Second Skin hit very close to home as I watched in awe. My brother, age 17, is addicted to video games and isn't afraid to admit it. He spends about 13 hours a week on his Xbox playing Halo and talking to other people through a headset. When I looked up statistics on the usual amount of time gamers spend online, it is about 7 hours a week, less than my brother plays.
((MBA GAMING STATISTICS))
When I finally asked, "Why do you play online games? Do you.. want to be someone else?"
He admitted, "It's not being someone else that I want, it's the fact that I can talk to people who are just like me, and are playing the same games as me. I don't have to be someone I'm not, like at school. I hate writing papers, but I have to do it. I have to do things and be things I'm not. Online, I can be what I want."
As someone who has worked around and with children almost my entire life, I wanted to know how gaming addiction was not only effecting my brother and his ability to communicate and act around other 17 year olds, but other children who game. Through some research I found that adolescents who are in constant "gaming mode", around 20 hours a week on gaming systems, are prone to violent acts or trying to do the same "game moves" on children around them.
"Gentile & Anderson (2003) state that playing video games may increase aggressive behavior because violent acts are continually repeated throughout the video game. This method of repetition has long been considered an effective teaching method in reinforcing learning patterns."
"Continually repeated.." sounds familiar huh??
In Culture Jam it explains the way product placement works and how products get embedded into our brains and we don't even realize what we are doing anymore. So, if it is okay for people to buy the product that is pushed into our brain without realizing it, what about kid who shouts "MELEE" as they hit another kid with their book? As defined on "halowiki.com" Melee is the act of attacking an enemy with a weapon.
Whether it is product placement, or constant violence, we are being bumbarded with constant urges to do, buy, say and act in ways that we don't think about before doing. Culture Jam explains that we are losing control of ourselves without realizing it and the same is in Second Skin. People are becoming so engulfed in their game they are losing themselves and doing and acting in ways that are purely because of constant video game exposure.
SOFTER NOTE.. kinda..
I feel awful laughing at that video but it's impossible not to. It shows just how wrapped up we are in the virtual world. That kid was saying how he just wanted to disappear forever just because his account was deleted. Its funny, but so sad if you really think about it Thanks for the giggles though ;)!
ReplyDeleteIt is undeniable how compelling some of these worlds can be. I, too, laughed at the video, but for many people, deeply engrossed in these games, their very identity is wrapped up in these virtual places. I like the connections you made to consumer culture in Culture Jam. Good blogging here.
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe that video games teach kids to be violent at times. Just look at the video games that are coming out every month or so. The ones that are most interesting to the youth are ones that involve blood and guts as well as learning how to use guns, etc. What are those kids going to learn as they grow by playing these games?
ReplyDeleteSome will learn that shooting others is ok. "It's just a game" isn't it? Some will act violent towards their friends because by being agressive in the game they advanced. Does that mean that being aggressive and hurtful in life will make them advance?
By watching the video of the kid that was freaking out because his game was taken away, look at the way he felt about his mom. His mom probably takes care of him and gives him everything he wants. Yet he hates her because she took one thing away from him, probably to better his lifestyle and keep him focused on more important things.
Will video games start ruining family relationships when parents start to interfere? Kinda scary.
The quote/research you included stating that "playing video games may increase aggressive behavior" sparked a memory from high school. My current events teacher spent a lot of time talking about and investigating all the "school shootings" that have taken place in recent years, including the one that took place at Columbine. I remember reading up on how many of the kids who took part in the shootings had played violent video games. Many times it was thought that the kids took some of the violent actions that they participated in every day on a "game" and practiced them in real life, not really thinking much of it. Just another scary thought about gaming and it's effect on society...
ReplyDelete"It's not being someone else that I want, it's the fact that I can talk to people who are just like me, and are playing the same games as me. I don't have to be someone I'm not, like at school. I hate writing papers, but I have to do it. I have to do things and be things I'm not. Online, I can be what I want."
ReplyDeleteIn response to that quote from your brother, I don't understand exactly what he is trying to say. What is restricting him from being his own and independent person in real life? What is making him feel as if he has to be someone he is not when he is at school, with friends, or maybe at a job? There are people who rebel and challenge the social norm and do not need online gaming to do so. Just my opinion. Good insight though, enjoyed the blog.