Tepito. New mayor Marcelo Ebrard instituted a new policy
whereby a gun-holder can exchange a gun for, wait for it, a brand new computer
or Xbox.
Yes, a high caliber gun (think machine gun) will now legally net you a computer.
This new computer will come with pre-installed software donated by Microsoft.
Those who only have a handgun to exchange will be given an Xbox, likewise
donated.
The organisers say that 100 computers are ready for the first wave of the
program. Each of the computers is worth 8 500 Mexican pesos, approximately
R5 600.
The program, launched this Tuesday, is part of the greater fight against drug
related violence in Mexico City. "This area is a symbol of crime," says police
spokesperson Ricardo Olayo. On the first day Olayo said that 17 guns were
exchanged, including 12 from Tepito residents.
Why isn't South Africa doing this?
There are two thoughts that come to mind when considering this policy, and
specifically it's potential impact on South Africa if implemented here.
The second thought is that such a policy would not get the same donation from
Microsoft. Last month the cabinet adopted the Free and Open Source Software
(FOSS) strategy. All new software developed for or by the government will be
based on open standards and government will itself migrate current software to
FOSS.
Government departments, including the police, will incorporate FOSS in their
planning henceforth.
So don't expect spurned Microsoft to provide gaming platforms for a similar
initiative any time soon.
The first thought of course is that a South African criminal with a gun, in want of
an Xbox, have other ways of getting one.
'Guns don't kill people, gamers do'
This approach may also be counter-productive, if a book released by Iowa State
University's Dr Craig Anderson this week is any ndication. "Violent Video
Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public
Policy" delves into the correlation between violent video games and aggressive
behavior among children. It cites three studies to confirm this link.
One study was conducted via survey on 189 high school students. It found that
those who played more violent video games developed more hostile
personalities, were less forgiving, considered violent behaviour to be normal, and
behaved more aggressively.
Another study was conducted on 430 children in grades three to five. This study
found that children who played violent games more often were aggressive both
physically and verbally later on in the school year.
This remains a controversial topic. Sociologist Karen Sternheimer notes that
while a lot of folks tend to hold video games responsible for the violent youth,
they tend to ignore that as videogame play has skyrocketed, youth violence has
plummeted.
In the ten years since Doom's release - the game often blamed for the infamous
Columbine High School shooting - American juvenile homicide arrest rates fell
77%.
This all goes to show that most probably technology is not the cause or the cure
for society's ills.
Mexico City's experiment, though cool to all us techheads, will probably have to
be substituted for something more meaningful. And until we get a local rampage
of pacman players I doubt we'll convincingly convict games as a cause for a
violent society.