Shameful: NY Daily News Tries Linking 9-year-old's Death to Video Games

[modeps]

Gamepolitics (http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/04/16/report-9-year-old-dies-fatal-imitation-smackdown-vs-raw) has a tragic story from the New York Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2009/04/15/2009-04-15_a_9yearold_wrestling_fan_jumped_off_his_brookly n_apartment_roof_wearing_a_homema.html) today regarding a 9 year old boy who died while allegedly imitating a stunt by Jeff Hardy from the wrestling video game, Smackdown vs Raw 2009.

They have shamefully latched onto a quote by his friend who, while not actually seeing the boy jump off the building, stated that he was trying to imitate a video game. Problem is that he had a makeshift parachute on, and last I checked, Jeff Hardy doesn't use a parachute... nor does he jump off the roof of buildings with them.

A 9-year-old wrestling fan jumped off his Brooklyn apartment roof wearing a homemade parachute in a fatal imitation of his favorite video game character, friends said.

The broken body of Damori Miles was found on the ground outside the Albany Houses about 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Wrapped around his body was the string and plastic bag he used for the parachute, police sources said. The boy died at Interfaith Medical Center an hour later.

"It's terrible. The kids try to imitate what they see and they think they can fly," said family friend Sumore Murrel, 29.

Wrestling video games were based on... oh, I don't know... televised wrestling. To hell with the NY Daily News for trying to draw this conclusion and the veritable firestorm that'll come from it.

[pwnophobia]

To be fair it's not just the NY Times which links it to the video game. Fox news did too.

[Rommel]

Aww crap. I'll go tell the wrestling people...

[modeps]

To be fair it's not just the NY Times which links it to the video game. Fox news did too.

Alright, so Fox News should go fuck themselves too. (oh, and its the Daily News, not Times)

[Rommel]

P.S. - Daily News is not the NY Times.

[Sammael]

So can we make a video game where reporters fuck themselves with their own microphones?

Will they do that after seeing it in a video game too?

We can only hope.

Too bad for that kid though. Everyone always wants to do something like that when they are a kid... Maybe he was reading Calvin and Hobbes?

[Ulysses]

Eh, I'm not finding this shameful or outraged at this.

[Mr.Green]

Eh, I'm not finding this shameful or outraged at this.

Me neither. But generally speaking, gamers are a defensive bunch when it comes to their hobby.

[morose]

It's stupid reporting, but what's new there? "Kid jumps to death trying makeshift parachute" just doesn't make headlines like "Kid jumps to death imitating video game" apparently. Oh, also? This kid was in special ed and was left unsupervised to go over to a friends house. Just sayin'...

[Darcydian]

I for one jumped off my roof (one story house) as a child trying to float down using a large umbrella. God damn that Merry Poppins.

[yutt]

@morose

If we went around blaming irresponsible adults we couldn't have scapegoats. And then what would the world be like? Chaos!

[lost]

What sort of fact checking department does this paper have? They didn't even Google Jeff Hardy or WWE to find out it existed in the real world? Crazy.

Regardless I don't think the public is generally that interested in 'videogame are evil' articles anymore. We can probably thank Nintendo for that.

[Pajawa]

Parenting and safety protocols are the issue. How did a 9-year-old Special Ed kid get roof access? The building's definitely at fault here, as are the parents.

[Ravenus]

Ummm, well, I might be the devil, but this is Darwin's survival of the fittest in action. If at 9 years old, you are so retarded because your parents didn't teach you the physics of the world, or I don't know you didn't notice a plastic bag full of air doesn't pull you one way or another, then.... Hmmm... I'd blame the parents for bad teaching and genetics.

And, I also jumped off my 1 story roof as a kid, but I also made sure I had two mattresses to land on. Not concrete and my head.

And on top of all this, how many books are there out there that are much more imaginative, or detailed? But you don't see morons trying to jump through a mirror because it's a looking glass. Or taking a toy dragon and riding it off the roof...

I mean, why don't we just outlaw the human imagination because some people obviously can't handle having other people's thoughts in their heads!

[Ravenus]

Ok, well, I didn't read that he actually was a Special Ed kid, so I do feel bad for him, because his parents suck. but, this also applies to many other kids that are not mentally impaired and do equally retarded things that they blame on TV and video games.

[drakkarim]

love it, of course this didn't have anything to do with the real life actors (as opposed to the video game that imitates the imitators) who like to fly around the rings as if they're tooth fairies, nope, those roid snorting downlow teabaggers are all right.

[ZMoe]

I for one jumped off my roof (one story house) as a child trying to float down using a large umbrella. God damn that Merry Poppins.

I did the same, maybe we should start a class action lawsuit against Disney.

[MusicToEat]

This obviously the fault of the government not making parachutes more readily available. How many school kids have to jump to their deaths before we realize as a nation that our kids are gonna jump off our roofs no matter what we do, and they need the proper equipment! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

[RevGored]

If at 9 years old, you are so retarded

I believe it states directly in the story that he had a disability.

So...

I think the story is sensationalist trash as well, but maybe you should try reading more than the headline.

[TeeCakes]

I've been trying unsuccessfully to activate the cheat code in my copy of Smackdown vs RAW where Jeff Hardy puts on a plastic parachute and yells "Gravity is my bitch!!" before leaping off a dozen-story building that inexplicably appears in the middle of the ring. I need to know what button combination this 9-year-old kid used to unlock that "special" (:D) mode.

[Zecon]

I've been trying unsuccessfully to activate the cheat code in my copy of Smackdown vs RAW where Jeff Hardy puts on a plastic parachute and yells "Gravity is my bitch!!" before leaping off a dozen-story building that inexplicably appears in the middle of the ring. I need to know what button combination this 9-year-old kid used to unlock that "special" (:D) mode.

Goddamn that was funny.

[Bushido]

Owen James Hart (May 7, 1965 – May 23, 1999)

[OmegaVader]

who the hell let's a nine year old on the roof of a building anyway.

[TeeCakes]

Owen James Hart (May 7, 1965 – May 23, 1999)

That's a good point. The WWE has specifically stopped doing those 'bungie jump' stunts that Owen Hart, Shawn "the Heartbreak Kid" Michaels, and others did ever since Hart fell to his death at a live PPV. So to try to link this kid's death to pro-wrestling and video games is such a blatant case of scapegoating it's almost funny.

[Johan]

I don't care who gets blamed; it's unfortunate, and as a parent, I can only imagine how bad the kid's parents feel.

[JazGalaxy]

I think it's utterly disgusting how quickly gamers jump to the defense of videogames. VIDEOGAMES of all things. As though they were a member of the family or something.

With literally millions of people of all ages playing videogames for hours and hours every single day, you REALLY think that no one EVER no matter what the age is going to immitate something they see in a videogame?

Seriously?

A kid dressed up in a powerrangers costume in britain and tried to attack a robber who was robbing his house. He SAID he was a power ranger. He couldn't distinguise reality for fantasy. Are you going to say that's a shameful attack against the power rangers? And, seriously, he's a kid! That's what kids do! Are you saying it's not?

Kids try to immitate what they see. ANyone who works with kids knows this is fact. The idea that they would at some point emulate videogames is not just theory, it's practicaly inevitable.

The idea that people would suspend their brains to defend a hobby like videogames makes me ill.

[Nate Graves]

And on top of all this, how many books are there out there that are much more imaginative, or detailed? But you don't see morons trying to jump through a mirror because it's a looking glass. Or taking a toy dragon and riding it off the roof...

I mean, why don't we just outlaw the human imagination because some people obviously can't handle having other people's thoughts in their heads!

I have never seen the issue so well put as this. Bravo, Ravenus.

Kudos also to whoever mentioned Calvin and Hobbes first, I had the same thought reading the story. Even if you're not retarded, kids do dumb shit.

Adults do too, but that's more natural selection than parenting.

[Johan]

The idea that people would suspend their brains to defend a hobby like videogames makes me ill.

There's a lot to be ill about here and elsewhere, then. I agree with you.

[Nate Graves]

There's a lot to be ill about here and elsewhere, then. I agree with you.

Says the man with an obscenely high post count, willing to argue with almost anyone and everyone you can about all manner of inane shit.

On the internet.

Johan, I love you, but you're a god damn liar. :P

[Johan]

Johan, I love you, but you're a god damn liar. :P

About agreeing with this?

I think it's utterly disgusting how quickly gamers jump to the defense of videogames. VIDEOGAMES of all things. As though they were a member of the family or something.

I agree with him wholeheartedly. I don't defend video games from the accusation that they have an effect upon children. That's a reality.

I never said I didn't like arguing. I LOVE that. Thanks for playing! :D

[yutt]

I don't care who gets blamed...
In other words: You don't care about determining the cause of this child's death, thereby having a more clear understanding of how to prevent situations like this in the future. If you really cared at all, and thought this child's life was of any value, you would care who gets blamed. You'd care very deeply, because only by knowing the problem can we find a solution.

But if you want to continue with your little charade of being too emotionally connected to the event to discuss it in rational terms, feel free. Every time a child dies it's best to ignore the cause and just say, "Oh jeez, that is tragic! Let us not quibble over what happened. Instead we must state shallow, generic condolences on the Internet instead!"

I don't defend video games from the accusation that they have an effect upon children. That's a reality.Except it wasn't reality in this specific situation, the child's death was clearly due to severe neglect , so you're just baiting, as you tend to do.

Gamers aren't quick to jump in defense of video games, they're quick to sort bullshit headline grabbing emotional propaganda from legitimate problems.

If a developmentally challenged 9 year old shouldn't be playing the games he was, then his goddamn parents shouldn't have let him. Further, maybe they could be aware enough of the actions of their special needs child to notice he was preparing to jump off a building.

[Ravenus]

I think it's utterly disgusting how quickly gamers jump to the defense of videogames. VIDEOGAMES of all things. As though they were a member of the family or something.

You'd think after 1000 posts or so you'd realize YOU ARE POSTING ON A GAMER'S SITE!!! So, of course, gamers are going to come to the defense of their hobby, because there are retards who think that just because you pretend to do something suddenly reprograms your brain into STUPID.

It's complete non-sense to say that games make people do things. Sure, they give people ideas, just like movies do, adults talking do, watching TV does, for fuck's sake, basically anything that you physically see, hear or read does. The point is, if your parenting skills are so bad that you raised complete idiots, or you, yourself, is so stupid that you are going to do one of these retarded things, well then, I'm sorry but you are a MORON and will be judged by the laws of physics.

And is it shameful that kids get hurt because they are still to stupid to know better? Yes, it is. But, how bout we take a good long minute to look in the mirror and blame the idiot that raised the stupid kid, instead of everyone else for giving someone an idea!! I mean, SERIOUSLY....

[Primus]

Me neither. But generally speaking, gamers are a defensive bunch when it comes to their hobby.

Seriously. I am all about gaming but I do see how videogames, TV, movies, and music can be impressionable on young people. The gaming community just seems to completely disregard any negative association to their hobby, which I feel is irresponsible. Good parenting should be a focus, but there are other factors as well.

[modeps]

Seriously. I am all about gaming but I do see how videogames, TV, movies, and music can be impressionable on young people. The gaming community just seems to completely disregard any negative association to their hobby, which I feel is irresponsible. Good parenting should be a focus, but there are other factors as well.

The issue here is not that media can influence minds, the issue here is that the Daily News is trying to create a connection between video games and this death when there is none.

[Primus]

The issue here is not that media can influence minds, the issue here is that the Daily News is trying to create a connection between video games and this death when there is none.

Actually the kid's friend made the connection, which says a lot, as I doubt a 9 year old has any sort of agenda.

[Johan]

In other words: You don't care about determining the cause of this child's death

No, I don't. Unless you're hopping on a plane to fly out there and figure this thing out, you don't either, so the soap box can go on your head, not under your feet. :rolleyes:

If a developmentally challenged 9 year old shouldn't be playing the games he was, then his goddamn parents shouldn't have let him.

Thank you, Captain Obvious. Now, get out there, find out what happened, and right whatever went wrong. :rolleyes:

Edit: Don't get on a plane. Buy a car from Detroit and drive. It'll help your local economy. Get back to us on what you find out, since you care.

[JazGalaxy]

You'd think after 1000 posts or so you'd realize YOU ARE POSTING ON A GAMER'S SITE!!! So, of course, gamers are going to come to the defense of their hobby, because there are retards who think that just because you pretend to do something suddenly reprograms your brain into STUPID.

It's complete non-sense to say that games make people do things. Sure, they give people ideas, just like movies do, adults talking do, watching TV does, for fuck's sake, basically anything that you physically see, hear or read does. The point is, if your parenting skills are so bad that you raised complete idiots, or you, yourself, is so stupid that you are going to do one of these retarded things, well then, I'm sorry but you are a MORON and will be judged by the laws of physics.

And is it shameful that kids get hurt because they are still to stupid to know better? Yes, it is. But, how bout we take a good long minute to look in the mirror and blame the idiot that raised the stupid kid, instead of everyone else for giving someone an idea!! I mean, SERIOUSLY....

This is exactly myp oint though. YOu're reading much into the article that isn't there.

As was just written by another poster, the paper isn't claiming anything, the kids friend did. ANd moreover, nobody is suggesting that the kid played the game and then his eyes glazed over and he dove off a cliff like some monster movie.

To defend against that is a knee-jerk reaction to something that isn't there which makes gamers seem like paranoid idiots.

[Froggy]

Natural Selection.