COLUMN: Let’s go Gaming
School shootings, sexual predators and sex simulators – video games sure have wreaked havoc since Pong.
Humans are a funny species. Whenever something bad happens, we instinctively pass on the blame, even if the blame is not entirely deserved.
Take for example the recent school shooting in Winnenden, Germany which 16 people died, including the suicide of the perpetrator. After this tragedy, many people tried to assign the blame elsewhere.
The Associated Press (AP) heard these cries of alarm and immediately put on their superhero costumes, complete with cape and super tight spandex. So who’s the culprit? A video game called “Counter-Strike.”
During an article printed the same day as the shooting, the AP interviewed Aki, a former classmate of the gunman. The following quotes are taken from the article.
“Aki said the two played poker together, both in person and online, as well as a multiplayer video game called ‘Counter-Strike’ that involves killing people to complete missions.”
“‘He was good,’ Aki said.”
And just like that, the AP implicated a video game and preyed on the fears of parents. While I agree it’s possible for violent video games to adversely affect daily life, I disagree with the assumption that everyone reacts violently.
Furthermore, research released in January from Texas A&M International University, concluded there is no significant relationship between school shootings and violent video games.
The writer, Professor Christopher Ferguson, said the actual causes of violent crimes are family environment, genetics, poverty and inequality.
Also, it’s important to note the AP is not the only news source laying the blame. News outlets all across the nation have been increasingly contributing to the controversy surrounding violent video games ever since the Columbine shooting.
But the misrepresentation of gaming by the news media doesn’t just stop with violent video games – quite the contrary.
According to a story broadcast March 11 by ABC 17 News in Missouri, “Animal Crossing” for the Wii could be a haven for sexual predators. Wait, what?
No kidding, the report suggests this cartoony “E” rated game about house decorating, encourages adults with malicious intentions to use the Internet to meet children.
To substantiate their point, ABC 17 News interviewed Andy Anderson of the Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force. Anderson said, “I cannot come up with any legitimate reason that an adult would be playing that particular game.”
Wow. I guess I shouldn’t watch Pixar movies anymore. I wouldn’t want any of my very adult acting friends to get the wrong impression – shame on me.
The most upsetting inaccuracy of this newscast is the blatant disregard for how the Internet is actually incorporated into the game. Yes, players can chat with friends online, but only after first exchanging codes and information.
If children are meeting sexual predators in “Animal Crossing,” it’s because they are contacting them via external sources, not in-game. And if this is the case, it’s not the game’s fault. It’s the parents’ fault for not paying attention to their kids.
Last year, Fox News reported a similar gaming fabrication in a segment entitled “sexbox?” The roughly five-minute clip suggests “Mass Effect” for the Xbox 360 contains full digital nudity and sex.
This is not the case. “Mass Effect” is more than a 30-hour game, in which sex is only a very small part of the experience. Players are not subjected to full nudity and are even given the option to skip the brief sex scene.
So then why make such an ostentatious claim? It’s simple – the media is exploiting the fears and ignorance of people by blaming video games.
Many parents don’t understand video games and so they distrust them. This is not a new fad – past generations blamed pool halls, comic books and even automobiles for the downfall of the rising generation.
Despite what the media tells us – video games are not the downfall of society.
–tim.russell@aggiemail.usu.edu