The recent popularity of the airsoft and paintball sports has generated opposition reactions among people. Some believe that these sports encourage violence in the people who engage in its practice. Some others think that they contribute to diminish violence.
As an airsofter I belong to the second group. My point of view is that when people engage in extreme sports, they look for a way to release energy and, for many of them, to play the hero in a way much safer than in a real battle. I am not a psychologist, but what I have noticed is that, when playing airsoft or paintball some people behaved as if they were in a real battle. It is so much the excitement and passion that show that, sometimes, old men behave as kids. I do not think this is bad, rather is a very good therapy for stressed people. They satisfy the curiosity about how is to shoot a weapon and to engage a battle without the consequences of real ones. In addition it is a very safe activity. There are not many bad injuries reported due to air soft and paintball activities. Using the right protecting equipment these sports are very safe to practice. I practice both sports myself and, surely, can recommend them both. For those who can afford them (both are a little bit expensive), they are a very rewarding way to release energy and stress.
We have to be very careful when playing airsoft or paintball with children. And I mean this in two different ways. One, the most obvious, is that in the heat of the battle grown men sometimes forget that they are playing with children and can hurt younger ones. Second, we have to explain to children the real objective of these sports: to have fun and share with friends and loved ones and not to knowly hurt anyone. Sadly, some grown ups need to be advised of that too.
Children should always, and I mean always, be under adult supervision when playing airsoft or paintball. We have to make sure that children, and some grown ups, understand even though it is so obvious, that weapons, whether they are real or not, are not to hurt anyone by themselves but they need a human being to make them dangerous or lethal , and it depends on them to make these sports fun and rewarding and not a dangerous activity. Think of the good old Buddhist Shao-Lin monks, they were remarkable martial arts experts, they could kill with a single hit but yet, they preached non-violence, humiliation and sacrifice.
I really believe that airsoft and paintball sports are a good and safe way for people to manage stress, release extra energy and satisfy the need for competition (mostly in young people) and contribute to reduce the curiosity of shooting real guns. I do not know whether there is scientific research about this topic but I believe that people engaged in airsoft and paintball sports are less likely to shoot real guns and less sooner to violence.
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