http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html
(Link to the Article, also provided at the end, Read it!!!)
I thought this article, "Reality Bytes: Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked" by Henry Jenkins relates very well to the recent lecture given by Shelia Murphy on Video Games. I chose to share this article because it offers a different perspective, one I think Shelia Murphy was also attempting to portray, than what we are used to hearing about video games. This article lists eight common myths about video games and then goes on to explain why they are not true, or at least, point out some of the wholes in them. The eight myths are: 1) The availability of video games has led to an epidemic of youth violence. 2) Scientific evidence links violent game play with youth aggression. 3) Children are the primary market for video games. 4) Almost no girls play computer games. 5) Because games are used to train soldiers to kill, they have the same impact on the kinds who play them. 6) Video games are not a meaningful form of expression. 7) Video game play is socially isolating. 8) Video game play is desensitizng. I really enjoyed this article because it made me think about the biased opinions and assumptions we make daily and the immense impact that these assumptions can have in our society.
Society is very focused on the negative aspects of consumer products, questionably overemphasizing the effect of media on youth today. Video games have increasingly been used as scape goats to explain issues in society. For instance, regarding the first myth, Jenkins makes the argument that instead of looking at the minority of youth that commit violence and also happen to play video games, there is a need to look at "the overwhelming majority of kids who play but do NOT commit antisocial acts."There is always two sides to a story. There is a tendency to only look at the evidence that either confirms what you already believe, the evidence that is most dramatic, offers the most comfort, seems the most logical, or what not. By selectively looking for certain information, and thus ignoring the research on the other side of the issue, people often make incorrect assumptions. This can have serious implications for society, For example, people may be focusing their attention and energy on the incorrect source of the problem: such as attempting to expel the use of video games, instead of working to fix the actual causes of youth violence such as quality of home life and the youth's mental state.
Furthermore, these same issues underlie Jenkins's argument for debunking most of the eight myths. He focuses on the bountiful amount of information that is left out when people make assumptions by not questioning the data they are presented with or only looking at one side of the issue. For instance, why do we automatically assume video game play is socially isolating? "Almost 60 percent of frequent gamers play with friends." We need to question why this happens and fix the many inconsistencies in information and social issues that happen because of this. I think that there needs to be caution taken when we, as consumers and citizens of society, approach information. Instead of automatically believing the facts to be true, it is important to look at both sides of the issue, to look at research supporting and also falsifying certain hypotheses. Our method of understanding everyday encounters and situations may need to move towards a more empirical approach that favors objective views instead of the rather easier subjective approach we are used to taking that leads to biased views.
By: Taylor Rothman
When we first started learning about video games, I actually thought about posting about theories of violent video games being linked to violence, particularly in youths whose brains are underdeveloped. I think the point about comparing the number of youths who do play video games and commit violence with the majority of youths who do not is an important point; most children who play video games will not become aggressive or violent. There are a number of studies, however, which do look at and prove that at the very least, aggression and video games can be linked. Studies are obviously not universal and do not necessarily show that these youths will actually commit violent acts. This case is interesting because there are both studies that prove and disprove this theory. I am not saying that I agree that video games can lead to violence in children, but I do think that in some(likely few) cases of violence, video games are part of the cause. For example, I vaguely recall an example of an argument that playing grand theft auto lead to a rampage of shootings by a teenager. Playing a game in a virtual, violent world, could possibly lead to confusion between what is acceptable in the game world and what is acceptable in reality, especially in children who have underdeveloped brains.
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