This post contains a useful clip which focuses on the violent content of video games. The research and findings of Dr Cheryl Olson look into video games and how they affect a youth audience.
This clip from a US documentary takes an insight into video games and introduces the idea of whether video games are becoming more violent. In accordance, the documentary revolves around the research findings if Dr Cheryl Olson, professor at Harvard Medical School and co author of the novel , Grand Theft Childhood explores the connection of video games and the effects they have on a younger audience.
The clip opens with the deigetic sound of the gun shots from the game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare playing in the background. Alongside this, the close up shot of the hand is used to signify addiction. Though, the use of the voice over is significant in terms of the documentary, as he gives an insight into the possible relation between the youth audience and their involvement in video games. In many ways, the voice over is used as identification for an adult audience, as his tone of voice is worrying, which is stereotypical of parents, who worry about the well being of their child or children. The moral panic of video games is signified , through the voice over, as the parents fear for their children and the fact that they will become more violent in society, due to playing these games.
The low key lighting is used in the close up shot to connote how children are seemingly hypnotised or indoctrinated by video games, as the child is playing a first person shooter, which encourages violence in a war setting.
Generally in this clip, Dr Olson shows from her findings that "video games with violent content might desensitise children to violence in the real world". The use of Dr Olson's voice over along with the game play from the first person shooter, Call of Duty Modern Warfare supports findings , in that she suggests that watching gore or violence in video games and not seeing the consequences that violence might have in real life, and children less concerned about suffering and have empathy for victims. Therefore, violent games could be considered to be a concern, as the youth audience don't understand suffering and the true consequences of violence.
Interestingly, Dr Olson states how male players seem to laugh and to be used to criticising each other when playing violent video games. The fact that boys tend to be more aggressive is signified in the media, as they tend to watch horror films, play aggressive sports such as American Football , Rugby etc. Therefore, they are more likely to play violent games, especially in groups, as signified in a close up shot of three friends playing Call of Duty on the X Box. As a result, many gaming institutions such as 2K games and Mad Dog Games produce games such as Mafia 2 which challenge audience expectations and what parents thing is appropriate, which raises moral panic in society.
However, Dr Olson generalises how many people believe that the "violence present in video games and film is similar enough to real life violence". Therefore, 'being desensitised to one makes you less concerned about the other'. Hence, people are disillusioned with one specific concerns, that they seem to ignore the issue on across other platforms.
Whats more, Dr Olson and research into video games states that a "teenage audience tend to play video games which are more realistic". The sense of games being historical, with real life characters or historical figures seem to add that extra sense of realism in violent video games. As well as this, the graphics and the characters' emotions or behaviour seem to make the audience play these games. The violent video games, where you just go on killing people are less realistic, though the environment and people are real- not the action," as said by Olson.
Interestingly, Olson conducted a focus group with young teenage boys looked at the aesthetics of video game content. Her research findings concluded that boys tended to be more concerned with two aspects: language and love. They tended to shield their siblings from playing games where they was excessive swearing, as they would be more impressionable and would look bad for their parents. The other major concern was about love, as they believed that they should be exposed to those games then they were 15 or 18. These two things seem to be remarkable, as boys would do these things in real life. Yet, the boundary of fantasy versus reality is strong amongst boys.
In her findings, Olson reported that "... several boys were more upset by the television news than gory games". The fact that the reality in television is authentic seemingly shocks teenagers, as they wouldn't expect things in video games to happen in real life. Research conducted by psychiatrists and psychologists found that "homes where repeated violence occurred would often result in children in that home being number by violence. Though, the way a typical child acts and feels, if he sees a friend hurt, is very different from the way he acts whilst playing violent video games". This shows how there is a stark difference in the ways violence occurs in children when playing violent video games and in real life, serious situations.
On the whole, Dr Olson states that it is not entirely possible that a troubled child might be influenced by violent video game or film. Though, she states that more research needs to be done in order to analyse which children might be affected by these games. To a larger extent, Dr Olson states that parents should play an active part in preventing or allowing their children to play specific games, as their temperaments might not be accommodating to such violent games. Many teenagers look to their parents as positive role models, therefore they should transfer positive values onto their children, as the absence of positive role models could corrupt teenagers and lead them astray.
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