I was watching CNN this morning(at about 2 A.M.) and I was informed(by CNN) of a man being stabbed in New York City and no one stopping to help him. This was caught on a video camera. The guy collapsed within the camera's sight and everyone who walked by him didn't seem to care(and they saw him). One guy stopped pulled out his cellphone, took a picture of the dying man, and walked away. Then, a psychiatrist explained what he thought about this on CNN. He claimed popular culture(movies, specifically mentioned video games) has so much violence in it that people are becoming desensitized and more accepting of violence. Even with such an explanation, I still can't believe no one stopped to help him. No one called 911, and when someone finally arrived to the area(I believe CNN mentioned him being found and taken to a hospital by firefighters, but I can't remember for sure), he was dead. Can popular culture really have anything to do this, are people just selfish morons sometimes, or is it both? Are video games having this effect on people, or is that just some more "blame it on video games" talk? What are your thoughts about this?

P.S. I'm never living in New York City if people there are that unfriendly. Are they?

Since this sounds like the article of topic in a recent thread, I'll touch on the NYC part.

It's a come as it goes thing with NYC. You can find every one to basically just about be called your enemy, or they'll bend over backwards to help a fellow New Yawker. Though from most of my ventures into NYC, it's the traffic that svcks the most. My main gripe with the people is that sometimes it's like they're playing frogger or something.

I think there is already a thread about this in the CD.

The same thing is being discussed here http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1089614-the-bystander-effect/

Any who, I'd say the psychiatrist is a crock. Bystander Effect has nothing to do with being desensitized, nor violent media. People are idiots, and try not to have attention drawn to them. This is nothing new, and the psychiatrist is just trying make a scape goat, because it's a hell of a lot more easy to blame GTA than humanity.

Yes.

Usually.

Oops, I didn't see the other thread. Sorry about that. I'll just go resurrect that one and report this one.