Did DOOM Cause The Columbine Massacre?
By Nolan Bradford
On April 20th. 1999, one of the worst high school shootings in American history occurred. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, two senior students, killed 13 people (as well as themselves at the end) and injured 24 others. At the time of the massacre, there was no known cause of the shooting. So, the media decided to look into what their interests were. They found that both Harris and Klebold were fans of Wolfenstein 3D, Doom and Duke Nukem.
Many people who have explored the factors of Columbine High School Massacre have decided that DOOM was a factor in it. This, however, is untrue -- at least, DOOM had little effect in it. It was underlying illnesses and actions by other students that caused it.
DOOM is a game released in 1993 in which players go around, killing numerous demons and getting from Point A to Point B. Eric and Dylan had both been fans of the game, supposedly saying a shotgun was “straight out of DOOM” in a video recorded some time before the massacre. Some argue that Dylan or Eric had made a custom level modeled after Columbine High School, yet this is simply false.
There were numerous actual causes of the Columbine High School Massacre, and not a single one was DOOM, such as:
- Bullying - they had both been subject to bullying for all four years of their high school life
- Mental Disorders
- Eric Harris was a clinical psychopath -- he had a messianic-level superiority complex”
- Dylan Klebold had depression -- he only went along with the massacre because he was already planning on ending his life
DOOM is not nearly realistic enough to be a reasonable cause of the Columbine High School Massacre -- you go around with a gun sticking out of the middle of the screen. You point and you click. If one was to consider DOOM to be realistic enough to be a cause of a school shooting, then Pong is realistic enough to make you amazing at ping pong.
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ReplyDeleteit looks good the opening is a little dark but it looks good
ReplyDeleteI believe that Doom was not a factor of the columbine massacre because I think video games don't lead to violence and other causes are way more likely things like depression and bullying were most likely the reasons that led to this terrible event.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nolan in that DOOM may have been an underlying factor, but the real reason the massacre was caused, were the mental illnesses and bullying they were subject to.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with this blog because video games should not make someone want to commit a mass murder.
ReplyDeleteI disagree 2ith this because even if the game is not realistic that doesn't mean it doesn't teach violent things.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good view point on the situation. I never knew that they said the shotgun was out of doom. There are many articles that say shooting games influence violent attacks so this would go to support it.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the improbability of a video game to be such a large factor in a school shooting case. It is interesting that people even turn to things such a video games to justify deadly actions, instead of looking at mental illness or bullying. Although they most likely do this to keep the school's reputation of a bully-free zone and most don't take mental illness as serious as it should be.
ReplyDeleteI think this game causes violence because of the kilings
ReplyDeleteNo, it was because Eric Harris was a psychopath and had a superiority complex, and Dylan Klebold was simply suicidal and friends with Harris; he was going to kill himself anyways so the thought process was "why not do it and get revenge? I'm going to kill myself anyways".
Deletei dont think video games cause violence...i play violent video games, but i dont want to act out violently or commit acts of violence.
ReplyDeleteVideo games have been proven to change the mood of people but to say it makes people want to kill is a little excessive. The disorders are what caused it, not peoples´ fear of technology.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this point I don't think video games in general influence violence I believe that other factors such as what is wrong with the individual influence their behavior more than anything along with the violence and hatred portrayed in all media not just video games. Therefor, I agree that you can't simply trace these killings back to one video game that they played.
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