There are many well-documented stories of media blaming video games for world’s woes. They blame twin-towers terrorist attack on Microsoft, who trained pilots with their flight simulator software. They blame Doom for shootings at Columbine High School, because game where you openly flaunt weapons helped boys secretively plan their murderous rampage. There is often claimed to be a direct link between American sniper incident and videogames, because target shooting skills of sniper were developed from videogames, and nothing to do with comprehensive rifle training he received from US army. The simple truth is that it takes more than just games to transform ordinary people into murderers. According to tabloids we should currently be inundated by hordes of slavering, violence obsessed gamers. However as this plague has yet to develop maybe we should take what they are saying with a pinch of salt. When a game player unglues him (or her) self from computer monitor and doesn’t find a machine gun lying at their feet, suspension of disbelief is broken. It takes planning and training to carry out acts like these. Saying that violent games turn people into killers is same as saying that people exposed to Islam will become terrorists. There is no more violence in most games than there is in movies, or horror books. In fact even U.S court of appeal wrote, “(the idea that) there is a strong likelihood that minors who play violent videogames will suffer a deleterious effect on their psychological health is simply not supported in record.” In other words, videogames are not cause of violence.

What this really comes down to is parents, and worldview that they impart onto their children. If parents don’t take time to talk to their children explain to them right and wrong, then how will child know what he or she should do? How many parents explain to their child that game is not real; that in real life you can’t do everything you can in game? While violence sells it does not educate, and unfortunately in this day and age ‘upbringing by Playstation’ is becoming a more and more common phenomenon as parents’ time constraints get better of them. All games have a strict rating system in place, called ESBN. This system is designed to prevent games from falling into hands of minors, and yet often when a child is refused a game by management parent, even after rating system has been explained to them, buys game anyway. Parents need to be educated more about what they are buying, instead of buying whatever game kids ask for; maybe they need to consider what they want their children to be seeing. Would you let a child of 12-14, or even younger, watch hardcore porn or an 18 rated movie? Then maybe you shouldn’t let them play an 18 rated game. The stereotype that games are just for kids is badly out of date, and maybe it’s time parents started to take more responsibility for what their children play on.

In every group there are a few who don’t fit in with social norm. Is it true that these people can be influenced by violent videogames? No doubt. But is this root cause of their affliction? No. Books, movies, rough and tumble play; all of these blend reality and fiction. What people need to accept is that they must take responsibility for their own actions, and that maybe societies ills are rooted in larger problems than a small animated character shooting another small animated character.

* Ad-Aware: http://www.lavasoft.com/

* Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/

* Pest Patrol: http://www.pestpatrol.com/

* Spybot Search and Destroy: http://safer-networking.org/

* Spy Sweeper: http://www.webroot.com/

So, how can you prevent these icons from appearing in first place? Practice safe computing.

* Backup your machine. If it does get infected to point of being unusable, at least you won't lose all your important files.

* Install security-related operating system updates so spyware and adware cannot enter your system through well-known exploits.

* Download or buy a virus scanner, and keep it updated! Virus scanners cannot detect all spyware, but it doesn't hurt to have one. Check online or visit your local computer software store.

* Purchase a hardware or software firewall, and keep it updated! Firewalls help protect your computer from common exploits that spyware or adware can use to infect your machine.

* Consider using a different web browser. Though it is not perfect, Mozilla Firefox at http://www.mozilla.org is currently less susceptible to spyware than Internet Explorer, mainly because it lacks certain technology (such as ActiveX) that is often exploited by malware writers. Note that depending on your web use, certain websites may not work correctly with other web browsers.

By practicing safe computing and using spyware-removal software, you can help remove rogue desktop icons from your desktop and keep others from appearing.