8 Myths of Videogames

http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html

MIT professor Henry Jenkins wrote this article to address common misconceptions of videogames and its social impact. Perhaps the most common is the idea that video game media has a direct impact on youth violence. However, the truth is that most young people DO play and do NOT commit antisocial acts. The media coverage of school shootings like Columbine focused on the kinds of violent games the shooters played rather than their quality of home life and mental stability. They relied on extrinsic rather than intrinsic attributions for their behavior. The truth is that the shooters were mentally disturbed and had issues at home.

Other misconceptions are that video games are socially isolating and desensitizing. Most games have multi-player functions which allows players to interact online with their friends. The author argues that violent video games don't necessarily cause violent and anti-social behavior by pointing out that researchers in the field of violent media studies have been making loosely tied associations based on very narrow speculations. For instance, they had people who generally don't play many video games and noted their responses after playing a violent video game. Of course, the participants responded saying they felt more inclined after playing the games to commit anti-social acts.

I felt that the article was very informative and clearly debunked the common misconceptions of videogames as a leading cause for crime and anti-social behavior. If games are played in moderation they can be socially constructive and allows a facet for players to enter a "third space" where they can express themselves in ways they can't in everyday life.