Preface
- 23rd November 1997 called for a ban on 'crimnal' video game Grand Theft Auto
- 'top' policeman was quoted arguing that this game could encourage young people to glorify the crimes portrayed in the game
- concerns because they are interactive
- "the implications of this degree of cognitive and emotive engagement, to common - sense observers, are that there are bound to follow a series of profound and lasting adverse behavioural effects, changing the young people who play these games for the worse." (Gunter, 1998: 8)
1. Video games: what are the concerns?
- undesirable physical, psychological and social side effects of regular playing
- unhealthy level of pre - occupation with computer and games
- 'corrupting influence on youth today' acclaimed critics
- "Most games tend to feed into masculine fantasies of control, power and destruction (Secunda 1983) " (Gunter, 1998 : 15)
- early 1980's saw a ban in several cities/ towns in United States of access to video games
- 1992, Nintendo indicated approximately that 44% of all US house holds had video game systems
- market penetration allowed video games to go beyond simple one - one relationship with individual child to become part of child and adolescent culture in US
- effects take on different forms in different countries:
- Australia - tenosynovitis
- US - cataracts from radiation by VDU screens
- Scandinavia - facial rashes
- potential psychological effects are less tangible and leads to stress - related reactions - rapid heart beat, nausea and sweating
- "Generalised fears seem to concentrate upon the belief that new technology strips people of their freedom and privacy" (Gunter, 1998 : 17)
- "Elsewhere, excessive involvement with computer or video games has been discussed as a form of 'dependency' where by playing with such games may not be a major preoccupation, but does serve particular social and psychological functions in player's lives in an especially pronounced fashion" (Gunter, 1998 : 17)
- young people effected psychologically by violent themes because mass entertainment media passively display messages that they receive
- some games in 80's e.g Super Mario, Frogger and Donkey Kong was classed as positive - set to be challenging and aim to do good deeds within the games
- video games also viewed as source of learning - such as the activities that require eye - hand coordination or teaching specific skills in spatial visualisation or mathematics
- military modified the Atari game Battle zone for use in Military training
- "Players must figure out what different symbols and items on screen mean or represent and how they behave. In this way, video games encourage a style of thinking that resembles in many respects the kind of reasoning and deductions scientists have to make when investigating an issue.." (Gunter, 1998: 23)
- video games are more exciting through rapidly changing visual displays and more complex challenges compared to board games
- games allow children to concentrate on rules and expectations needed to master each level
- preoccupies a child's time that gives rise to anti social behavioural effects - undesirable physical, mental, social and economic
- through extensive surveys - parents and children are less likely to believe in alleged negative influences
- one discriminating factor among children and adolescents in playing games is gender
- males play more at homes or arcades
- gender bias becomes distinctive in themes e.g flying fighter air crafts or car racing
- men are more expressive when comes to aggression and are more prone to competition
- more intense experiences
- violence and action games turn most females away because are more conditioned in emotional response
- players indicate regular use as tension release
- video games can generate mood changes in youngsters but can invoke a considerable degree of concentration and involvement
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