Rachel Stanton

1

• Rachel Stanton
• Project report
• STS390, Media, war and peace
• Spring session, 2008
• Science, Technology Society
• University of Wollongong
• The report has two parts.
• 1. A response pack for an actual organisation.
  This is not an official document and does not
  necessarily represent the views of the
  organisation.
• Rachel Stantons response pack for EB Games
  includes a slide show (starting on the next
  slide), a cover for the CD containing the slide
  show (in a separate file) and a poster (in a
  separate file).
• 2. A dialogue between two students discussing the
  project. This dialogue is fictional. Pseudonyms
  were used so that the marker, Brian Martin, would
  not know the identity of student authors.
• Rachel Stantons dialogue is in a separate file.

2
Violent Videogames What every parent
should know And the knowledge every EB Games
(1) Employee has to know.
3
What makes children go from this.
To this
The excessive playing of violent video games is
believed to increase the aggressive thoughts,
feelings and actions of the children who play
such games. Violent video games seemingly
causing an innocent child to become outwardly
aggressive Or does it?
You need to know Fact from Fiction!
4
Where does the speculation about the effects of
violent video games come from? (1)

• It comes from the belief that through
  demonstration (modelling), reward (reinforcement)
  and practice (rehearsal), violent videogames
  cause children to perceive real life violence as
  a common aspect of everyday culture and to
  believe that pleasure can be gained from
  inflicting pain on other individuals (2).

5

• These findings however were discovered before the
  explosion of new generation videogames and
  virtual reality games.

• The concern with the emergence of these types of
  games is the graphic nature of the violence and
  the increasingly real feel of the games

6
How Young is too young?

• Videogames can alter the players perception of
  the real world - children, as old as nine or ten,
  perceive what is acceptable on screen and what is
  acceptable in reality as one and the same(1).
• Therefore there is a reason for the
  classification of Videogames!! As an EB Games
  employee it is your duty to be socially
  responsible and follow the law in the sale of
  videogames

7

• A Case Study - Have violent crimes ever
  happened as a result of videogames before? (1)

• Michael Carneal, 14yrs old, Paducah, Kentucky
  America (2).
• Michael took a gun to school one day having never
  fired a real gun before he fired eight shots,
  hitting eight kids.
• A military leader asked, Where does a fourteen
  year old boy who never fired a gun get the skill
  and the will to kill? and his answer was Video
  Games and media violence (3).

Michael Carneal
8

• Michael Carneal has been described as an
  excessive player of videogames visiting arcades
  and playing at home.
• His conditioning has been equated with operant
  conditioning the training undergone by military
  personnel to shoot targets without hesitating.
• - They are trained to fire at
  realistic, man shaped silhouettes that pop
  up in their field of view. That is the
  stimulus. The conditioned response is to shoot
  the target, and then it drops. Later, when
  they are in combat and somebody pops up with a
  gun, reflexively they will shoot and shoot to
  kill (1).

Michael Carneal
9

• The law found that videogames could not be blamed
  because the makers of videogames could not
  foresee what Michael Carneal would do (1).
• - "We find that it is simply too far
  a leap from shooting characters on a video
  screen (an activity undertaken by millions) to
  shooting people in a classroom (an activity
  undertaken by a handful, at most)," Judge Danny
  Boggs said (2)
• As an employee of EB Games you have here at your
  disposal the basic facts concerning the case, and
  what the law stipulates, you can use to inform
  parents and answer queries.
• Its up to the parents to make up their own mind!

Michael Carneal
10
Whats the difference between watching a movie
and playing a video game?(1)

• The key difference is interaction!
• Because they require the player to identify with
  the aggressor, often viewing the victims in the
  first person field of reference, videogames are
  subsequently believed to have a greater impact on
  aggressive behaviour (2).

11
What is aggression?(1)

• Aggression is behaviour that is intended to cause
  harm it can be physical, mental or verbal (2).
• There exists two forms of aggression seen in
  real life and in
• videogames(3)
• 1. Proactive aggression (4) is goal oriented
  and calculated.
• - This can be seen in video games through
  being rewarded for killing a target to complete
  a mission.
• Reactive aggression (5) occurs in response to
  behaviour perceived as threatening.
• - This can be seen in video games
  through killing an opponent before
• they kill you.

12
Does simulated aggression result in children
acting aggressively in everyday life?(1)

• Exposure to violent video games causes no
  difference in aggression (2).
• A childs school, family and social environment
  and whether violence exists here, reinforces the
  likelihood of aggressive and anti social
  behaviour (3).
• But NO evidence supports, without a doubt, that
  violent videogame violence results in real life
  violence!! (4)

13
Is There a link at all then or just media hype?

• Already aggressive children, those who exhibit
  aggressive behaviour without violent stimuli such
  as violent videogames, were found to seek out
  violent video games as a way to act out their
  frustration (1).
• The link between violent video games and violent
  crime is that aggressive individuals actively
  seek out media models for ways to act out
  aggressive acts but not a reason for committing
  the crime (2).

14
To illustrate this to customers, draw upon the
following example

• Six New York teens were arrested for robbery in
  June of 2008.

• Police said they emulated the notorious
  characters of video game Grand Theft Auto a
  group of young men armed with crowbars, sticks
  and metal bars surrounded a car and stole the
  occupants money (1).

• This is a case of aggressive individuals seeking
  out ways to commit violent crime, not a reason
  too.

15
Can Violent Videogames be good for children?

• Some scholars suggest they can
• Videogames can be empowering children are weak
  in the real world, but in the game world they
  posses unopposed strength (1).
• Children can vent their rage through a videogame
  rage that would otherwise resurface in a way
  that would have a greater impact on more people,
  for instance verbal, physical or mental rage or
  aggression.
• Videogame consoles such as the Wii are receiving
  praise for fighting childhood obesity.

16
As Parents, What Can they Do?

• Three simple things can be done to ensure you
  stay in control of what your child plays (1)
• Become familiar with the content of games (access
  information at whattheyplay.com and
  gamespot.com).
• Monitor what and for how long your child plays by
  keeping gaming consoles in common living areas
• Ask older siblings to be careful where they stow
  their mature games.
• Know, understand and respect the classifications
  system it is there for the welfare of your
  child.

17
Comply with the classifications markings

• The classification markings, G, PG, M, MA15, are
  there to ensure children are protected from
  unsuitable content relative to their age.
• It is your duty as an employee of EB Games to
  ensure you do not sell MA15 rated games to
  minors it is illegal.
• It is also your duty to ensure that the Correct
  Classification Notice is displayed prominently
  within the store.

18
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19

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20

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21

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22

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23

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