On the discussion regarding Victoria Lindsay, the Florida teen whose classmates beat her up and videotaped it to share on Youtube, Crimson Wife of Bending the Twigs shared a video game.
In my local paper last week, there was this glowing review of a new video game called “Bully: Scholarship Edition” that I found absolutely appalling. Apparently, the point of the game is for the protagonist to go around beating up classmates. It’s got a “Teen” rating so anyone can buy it, not just adults
What is wrong with our culture today?
Indeed. Perhaps that videotaped beating would have scored a “Teen” rating, as well. After all, this one earned its rating for:
Animated Blood
Crude Humor
Language
Sexual Themes
Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
Violence
Other than the fact that the violence was real (and the girls hit like girls), the video made available by TBO.com was actually pretty tame without any blood, sex or drugs.
But it is “just” a video game. Kids know the difference between fantasy and reality. It is a way for them to act out their frustrations in a virtual environment without hurting anyone for real. Isn’t it?
Some interesting research conducted by Stanford Professor Bailenson, however, suggests that perhaps our digital lives effect our real lives in very real and measurable ways.
“In the past, VR [virtual reality] has always been this amazing toy that someone has in their garage, and in the last five years what we started to see is that this stuff is no longer science fiction,” Bailenson says. “How is this changing who we are as humans? How is that affecting the human identity?” Stanford StoryBank
What does it mean to be human in a world in which we are increasingly connected by nothing more than zeros and ones, dots on a screen, projections of ourselves in a medium that has no real consequences for misbehavior? Where we can create our own identity and pass ourselves off as anything we want?
This form of pretending is so powerful that what happens online doesn’t necessarily stay online, Bailenson argues. Experiments in his lab have shown that what you experience as your digital doppelgänger lingers after you power down the PC—and bleeds into your real-life identity, at least for a while. His Stanford research team has begun exploring how those virtual experiences might be used to tweak who you are, for better or worse. Ibid.
And it takes all of 90 seconds of interacting through this avatar in the experiment to produce measurable changes in a person’s offline behavior. This is what I found the most unsettling, however:
…none of the subjects in these experiments could guess how he or she was being manipulated… Ibid.
Then comes the obvious question, although if these findings are correct you may not really be able to answer it:
How has your online identity affected you?
I spent my week of limited computer time pondering this question, but first I’d like to hear your thoughts. I’ll share mine after the Carnival of Homeschooling. (Don’t forget to send in your submissions).
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The process of thought determines each individual’s personality; what we think about either elevates us toward what our Creator would have us become or degrades us. We feed those thoughts with the types of music we listen to, the material we read to include magazines, books and internet sites, the movies we watch, the television programs we tune in, the friends we associate with and it should be no surprise that we are the sum of our thoughts. Those who choose to wallow in the muck have a limited understanding of their worth in the eternal scheme of things. I once heard it said, “Once you find out who you are you will be sorry you didn’t work harder”, or words to that effect. My awareness that I am a child of God with an expectation to live up to the standards explained in the scriptures lends support for my desires to spend as much time nurturing the best thoughts and avoiding those things which can only harm me.
We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. A of F 1: 13
Who said that people who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it? Well, the reason people can argue that these games don’t increase violence in society are slow learners. We knew this truth before even one virtual game was created. The military learned it when trying to train soldiers to use basic, close range weapons designed to kill the enemy. It isn’t enough to teach the soldier to use a weapon; it is also important to psychologically condition the soldier to overcome his or her basic aversion to killing another human being. The army did this by replacing bull’s eye targets with life size, human shaped targets that pop up and fall down when “hit.”
I don’t play any of the VR games, but recently have become “addicted” to a couple of what are called match 3 games (a sort of glorified tic tac toe). I noticed after I had been playing them for a couple of weeks that I was beginning to dream the game. Even if I had not already believed it, this experience would have convinced me of the real and lasting impact of video games.
I don’t see much separation between my “online identity” and my real life. I am not trying to be someone else, however, one of my friends and I were discussing my blog. She said, “It’s interesting because I see both sides.” She said I make everything seem so nice on my blog, but she knows when my little girl didn’t make it to the bathroom or I had a fight with my husband.
It’s not my intention to portray something that isn’t real, but I realize that perceptions are altered by our own expectations, and, also, by what is excluded from the discussion. We can create idols out of the perfect homeschool moms we perceive others to be.
Blogging is a creative outlet for me, but you may be right. I can’t exactly tell how it has affected me. That may be just because I haven’t thought about it much. I enjoy having a place to discuss ideas that are important to me, but I also have to deal with my own insecurities. Thanks for giving me something to think about.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
I think that is a major source of frustration for some people, particularly new homeschoolers. We have this image, this stereotype, of homeschoolers as these perfect people and project all our ideals on people we meet on the internet, not really realizing that what they put forward online is what they have chosen to share.
Sometimes I read entries and think the person is amazing because they have such grace, such perspective and see the good in even the worst situations. But you know…I get that kind of perspective after the fact when I am writing about it, too. Some of the things I write about are things that I am mentally working through, that is why I am writing about it.
I’m not saying it is bad that people are selective about what they share. It isn’t so pleasant to read when people choose to air their dirty laundry in a public place. It is more that as a reader we need to keep in perspective that we are seeing snippets of other people’s lives and they aren’t the standard by which we need to be measuring ourselves, anyway.
Quite true. You really notice this kind of thing when you do not have television for awhile.
All of a sudden, the violence has a different effect on you. You know it isn’t real, but you actually have a reaction to it and you notice it where others seem to think there wasn’t anything objectionable in the movie.
You aren’t desensitized anymore.
First, I think anything we put into our minds affects our thinking and thus our behavior–from virtual games, to news stories, to the types of books we read.
That being said, to answer your question, my on-line identity has helped to give me courage in a time when I was really questioning myself… a way from the screen. Others were interested in what I had to say and valued and respected that (pre-blogging.) That was important for me at the time and really helped me through some rather lonely and questioning times; and played a part in building in me something I had lost in such a short time.
Now though, my on-line identity is very minor. I mainly converse with a few bloggers and my voice is small. What my on-line identity has done is allow me a place to hear myself! And that is so important right now when all I can hear is everyone else’s needs, wants, complaints, ideas, demands, etc.
I found an interesting game in college that I played from beginning to end in a couple of days. It was rather intense, being a sort of psychological thriller (I always loved Hitchcock) but a bit of graphic violence, too. It was twisted and the game had a way of getting in your head. The min character was insane and you went through his delusions as you were trying to get through the game. Except in the end, he wasn’t really insane. All of this stuff was really happening and you had to try to stop it.
I can identify with that.
Those were some of my thoughts as I thought about my “online identity” and who I am in person.
Julie makes a good point; several years ago when the issue of violent video games first came to the fore, I saw a TV interview with a military psychologist who had been involved in developing techniques for breaking down a soldier’s psychological resistance to killing; he pointed out that violent video games take the game player through the same process.
A few months ago there was a case in which a man was arrested for stealing virtual furniture from virtual apartments for which online gamers had paid real money. He was convicted, of course, but the case further illustrated the Matrix-like blurring of the lines between fantasy and reality. I couldn’t help but think, however, that the criminal, who stole something which doesn’t really exist which he could sell for real money, was cleverer than the victims, who had spent real money for non-existant furniture.
“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
You really notice this kind of thing when you do not have television for awhile.
I found that quote so true but didn’t even realize until I read it. When my son was born we pretty much quit watching TV, except for movies we rent, a very occassional sitcom, and once in awhile the news. The TV is pretty much for my kids to see Seseame Street, and a few other programs. I’ve noticed since we barely watch it, how offended I have become by the little we do see. I thought it was just the change we’ve gone through as parents. But your comment makes me think that TV had “programmed” us, so to speak. We were letting voilence be seen and it wasn’t that big of a deal. But now that we don’t see it, I find it horrifiying, not to mention many other topics!
Amen to the TV desensitization thing! I can barely stand to watch the evening news now.
Discussing the affect on children and teens doing role playing games or regular video games is very different than discussing adults who were socialized before the big video game craze and before the Internet entered our lives.
I would bet that someone like me who was fully socially developed before computers came into my life is different than children and teens spending time playing role playing games instead of playing outdoors with real children who react in more human ways to socialization.
In other words I think the two things are like comparing apples to oranges.
My blogging life and email based homeschool support groups are different than face to face friendships. However I communicate online with some people I know and see in the real world. The two things enhance each other.
I’d like to add also that I am seeing teens and young 20’s people acting very differently even when in the presence of each other in real life. While at a restaurant last week I saw, while waiting for a table, two males and one female (friends). One male was having a cell phone conversation. The other male was text messaging someone the entire time. THe female was playing a video game on her cell phone. None of them were socializing with EACH OTHER which was the reason they were out to dinner together.
While in Wash DC last week I saw many teens on field trips. Many were on iPods or text messaging or fiddling with cell phones (not talking) instead of socializing with their peers.
One family had 3 teen siblings and all 3 were doing text messages, sitting with their mother, instead of anyone talking to each other.
And one mom crossing the street had an iPod on and not talking while her 11 and 12 year old daughter’s walked in silence.
While driving through four different cities in 3 states this month I saw people of all ages and ethnicicites plugged into devices. Even those crossing busy streets were not watching where they were walking let alone watching out for their safety.
But now I’m rambling…………..
I playfully complained the other day, while the whole family painted the garage, about how my three girls reminded me of Flight of the Bumblebee. They yapped the entire time! I smiled and listened to them carry on with their word games and laughter. Painting the barn was hard work, but we sure experienced some good bonding while doing it.
Sometimes my girls talk all day long, to the point of having sore jaws! It seems that we’re always engaged in conversation. We even have to force ourselves to shut up when letterboxing because all the critters flee long before we enter the area.
I have to agree about desensitization with regards to television and movies. I’ve warned my kids that when they live on their own they’ll be faced with some real trash on tv and in movies. I told them that they’ll be shocked and understand why we never allowed it in our house. I hope that they’ll appreciate our stand on that issue. Don’t get me wrong, we do watch tv and movies, and even play video games, however, we’re extremely selective on what we choose to watch and play. I know people that have their tvs on constantly, and the thought of turning off the junk never enters their mind. Maybe they think they’ll miss something if they do turn it off?
And I have to agree that online homeschoolers tend to give the perception of leading perfect lives. I feel so inadequate at times because my family and I are just ordinary people. My blogging world is limited and I tend to just share basics of our day. I’ve even been known to vent a little bit from time to time, but it’s mostly about stuff we’re doing or things that I’m thinking about. I won’t hang my dirty laundry up for everyone to see, but I’m not afraid to admit that I’m not perfect.
And now I’m just rambling………
I think it goes back to that bit about “seeing is believing.” I think what the researchers demonstrated was that people believed what they saw, even when they knew it was digitally created. And when we see snippets of a life, we forget that there is more than what we see. These people are not claiming to be perfect. We sort of project it on them.
I agree there is a difference. But it can still affect you. My dad spent along time playing some computer game and we went to an amusement park. He said something about how you started to think like you were in the game and seeing the landscape around you as if it were part of the game after awhile.
And he certainly had less of a digital upbringing than I did!
I think it is the amount of time you spend on it and the types of games you play. I was addicted to the Ms. Pac Man type games…and Tetris and Lolo. Not the blood and guts things so much.
But I think it is more detrimental for a child who is developing than for an adult who has pretty much formed their views on the world.
All this technology and TV talk has me wondering if anyone (besides me… he he he) is participating in TV Turn Off Week?
I am so amazed and surprised that my 8 year old is complying and complying better than I am! And the atmosphere at home is great, I am not so tense and I am actually getting to bed before midnight. Although, I must admit… I snuck some TV time last night after my 8 year old went to bed.
That was this week? We have watched a short video in the afternoon, but that is all we ever do. Thirty minute video in the afternoon and a movie for movie night. But then, we don’t receive any channels on our TV.