Because of a variety of factors, the video gaming industry is expected to continue growing well beyond 2021. These factors include the industry’s rapidly growing popularity, particularly in the mobile sector, the introduction of a new generation of gaming consoles, and the incentive of audiences looking for safe social connections.
However, because of its reputation as a potentially harmful subculture, gaming, and video games frequently provoke a lot of preconceived notions. Gaming is sometimes portrayed in popular mainstream media as a hobby for socially awkward nerds who have become numb to their surroundings.
Stereotypes
As a result of this portrayal in the media, people are becoming concerned about their own or their children’s interest in gaming. They are concerned that as a result of this attraction, they or their children will develop a lack of social skills and a distorted sense of reality.
When we consider what we thought about the game industry while we were working hard to subdue Bowser, kill the devil, and even persuade Roadhog to grab Pharah from the sky, we realize we were duped on multiple occasions. Here is a list of the top ten most common video game misconceptions, which have been perpetuated in an attempt to mislead us as we have saved countless princesses, vanquished countless dragons, and triumphed over World War II a million times over.
1. The widespread availability of video games has been linked to an increase in young people’s violent behavior
This is possibly the most widespread misconception about video games. Despite the widespread belief that playing violent video games may lead to aggressive or violent behavior, no study has been able to establish this link.
Instead, researchers have discovered that those currently serving time for violent crimes often consume fewer media before committing their crimes than the general public does before engaging in criminal behavior. Some juvenile offenders who have committed violent acts have also been gamers, which is a sad but true fact. Young people, in general, are more likely to be gamers, and the vast majority of children who play video games do not engage in antisocial behavior. People become violent as a result of playing video games.
The moral outrage engendered by violent video games has a double negative impact. Playing video games has been shown to improve cognition, motivation, emotions, and social interactions. The use of video games can improve a child’s ability to solve problems and improve their sense of spatial awareness. According to one study’s findings, “shooter game players allocate their attentional resources more efficiently and effectively filter out irrelevant information.”
It’s also important to be aware of the game you’re playing and to reflect on your achievements after the game is over. These discussions can be an excellent opportunity to discuss ethics, set goals, and further engage in an activity that you enjoy.
2. Scientific evidence links violent video game play to aggressive behavior in young people
These claims are supported by the findings of researchers who work in a single, rather specialized field known as “media effects.” This investigation includes approximately 300 different studies on media violence. However, the majority of these studies are unable to conclude, and several have been called out for their methods.
Images from various forms of media are disassociated from any kind of narrative framework in these studies. Participants are asked to interact with things that are outside of their comfort zone and that they may not fully understand. Finally, the game’s setting in the laboratory is strikingly different from the places where the game is commonly played.
The majority of studies discovered a correlation rather than a causal relationship, implying that the research may simply reveal that aggressive people enjoy watching violent entertainment. As a result, the term “links” is being used in this context.
When combined with other immediate and real-world consequences, playing violent video games may be one of the risk factors that contribute to antisocial behavior. If there is a growing consensus around this research, it is that this is the case. To date, no research has found evidence that video games are a major contributor or that playing violent video games can turn an otherwise normal person into a murderer.
3. Children are the primary demographic for video game purchases
The majority of children do play video games; however, as the first generation of gamers continues to play into adulthood, the demographic that drives the majority of sales in the video game industry is now adults. Already, people aged 18 and up account for 62 percent of the console market and 66 percent of the personal computer market. The video game industry primarily caters to adult tastes rather than those of children.
It appears that the young gamer’s perspective and the gaming industry’s perspective are opposed. We could argue that adults are, in fact, the ideal gamers, owing to the increasing number of games with an 18+ rating that are being released.
This is not to say that children do not play video games, that they do not make up a sizable portion of the market, or that they do not play games for which they are too young; however if game developers create games with adult content, it is reasonable to assume that these games are marketed to adults.
Many people, on the other hand, disregard new game releases and ratings because they believe video games are only for children. One in every four children aged 11 to 16 lists a game with the rating M for “Mature Content” as one of their favorites. It is abundantly clear that more efforts should be made to both educate parents about the various media consumption options available to them and to prevent advertising and marketing efforts directed toward young consumers and containing mature content.
4. Virtually no young women play video games
It’s a common misconception that 12-year-old boys are the most active video game players, but this is not true. It is obvious that playing video games is not just a pastime for children, nor is it limited to a boys’ club.
Males have dominated the video game market for the majority of its existence. Nonetheless, over the last ten years, the proportion of female gamers has shown a consistent upward trend. The number of women who play video games on the internet has recently surpassed that of men.
Attempts were made in the mid-1990s to create games that were appealing to females. This was motivated by the belief that games were an important entry point into other forms of digital literacy. Recent games, such as “The Sims,” have been huge crossover successes, attracting a large number of women who had never played video games before.
Given the long-standing gender gap that exists both in the video game consumer base and among those who work in the video game industry, it should come as no surprise that sexist stereotypes are present in video games. It is also important to remember that female video game characters are frequently portrayed as self-sufficient and capable of holding their own.
Girls are unable to reap the benefits discussed at the outset of this piece because the gaming debate excludes half of the population. It discourages them from pursuing technical interests and eventually jobs, which limits the diversity of games made, which limits the number of people who can play those games, and so on.
Gerard Jones argues in his book “Killing Monsters” that young girls frequently draw inspiration from depictions of powerful female warriors to boost their sense of self-confidence to face the problems that they face in their daily lives.
5. Playing video games is a socially isolating activity
What people believe about a particular group is completely unrelated to reality, and it is based in part on how that group is portrayed in films and other forms of popular culture. In the same way that not everyone in France wears berets and eats croissants every day, not everyone who plays video games is a weirdo who lives alone.
Gaming is something that many people enjoy doing together as a group. According to studies, 54 percent of avid gamers believe that their activity allows them to connect with friends, and 45 percent believe that gaming allows them to spend time with their families.
Even video games designed for a single player are frequently played in groups, with one player acting as a coach to another who controls the action with a joystick. A growing number of today’s video games are designed for multiple players to use at the same time, either in the same physical location or over the internet with players in different locations.
It’s not unusual for gamers to talk to one another while playing. Many different types of pastimes each have their social network. Gamers prefer to use dedicated channels to share gaming content such as in-game achievements, game stats, and other relevant news and media. Similarly, sports fans like to stay up to date on the latest news about their favorite athletes, but they may not feel comfortable sharing this information on traditional social media platforms, so gamers prefer to use these dedicated channels.
Scientists and sociologists have been studying how online communities react to and interact with violent video games. In this sense, two games are taking place at the same time: one is the open struggle and battle on the screen, and the other is the covert collaboration and camaraderie that exists between the participants. Two players can be engaged in mortal combat on the screen while growing closer off the screen. Even though they are symbolically set aside within the transgressive dreams depicted on screen, the social compact that governs the play symbolically upholds social expectations.
