While the definition of the word "promote" is multi-faceted" I believe
the short answer is "Yes, some software can".
Modern video games are software that use sophisticated graphics. Many
create a virtual world where the "player" is in the first person. A
dynamic of events unfold in response to what the "player" does, or
does not.
if it was wasn't marketed as a "game" it might also be called a simulator.
Language shapes the debate.
Consider Grand Theft Auto. It's ultra-violent. Someone who immerses
themselves in that virtual world, perhaps in association with other
risk factors, may imitate in real-world what they are conditioned to
accept in the virtual world.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/04/60minutes/main678261.shtml
http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Feb2005/Editorial.asp
http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/reviews/chi-0210290100oct29,1,4366764.story?coll=chi-technologyreviews-utl
"Each side of the debate points to studies bolstering its point of
view. Professors at Iowa State University, for example, have reviewed
a wide assortment of research in the field, and said it supports the
idea that violent video games lead to aggressive behavior. But video
game backers point to studies by the Australian government and by
Washington State University that find no connections to real-world
violence." |
