Facebook Allows Parents And Gamers To Debate Violence For The First Time

Is it 1993? Because on a recent episode of Katie Couric’s talk show, the once mighty journalist made a baffling, one-sided argument tying violent crime to video games. I fully expected a Mortal Kombat or Doom reference to pop up. No, it’s 2013 and these times allow concerned parents, who are naive about the operation of video games and probably still need three more friends to help them out in FarmVille, to discuss the issue in the same forum as agitated video game players who are frustrated that media like this still exists. It’s weird and amazing.

All of this is made possible not just technically by Facebook, but because Facebook, period. When issues like this popped up in the past, angry gamers often raced to their own forums and outlets to preach to their choir and shout at angry parents while those angry parents watched and attended those talk shows, preaching to their own choirs. Because of Facebook’s massive size and utility, both groups are now on the same page, as the comments to this particular episode of Katie reveal. It’s more naivety, hearsay and conjecture on the part of the spoon-fed Katie watchers versus the fact of the oft-refuting gamer than an intellectual debate, but to see these disparate corners of the internet tie in together reveal how much smaller this world is getting.

Now, if only Katie would just get cancelled.