The Today Show has been a staple on Australian TV’s for over 30 years and is a national icon when it comes to morning breakfast shows, but it has not been without its controversial thoughts when it comes to video games, now it is setting its sights on Apex Legends.
The Today Show recently posted a request on their Facebook account asking parents if their children had played the recently released battle royale videogame Apex Legends, and the comments are both serious in nature and making fun of the topic.
Whilst many people are commenting that their kids are now “drug addicts” or “has led to us losing our house” in a joking manner, there are some parents out there that truly do believe that videogames like Apex Legends create violent children and have nothing but a negative effect on their young minds. Many parents feel their children have become addicted to online video games and it needs to be stopped.
The Today Show conducted a similar investigation into video games back when Fortnite was becoming the global sensation it is today, claiming that the game would turn children into addicts and was leading them down a very violent path, you can watch the video here.
It has long been thought by a large number of people that violent videogames create and breed violent children into violent adults, but there have also been many studies done on this topic, each with varying outcomes, such as this study by Science Daily that found there was no effect on peoples minds.
There will always be two sides to every coin, and in this case, there will always be people who believe video games with violence are completely negative, whilst others are aware that moderation is key like with any other form of entertainment and do not see any harm in children playing games like Apex Legends with correct supervision.
Channel 7 news is also reporting on Apex Legends and is set to air a segment tonight surrounding the effects of the game on Children stating that it is “more addictive than Fortnite”, with “hidden costs”. You can see the short ad below.
This topic will always be a fine line, but I have personally played videogames all my life, ever since I could walk and would like to think I am a normal functioning member of society with a normal job, normal friends and family, and I certainly do not moonlight as Jack the Ripper. I can safely say that my long gaming sessions playing Doom and COD have had no negative effect on me whatsoever whilst growing up, but in saying that, each individual person is different, and there are many factors that affect a child’s mind.
What are your thoughts on these kinds of discussions around videogames? Do you feel that games like Fortnite and Apex Legends are going to severely impact the youth of today? Let us know in the comments below.
About the Author
Justin White
He/Him
Justin is known for being the clown of any group and has spent his entire life playing and collecting video games. When he is not playing video games he is usually hanging out with his two American Staffies named Django and King (after Django Unchained characters) or his son Shia (yes, after Shia Labeouf).
