Macron blames social media and video games for youth riots in France
French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed video games and social media as factors contributing to the nationwide riots that are taking place in France after police shot and killed a 17-year-old, Azernews reports.
Macron said the average age of those arrested for rioting is 17 and called on parents to keep their children off the streets. He also called on social media companies to remove the most sensitive riot-related content.
Macron said video games had "intoxicated" some of the young people involved in the riots and that they were "experiencing video games in the streets that have intoxicated them".
"How did the rioters get military-grade weapons and training to use them? From the video games?" says the resident to local media.
Snapchat responded to Macron's claims by stating that they have zero tolerance for content that promotes violence or hatred. They also said they are monitoring the situation.
The UN human rights office has called on the French authorities to ensure that the use of force by the police is lawful, proportionate, and non-discriminatory. They also called on the country to address the deep-seated problems of racism and racial discrimination in law enforcement agencies.
Riots have also erupted in the French Caribbean territories, where at least one person was killed as people set fire to rubbish bins and damaged buildings.
Despite the violence, there is still no scientific evidence of a direct link between the violence portrayed in video games and actual violent behavior.
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