Child kills father over Playstation

[Esper]

To be fair though, take someone from 20 years ago and ask them to read where they're going using the stars. It was a common method of navigation a long time ago, but even given all the tools, adults nowadays probably wouldn't be able to do it without a lot of coaching. Is that a bad thing? Is it as bad as not being able to read a paper map without help?

I'm not so sure that would even be true though, because Google Maps uses directions as well, and it looks a lot like a paper map. It would be a pain, yeah, but I don't think anyone would be unable to figure it out. What's the difference?

And before that people knew how to track animals and locate edible plants, etc. etc. I understand you point: things change and skill sets change with them. I'm just saying that there are a growing number of people whose abilities are highly dependent on instant-gratification type technologies and (I presume) aren't learning how to put in a greater effort on things. Think about students trying to learn about something like economics who can just use Wikipedia and google and end up with a very brief, topical understanding to it. Not saying that technology itself is to blame because it can be very useful, but it makes it easier to become complacent or distracted and I think it reinforces people having lower attention spans.

 

[Oryx]

Reminds me of the study that came to the conclusion that when you know you have something on a computer, instead of remembering the fact itself, you remember where to find it:

"Our brains rely on the Internet for memory in much the same way they rely on the memory of a friend, family member or co-worker," said lead researcher Betsy Sparrow, according to a university press release. "We remember less through knowing information itself than by knowing where the information can be found."

 

[Yoshikko]

I DETEST STORIES WROTE LIKE THIS!

You take the console out of the picture, it would have happened with something else. This child CLEARLY has something mentally wrong with him to murder someone over an object. It isn't because his Playstation wasn't bought for him so he can't live without it so he will kill someone. He has something wrong with him, end off.​

See, no, this is another thing the article portrays which I don't agree with. Children do not know the consequences of their actions, especially not if they do something to get something they want, like Toujours said. The only connection they can place is action - reaction, not consequence. They know that if they do X they get Y, not that Z might happen, if that makes sense. It's the father's fault for placing a GUN next to his kid (wtf??), the child just grabbed whatever was in his reach to express his anger with, which could have been something completely harmless as well, like I said earlier. Judging from this, the kid just functions like any normal 4 year old.
Like really a 4 year old does not KILL someone intentionally, they don't nearly have enough understanding to do that.

 

[Atomic Pirate]

This isn't a good situation, but I have to say that it is the parents' fault that this happened. The gun was obviously not very hard for the child to get to, and having a gun so easy for a child to access is bad parenting. There's really no reason to go all Jack Thompson on this situation and blame the games, when poor parenting is the obvious culprit.

 

[Shanghai Alice]

How the heck can a 4 year old even handle a gun? Doesn't it break its arms with that sort of recoil? I mean we're talking about a 4 year old here; it hardly knows how to spell simple words.

I could pull the trigger on a shotgun and get knocked off my feet. Still doesn't stop the blast from killing the target.


@Razor Leaf: Admittedly, after getting a more accurate article, the word "crazy" wasn't exactly the most accurate.

Still, my point stands, though. Accidents due to carelessness, circumstance, or mental illnesses have occurred since the dawn of time. Video games mean nothing.

 

[IanDonyer]

Sounds to me like a case of a bratty child who simply didn't get his way and saw an opportunity to make his father pay because of it, and took it. I don't see what it has to do with any technological addiction.

 

[kuzronk]

I read that in mX (newspaper) i got on Tuesday
It's crazy that a 4 year old killed his dad because a 4 kid old didn't have a PS3 which doesn't have much child friendly games on it

 

[garjora]

Ah the new generations get worse each passing day, i'm not surprised to see something like this.

 

[Honest]

...wow, I feel so bad for playing my PS3 just moments ago.

I'm certainly saddened to hear such news. But this is too much, a 4 year old? Over a Playstaion? I don't think people are becoming addicted to video games more, I think society as a whole is being high tech, and I guess a few people just crave being in 'modern' time.


I hope the boy is okay, seeing as he's only 4. It's so sad.

 

[doesn't matter]

"Irresponsible father leaves gun lying around house; gets shot due to his own carelessness."

 

[Sydian]

^ Essentially that. I don't think this has anything to do with the PlayStation. If they went out shopping or whatever and the kid asked for it, and didn't get it, he was probably mad at the time, but I don't believe 4 year old is even going to remember that happened after a while. 4 year olds aren't known for fantastic attention spans. This is just a case of careless placement of a deadly object. Bad on the father's part for not the PlayStation, but for placing his gun next to his child.

 

[Legobricks]

How the heck can a 4 year old even handle a gun? Doesn't it break its arms with that sort of recoil? I mean we're talking about a 4 year old here; it hardly knows how to spell simple words.

Once a shot is fired, the user's subsequent reaction has little effect its trajectory at the short range this child fired from... whom may well have missed, but then we never would've heard of this event — think how often things like this may happen where nobody ends up profoundly harmed.

 

[ZStyleNanami]

I am more worried about the fact the gun was able to be reached by the kid. If your going to have a gun make sure the kid can't get it.

 

[Mr. X]

True that.

Could have all been prevented had the father taken the time, or rather, cared enough to properly secure the gun.

 

[ben cousins]

it's the parents responsibility to raise their children, not technology. think of the children.