French President Macron Blames Video Game Influence for Spurring Rioters

President Emmanuel Macron of France is attributing the current unrest in the country to the impact of social media and video games. These remarks follow a three-night period of riots in Paris, triggered by the fatal shooting of a teenager by the police.

The incident that sparked the unrest took place in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, where a 17-year-old named Nahel M. was shot and killed by a police officer. According to reports, the teenager had attempted to flee from a traffic stop, leading to the officer firing into the car, resulting in his death. Nahel's tragic demise caused widespread anger and further intensified demands for increased police accountability. His mother also claimed that her son, who had Algerian heritage, was a victim of racial prejudice. As a result, residents of Nanterre took to the streets in protest, leading to several violent clashes with the police. The officer responsible for shooting Nahel is currently under investigation for voluntary homicide.

French President Macron urged parents to ensure that their teenagers remain at home during the protests. Macron primarily attributed the demonstrations to the influence of social media, while also asserting that video games played a role in inciting violence and vandalization. "We often get the impression that some of them are reenacting, in the streets, the video games that have deeply affected them," Macron commented on the actions of the rioters. He further emphasized that the majority of protesters were quite young, and it was the responsibility of their parents to ensure they stayed home during this period of unrest.

Claims of video games promoting real-life violence are not new, dating back to the 1970s. However, despite extensive public discussion, there is no scientific evidence to support the notion that violence in video games leads to real-world violence. Nevertheless, video games have often been unfairly blamed for violent crimes. In a surprising turn of events, last year Texas Senator Ted Cruz attributed mass shootings to video games.

These comments from Macron are particularly unexpected. Previously, the French President had shown support for the gaming and esports industries in his country. In fact, he promoted France as the leading destination for video games and recognized gaming as a crucial part of the country's cultural influence and soft power. There is no indication that Macron will propose any new gaming policies in response to the riots.

However, social media does not share the same sentiment, according to Macron, who believes it plays a significant part in promoting violence. In particular, he singled out Snapchat and the controversial video-sharing app TikTok, stating that they are being utilized to organize unrest and inspire imitative acts of violence through the dissemination of sensational protest images.

In light of this, Macron declared that the French government will collaborate with social media companies to eliminate "sensitive content." Furthermore, he expressed that authorities would request social networks to disclose the identities of individuals who employ them to encourage violence. However, Macron did not specify the specific content he wished to be removed.

Source: AP News