A new video from The New York Times series called "Retro Report" is taking a look back at the early 80s when Dungeons & Dragons was thought to be an occult game that led to a rise in teen suicide, belief in witchcraft, magic and demon worship. Alongside the video, is an essay by Clyde Haberman that delves further into the accusations.
A “moral panic,” as cultural critics labeled it, set in. It was not unlike 1950s fears over gory comic books and 1980s worries over sex-laced rock music. But researchers, including those with the Centers for Disease Control, established no causal link between the game and violence. Much of the finger-pointing seemed rooted in a classic fallacy in logic: Mr. Adcox and Mr. Molitor played D&D. Mr. Adcox and Mr. Molitor became killers. People who play D&D become killers.
It's an interesting cultural retrospective and you can read the full article on the New York Times web site and check out the video below.
