Video Games Promote Racist Thoughts & Behavior, Study Of White Gamers Suggests

[The Straight Story]

Fairly or unfairly, video games have been blamed for all sorts of physical and emotional ills -- from eyestrain and headaches to obesity and aggression. And now a controversial new study has linked violent video games to racism.

The study, led by an Ohio State University researcher, shows that white gamers who use black avatars when playing violent video games are more likely to hold negative views of and exhibit aggressive behavior toward blacks afterward.

"Playing a violent video game as a black character reinforces harmful stereotypes that blacks are violent," study co-author Dr. Brad J. Bushman, a professor of communication and psychology at the university, said in a written statement. "We found there are real consequences to having these stereotypes -- it can lead to more aggressive behavior."

But not everyone is playing along with Bushman.

"It's really just not a very good study," Dr. Chris Ferguson, professor of psychology at Stetson University in DeLand, Fla. and a leading expert on the psychological and behavioral effects of video game playing, told The Huffington Post in an email. He criticized the researchers' methodology and their interpretation of the results, saying "It's really quite irresponsible for the scholars here to try to generalize their results to the degree that they do."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/25/video-games-racise-linked-white-gamers_n_5023453.html

[mwrguy]

1. The video game industry needs a lot more oversight

Games where you can murder children and pimp out your wife are not what we need to be teaching kids with.

[KittyWampus]

2. Well, I'm not into banning but I am into shaming supposed liberals who buy that crap

and make excuses for it.

As for the study, it seems to suggest that game play mirrors/influences attitudes not behavior.

[Humanist_Activist]

23. How dare we enjoy something you don't like! n/t

And how the fuck is this a political issue?

[Supersedeas]

46. adjust your ideological glasses and get back to us

[LanternWaste]

49. Always disappointing when the sacred cows being dished up are...

Always disappointing when the sacred cows being dished up are the meat and potatoes we so dearly love ourselves...

[Warren DeMontague]

55. Just wait until someone proposes outlawing echolalia

just wait until someone proposes outlawing echolalia

[NuclearDem]

82. Hey, I was going to say that.

Stop copying me.

[Sunlei]

32. how we green & brown 'lib''toons' scare the crap out of the real world with our sex & violence

&list=PLD0B04D472AF52721

[Warren DeMontague]

57. What's the specific game in question that's being discussed, here? Does it have a name?

Because I've never heard of it.

[TheFrenchRazor]

87. don't you know that video games, like comedians, are immune to criticism here? nt

[GiveMeMorePIE]

94. I am into shaming supposed liberals that want everyone to be devoid of entertainment.

So I guess we will have to be in different camps under the same tent.

[Travis_0004]

8. What ever happened to the first admendment?

I'm not a fan of games like Grand theft auto, and I wouldn't let my kids play them, but I think they have a right to sell them.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

10. "Games where you can murder children and pimp out your wife"

What game is that?

Honest question.

[Lancero]

17. With or without mods?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

26. Well, we couldn't hold the game's developer responsible for mods.

As the comment appears directed at video game developers it would be important to point out modders are the ones who design, deploy and load any such mods.

[Warren DeMontague]

56. Ah, so it's mods that are the problem.

I should have known.

[mwrguy]

63. Fallout 2

[Javaman]

74. LOLOLOLOL a game from 1998???? LOLOLOLOL nt

[DetlefK]

76. How?

Children don't exist in some versions of Fallout 2. (I think, the european ones.)

And how does one pimp out his wife in Fallout 2? At the porn-studio?

[mwrguy]

77. Yes, the Europeans have a better handle on it than the Americans.

Go figure.

[Humanist_Activist]

15. You kinda just removed yourself from any reasonable discussion with your first post...

congrats!

[Kurska]

34. "The movie industry needs a lot more oversight"

"The book industry needs a lot more oversight"

Creeping fascism is only okay if it isn't happening to your hobby.

[NuclearDem]

37. I'm a pretty heavy gamer, and I'm not aware of the kid murdering or wife pimping.

If you're referring to GTA, then that's still not accurate. I honestly can't think of a game developed by a professional developer that's like that. (Independent flash games are a whole different story).

[mwrguy]

64. Fallout 2

[NuclearDem]

67. True, Fallout does have that problem.

I stand corrected.

Though I will mention this is first time that I, a religious Fallout player, have even heard of this. It's hardly an integral part of gameplay.

[Javaman]

75. A game from 1998? please give.,..

1) a current example that does that without mods

2) please give us the content in which it appears in fallout 2.

I currently have that game on my computer at home via steam and it doesn't have a single instance of the things in allege.

[NuclearDem]

81. 1) Nothing released by a professional developer that I'm aware of.

Independent flash games like on Ebaumsworld are a whole different matter (one website had a Sandy Hook game, which the webmasters pulled, much to the cries of "censorship!!!!" by whiny gamers).

2) The Childkiller reputation. fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Childkiller

Thing is, like I said elsewhere, it had never occurred to me that something like this ever existed. Probably because playing Fallout didn't activate some "must...kill...children!" subroutine in my savage gamer brain.

Hell, Skyrim (also by Bethesda) doesn't even allow you to pickpocket children, much to the chagrin of anyone wanting to get their Alchemy training gold from Babette.

[Javaman]

89. and again, that is from 1998. since then in Fallout 3

you can't kill children.

using fallout 2 as a current example of "killing children" in a game is still a really bad example since the game is 16 years old and only collectors have the game.

[LostOne4Ever]

41. Usually

Those type of games are not intended or even rated for kids...Just sayin.

Anyway, why do you think it needs more oversight?

[joeglow3]

43. You see those things in movies

Both have ratings systems. Where is the difference?

[TacoD]

51. What kind of oversight did you have in mind? (nt)

[mwrguy]

78. The rating system that so many here are touting is not enforced

Enforcing it would be a good place to start.

[Humanist_Activist]

83. How would it be enforced? Its voluntary like the MPAA or "Explicit Lyrics"...

labels on music. It can't be enforced by the state, you run into first amendment issues there, and open up movies, books and music to the same type of regulation.

[Bjorn Against]

90. It actually is enforced

I am asked for my ID when I buy an M rated game far more often than I am when I go to an R rated movie. Now you can argue that kids can still get their hands on these games and often that is true, but that is true of any adult products. Kids can also get their hands on alcohol but that does not mean the drinking age is not enforced.

[Warren DeMontague]

54. cool story bro

[keroro gunsou]

68. games like that

aren't meant for kids at all.....

[GiveMeMorePIE]

93. Hell no.

Any political party that would propose censorship of video games would lose the Millennial vote for decades, as well they should.

[Archae]

3. Pure horseshit.

I'm a 54 year old white guy.

My favorite character in videogames is a purple dragon.
That make me racist towards non-purple dragons?

[KittyWampus]

5. are there already existing societal stereotypes regarding purple dragons?

If so, are they reinforced by game play?

It's highly curious that DU'ers lament media's influence in some instances (FOX News, Rush) and yet insist it doesn't exist in others (violence in media across the board).

[Archae]

7. Well, purple dragons are considered superior...

I'm kidding, of course.

Spyro was originally green, but he kept disappearing into green landscapes on the PlayStation.
So they made him purple.

In the "Legend Of Spyro" series, a purple dragon was special, except one turned evil.
Sort of like Dick Cheney.

In "Skylanders," he's just one of the team.

I don't consider violence to be "encouraged" or "instigated" by violent movies, TV, or video games.
If so, there'd be far more violence among viewers or players.

[Puzzledtraveller]

13. ^^winner^^

[KittyWampus]

22. Just googled Skylanders…. I LOVE The artwork. Wish I had a proper gaming system.

If I were to get a gaming system… do you recommend one for a casual player who just like goofing around?

[Archae]

44. Do you want any of the newer games?

Then get an Xbox 360.

Older systems are for sale at used game stores a lot, like Gamecube.

They are like about $10.

[KittyWampus]

45. Thanks Archae! There's a gaming store about an hour from here, I'll stop in. My games so far

have all been stuff I can download onto my computer from BigFish.

[Warren DeMontague]

58. Gonna second the Xbox 360 recommendation.

A lot of good stuff out there for the 360.

[KittyWampus]

61. thanks, it would depend on the other games available for it. I have so many already downloaded.

If I go to a console…. I'd probably be most interested in games that offer something different.

[Warren DeMontague]

62. I'm not sure what yr. into. Skylanders is fun, especially for the kids because it comes with this

glowing portal and then you swap out the different figures on the portal to put them in the game. Good marketing ploy, too, because then people buy the little figures. They're cool looking, though.

A lot of the 360 games should have come down in price significantly. I don't know how much you like science fiction or shooting games, but both the Mass Effect and Bioshock franchises- particularly Bioshock infinite- combine good gameplay with a really rich narrative experience.

[KittyWampus]

65. I like marble popping, if you know what that is… but not shooting bad guys.

I like building and time management if the game is well done.

At first glance, Skylanders looks like relatively good natured fun with palatable & tempered cartoon violence.

[Warren DeMontague]

66. Minecraft.

Seriously, I've seen some amazing stuff built in minecraft. Plus there's a creative mode so you don't need to fight at all.

[KittyWampus]

71. Thank You for your input. I've heard wonderful things about Minecraft. My family might also enjoy it

Really, thanks for the advice.

[Warren DeMontague]

72. Oh yeah, its all minecraft all the time, around here.

But it is pretty cool.

Oh also one more: Portal 2. You are running around with a gun - but a gun that shoots portals. As in, round doors. Shoot one into the floor and the 2nd one into a wall across an uncrossable chasm- jump into the first one, pop out the second one.

It involves major spatial puzzle solving skills. GREAT game.

[Supersedeas]

48. blending in is the new agenda

[Humanist_Activist]

16. There's a clear difference between news media, which is presenting itself as factual...

but ends up outright lying to the public, and fictional narratives, which are presented as such, whether interactive or passive.

[KittyWampus]

18. Our subconscious mind does not distinguish between fact and fiction.

[Humanist_Activist]

21. Yes it does, do you know anything about the human brain?

Indeed, its one of the first defenses many of us have, a bullshit detector, if you will, and I still don't know how this relates to the topic in the OP anyways.

[Supersedeas]

88. apples and oranges

[LittleBlue]

4. Meh, first games promote violence, now racism

Time to stop blaming games for society's problems.

It's a freedom of expression issue anyway. They can make games as violent and racist as they please. The most violent and racist like GTA are the most popular, no one wants to play games cleansed of fun by political correctness.

[1000words]

6. Here's a completely different viewpoint:

Fascinating hypothesis and a great presentation:

http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world

[Supersedeas]

50. thanks for the link and alternative perspective

racism seems to be the first and only answer for many

[CBGLuthier]

9. Oh yeah I really look forward to an exciting game of "Black Doctor Heals Everyone."

I see a lot of foolish projection by these "researchers."

[Javaman]

11. ugh, here we go again.

thank you tipper gore for starting this way back when.

I'm 50 years old. I'm pretty dang far left. Not quite fringe but pretty close.

I consider myself an FDR Dem.

yet, YET, I'm a massive video game player.

but guess what? I realize they are only games. Funny how that works.

do I own a gun? hell no, I wouldn't allow one in my house.

The bottom line is this, if you are a normal rational human being with even an ounce of morals and ethics, you then know the basics of right from wrong.

at the end of the day, "violence" via games is only a symptom and certainly not the cause.

if you are fucked up to begin with, the game, movie, tv show, book, magazine, conversation is all that will take to send you over the edge.

so please, enough with the video games or do we have to have a conversation regarding how comic books were the scourge of 1950's teens and lead them down a road to being punks and hoods?

with each and every new generation there is something the old generation needs to blame teens or young adults "bad" behavior on, instead of just looking around and seeing just how little we listen to them, pay attention to them or just plain disregard them.

THAT is the cause.

but hey, we would rather blame something easy then, you know, talk to people.

now get off my lawn before I fire my virtual shotgun at you.

[Puzzledtraveller]

12. Yet got that right

Studies conducted by and backed by people who do not know anything about gaming. Crap like this is then ravenously consumed by the "ban everything that I do not do or personally enjoy" contingency.

[Baclava]

14. these guys are playing the wrong games

I always play female characters so I can have hot love scenes with females of other species

[Humanist_Activist]

19. The media go fucking apeshit over shit like that, talking about Mass Effect as a porn simulator...

same thing with Dragon Age, doubly so with the same sex relationships you can form in those, and the "sex scenes" are something out of a PG-13 movie, if that.

[NuclearDem]

40. I've seen more graphic sex scenes on cable than I've seen in ME.

And no one on cable has anywhere near Archangel's reach...

[Puzzledtraveller]

52. Fable must be teaching kids to fart in public

and laugh obnoxiously too. lol.

[Baclava]

60. I, for one, approve of the alien-human hybrid experiments going on

We must spread our seeds to the stars

It is our destiny

[Blue_Adept]

20. And comic books are destroying our youth too. And Dungeons & Dragons.

The list is endless.

[steve2470]

24. Step One: Download World of Warcraft

Step Two: Install it.
Step Three: Pay for it for a month.
Step Four: Log in and go to Orgrimmar, Stormwind or any other well-populated city.
Step Five: Say in local chat, I like Obama.
Step Six: Sit back and watch deluge of racist and ignorant comments flood by.

[Humanist_Activist]

27. So basically its just like any unmoderated message board or chatroom on the internet? n/t

[steve2470]

28. yep

WoW is famous for the racism. I love WoW, just don't care for the racist idiots.

[Xyzse]

35. You know, that's one of the reasons I almost never talk in general chat on WoW

When I used to play. Though last time I touched it was 2010, barely playing the year or two before that. Wow, it's been 4 years, since I've completely left Azeroth.

[steve2470]

36. general chat is usually stupid, ignorant and vile, and full of trolls

At one point I hid it. I missed out on some stuff but the vileness was driving me batty.

[Xyzse]

38. I can understand.

I sometimes do miss the people I got to know from back then.

[LostOne4Ever]

33. There is your problem!

You are in the main cities!

You should be heading to Goldshire....especially if your realm is Moonguard

[Betty88]

73. Good old Goldshire

LOL good times

[uponit7771]

47. amen

[Lizzie Poppet]

25. In other news: some studies have crap methodology.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

53. Do you think this is one of them?

There was nothing in the summary of their methodology that leapt out at me as absurd.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

29. Great, now all we need is this asshole....

Only JOE-mentum can save the children!

[Sunlei]

30. my blue gnome hates those green trolls & I'll kill every one of those MOFOs I see!! it's so real

violent music makes the pixel kills even more FUN!!! LOOT them all like a republican!

[Union Scribe]

31. If the way people talk on X-box live are any indication

there are a ton of racists playing these games as is, without any influence from the games themselves.

[LostOne4Ever]

39. No video game can force you to do anything you don't want to do

Or act in a way against your will.

Video games, like any other art-form (and they are an artform despite what the late Mr. Ebert thought) is a reflection of our society.

If you find a game to be objectionable, don't buy it. If you have kids, and they want something you don't agree with or have issue with, either make sure they understand the difference between reality and fiction and your issues with the game, or strictly control what games they play.

I personally think the former is better, as the latter can be hard to impossible to enforce especially if your kid has a friend who also plays games.

Now if you will excuse me, time to get back to Bravely Default.

[Warren DeMontague]

59. Not true. I played Titanfall and now I'm stomping around the neighborhood in a giant metal man

I have to admit, it's sort of fun.

[NuclearDem]

42. There's a ratings system for a reason.

Some games--and subsequently, some gaming communities--aren't appropriate for some people.

I avoid PvP multiplayer games like the plague simply because they do foster trash talk and despicable behavior and attitudes. Cooperative multiplayer or single-player games with extensive modding communities are a different story though, and that's where I prefer to be.

[mwrguy]

79. It isn't enforced in any meaningful way

Kids are still playing games that glorify racism, violence, and rape culture.

[NuclearDem]

80. It's enforced as best as it can be.

People buying M rated games are carded at places like GameStop, and age verification is required on PSN and Xbox Live to purchase games through them (I don't know about places like Steam or GOG).

Kids are always going to find some way to get their hands on games that are too mature for them--they'll pirate them, have an older sibling buy it for them, or parents won't bother with the ESRB system and buy whatever games their kids want. ESRB can only do so much; it's a ratings system that does what it can to educate players and parents on the content (which it does very well if you've read its content summaries on its website), but it can't force parents to make smart decisions.

Games have to change, and in a big way, they are starting to police themselves and respond to the feedback of the gaming community. A lot of gamers and professional reviewers are getting fed up with misogyny and racism in their games and are getting equally fed up with mindless violence that serves no purpose in the narrative. As bad is it might be, games like Doom and Duke Nukem would be far less welcome if they had been released now than back in the 90s.

Unless laws regulating purchase of M rated games to minors akin to tobacco and alcohol are put in place, the ratings system and judgement of merchants and distribution companies are going to have to work, and parents have to do their part in doing their research before buying games.

[Humanist_Activist]

84. What games glorify "rape culture" and no, obscure or independent games such as "Rapelay" don't...

count. I'm talking games you can buy at Gamestop, Walmart, Steam or GOG.

In addition, your argument equally applies to books, movies, tv shows and music. Do you demand the same enforcement in their cases as well?

[mwrguy]

85. GTA

[Humanist_Activist]

86. No it doesn't, have you every played a GTA game? n/t

[Bjorn Against]

91. There has never been a rape scene in a GTA game

[mwrguy]

92. Fucking then killing hookers is totally non-rapey

Got it.

[Bjorn Against]

95. Have you ever played the games?

There is no rape in the game. There is prostitution, although it is a very tiny part of the game, you can easily get through the entire game without picking up a single prostitute and even if you do pick up a prostitute it is impossible to engage in any violent act during the sex act. Now it is possible to kill the prostitute as she is walking away after the sex scene ends just as it is possible to kill any pedestrian in the game but there is no rape or any sort of violence during the sex scene.

[AverageJoe90]

69. I'm sorry, but as a gamer.....I gotta call some B.S. on this.

BTW, before anyone jumps on me, I'd like to say that I do believe that the video game industry really could use some diversification & reform, and that there's lots of great ideas that haven't been explored because the industry, honestly, is often too afraid to take that chance, you know? They're too afraid step out of their bubbles and try new ideas.

In all honesty, however, I don't think it's hard to see that those gamers out there who DO exhibit prejudice, or even outright racism, towards People of Color.....had these issues either before they started gaming and/or were taught this way by their parents or other authority figures.

[deaniac21]

70. Wake me when it's over

[rrneck]

96. Waste of money. You can't regulate fiction. nt