ekblaw@uiucdcs.Uiuc.ARPA (09/19/85)
I too watched the D&D segment on 60 Minutes. I am an avid D&D player, but I
do not suffer from an obsession by any means! The reason I am writing, though,
is to clarify matters; perhaps better than anybody else can. You see, I once
wrote a research paper on teenage suicide. Thus, I havee facts, figures, and
input on both sides of this controversy. First, the information about teenage
suicide. This information is abridged from my research paper, so if you want
to reproduce it (or see the entire paper), you must write to me and get
permission.
Teenage Suicide
---------------
Teenage suicide is a wide-scale problem. Five years ago, the national
average of suicides in the 12-21 age group was 4850. Now it is over 5200.
Many people have tried to find ways to prevent teenage suicide. Though most of
those attempts have ended in failure, we can determine a major cause --
depression.
Depression is a common problem in youths going through puberty. There
are new changees and situations to face, and sometimes slight problems can
bring about massivee bouts of depression. This depression can be caused
by low social standing, a feeling of alienation, problems at home, in school,
or at work, etc. Usually, for fits of depression deep enough to cause
suicidal tendencies, there are a number of causes, rather than just one or
two.
Symptoms of this form of depression include a sudden loss of apetite,
introversion, laziness, and periods of quiet 'meditation'. This depression
rarely occurs suddenly, instead building over a period of time. This makes it
difficult to notice, and thus difficult to treat.
A common misconception of suicidal people is that they are mental
disturbed. This is quite incorrect! Depression, the most common cause of
teenage suicide, is a ppurely emotional state. And though emotional disturbd
people run a greater risk of depression, all suicidal people are not emotionally
disturbed, either.
{end transcript}
Armed with these facts, let's analyze a few more:
FACT 1: The 60 Minutes report stated that only twenty-eight (28) suicides in
the last five years could be connected to teenage suicide.
FACT 2: TSR, Inc. latest sales figures estimate that over two million youths
play Dungeons & Dragons.
FACT 3: Over 75% of all teenage suicides are caused by guns.
FACT 4: D&D is a game DEVOID of any gun and powder weapons.
Now, what can said when we combine all this?
Depression is a major cause of teenage suicide. It is relatively unnoticed,
and it is inorganic, so professional people like police and coroners would
havee no evidence to place the cause of the suicide on.
There are over two million people playing D&D. In the last fiv years, only
twenty-eight out of 26,000 suicides have been connected with D&D. That
makes .01% of all suicides and only .0001% of all D&D players having a D&D
connected death. Plus, using the nation average of 75% gun-deaths, only
seven of the twenty-eight people could have died in D&D-like situations.
That lowers our percentages to .0025% of all suicides and .000025% of all
D&D players! This is a very low percentage for people to screaming that
there is cause to ban the game as a potential danger. If I based any
conclusions on calculations like that, I'd be thrown out of the University!
Obviously, these people aree raising a big ruckus about practically nothing.
In fact, the percentages are too low to ever consider. Yet, considering it
is something a few netters have done recently. Skip it, people! If the
people complaining about the game had any brains in their heads, they would
see that there is nothing to complain about. And, since they don't have a
brain cell in their heads, there is no way you will be able to convince them
that they are wrong. Therefore, just let them rant! Nobody will really
believee them, and they'll run out of air soon.
Robert A. Ekblaw, ekblaw@uiucdcsekblaw@uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU (09/23/85)
The statistics you wish to see are in my report (at least, I thought they were. Did I leave something out?). What I think you mean is to compare the actual number of suicides committed by D&D players to the national average, not just comparing those deeaths believed D&D related. Hmm, that is an interesting thought. However, getting suicide statistics like that from all over the country may be difficult. How about it, netters? Is it a good idea? Using netters from all across the country, we might be able to do it. What do you think? Is it worth pursuing? Curiously yours, Robert A. Ekblaw, ekblaw@Uiuc.ARPA ihnp4!uiucdcs!ekblaw
oleg@birtch.UUCP (Oleg Kiselev x258) (09/27/85)
As a dedicated FRP and SF-RP gamer I totally agree -- we should assemble a statistical study of the suicides in gaming and non-gaming societies. (Wanted to do it myself for a few years now ....) But then how about differentiating the gamers into categories by games they play most and see what comes up : unreasonably silly games like Toon; silly games like T&T ( and AD&D!); bizzare, like EPT; "realistic" fantasy like C&S ( and RuneQuest, DragonQuest, etc.) horror ( Call of Cthulu (sp?)); commics ( V&V,Champions,etc); Sci-fi (Traveller, Ring World, etc); etc. After all, don't we all want to know how many V&V players jump off the roof because they can't face the fact that they DON'T have power-blast and 18 points of invulnerability? ( I actually know a person who ALMOST did just that....)
days@glasgow.glasgow.UUCP (Judge Dredd) (10/03/85)
I must say that unless this conversation ceases quickly I'll be looking at the sleeping pill bottle in a new light :-) Seriously folk's, The USA is choc-a-bloc full of weirdo's of various types, it comes as no surprise to me that there is a movement that thinks D&D (TM) is the work of the devil, after all I saw the film (??) Mazes & Monsters, I ate the Bulette-Burger (TM). Why is it that there is all this surprised sounding mail wending it's way across the water ?. SwD. PS Is (TM) a (TM) ?? -- Stephen Day, Comp Sci Dept, University of Glasgow, Scotland seismo!mcvax!ukc!glasgow!days If time were like a treacle bun, I would enjoy it so, But now it seems it's on the run, I'd really better go.