Emerging Cultural Acceptance of Video Games

For decades now, video games have been evolving. And they are still evolving; the fat lady hasn't sung. One of the key things happening here is that video games are still searching for its primary role in society. Video games have proven themselves both financially and artistically, but still needs to gain cultural and social respect. Right now video games are experiencing the honeymoon of money-making and about to experience the hang-over as game development costs soar into the millions. We can't respect video games as a medium of communication making positive contributions to society. Games like Grand Theft Auto don't do much to instill confidence in moms and dads. Video games have earned a very tainted track record. It's no surprise why society rejects this medium.

Games like Grand Theft Auto or World of Warcraft are just the sort of games that sell and pay the bills. Beneficial and "socially acceptable" games employ realistic, and therefore unpopular, consequences; it's not easy to win, and you're not always the over-powered hero that traditional video games make you out to be. There are some positive side-effects to playing a game like World of Warcraft, but in general very little of the experience translates to the real world and so in terms of time the cost outweighs the benefit. When money is on the line, there is a strong voice that rejects any titles that do not elicit violence, hyper-sexualization, or ape-man thinking, a voice that the industry caters to almost exclusively. Let's get our minds off this one-track approach to games. And let's also do away with partisan anti-gaming rants using Doom or Wolfenstein 3D as examples. For one thing those games are ancient! get with the times! secondly, could they say the same about Sim City or The Sims? Yes, making my sim call-up a blind date will cause me to bring grenades to school on monday. I see the connection, no really.

Setting aside trigger-happy gaming for a moment, the Wii has managed to appeal to baby boomers and has advanced cultural and social acceptance of interactive entertainment more than anything else has in decades. People of all ages enjoy playing Wii fit, it's fun, and it stretches those creaky joints. The Sims, Civilization, Sim City, and other relatively tame simulation and strategy games are in-fact the best-selling PC games (2007 ESA survey). Guitar Hero fans have picked-up a real instrument with either aspirations of stardom or casual enjoyment. Simulation-type games have been used to help unemployed people learn about various industries and the results have been very effective in helping them find jobs they enjoy. We seldom hear about these, and even these barely scratch the surface of interactive media potential.

There is woefully little serious video game research being conducted. We just simply haven't discovered what games are capable of. We just don't know. There are some obvious facts: games are serious having the capacity to enslave the mind, but so do a myriad of other things, but we don't throw them out as altogether innately evil. They must be treated with care but not necessarily rejected just as a credit card with no limit must be treated the same. Video game addiction is not psychotropic drug addiction, there are no chemicals involved other than entirely natural dopamine produced by the brain. It is not enough to simply blame video games and be done with it just as so many people need a devil to blame their problems on. The individual has complete control here. The gamer needs a little self-discipline with this powerful medium and learn to use it instead of allowing himself to become used by it. And consider this: what's to prevent a young gamer from escaping to video games to cope with confused and detached parents fearful about him playing video games?

There is some research and evidence in support of video games. They stimulate neural growth especially at young ages. They foster complex problem solving skills, quicken reflexes and hand-eye coordination. Better hand-eye coordination can lead to increased enjoyment of playing sports contrary to the popular belief that video games lead to a sedentary lifestyle. This 2005 survey of 200~ college students indicates that video games are forging very capable and competent leaders able to think outside the box and tackle problems aggressively and proactively. One caveat: it alters one's way of thinking that is unpopular with educators and not very compatible with traditional methods of education. Consequently gamers typically have lower grades than non-gamers. Overall there is strong evidence that playing video games can have a very positive impact on the individual.

If you have a problem with gaming then here's an invitation for you to get acquainted. Pick-up a game and discipline yourself to play it everyday for one week. During this exercise focus on wrapping your head around how a typical gamer thinks. If you understand how gamers think, you will better know how to help them see things from your point of view. Otherwise without having a clear and balanced perspective, one will only contribute to the frustration and confusion. Eventually gamers will out-number non-gamers and we will see gamers, who are socially responsible and lead balanced lifestyles, move into positions of power. Eventually we will figure out what this interactive medium is capable of and learn all about the human relationship with interactive media.