Investigating what the media says to the intended audience about images and stories:
• Implied values and attitudes transmitted by the media
• Accessibility – understanding it as well as being able to obtain/access it
• Gender of the intended audience – is it directed mainly to young females, males, no specific gender?
• Is this a “respected” media or something that offers a chance to “defy” authority?
The content we are looking for will focus on children, not parents and teachers.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Respectful or Not?
Are handheld video games "condoned" by parents or teachers or is it something that offers a chance for children to "disobey" authority?
I came across this video in my travels and thought it kind of relates to this question. It might be a bit radical and seem a bit senseless to blame people's problems on something like video games but what do you think? Personally, I think video games obviously influence children. However, if children have the proper morals instilled in them the material viewed by video games is not going to influence a child enough to commit a shooting based on the influence of the video game. Does this boil down to the parents? Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmP4SYfXpQE
I posted this link on another post but it is kind of comical how the media over reacts to these games. Check out this comic. Too funny! http://kotaku.com/brilliant-comic-slams-how-the-media-treats-video-games-1343541477
I can't open your link for some reason but I agree that most often if a child is brought up in a good healthy enviroment they can tell right from wrong and won't go out and shoot people but unfortunately from what I have seen alot of the times the kids who are playing the really violent games are not from what I would consider good healthy homes. Plus as a mom who has a boy who is in the process of getting a diagnosis for asperger syndrome there are things that some kids can differentiate betweenas being funny and not funny , appropriate and not appropriate that my son has a harder time at. I try very hard to keep all his shows and games at what I consider a good rating , unfortunately he goes to a house of his friends and play it there. It does boil down to the parents to some degree but not all parents and not all kids are the same, what I consider a bad game another may not and kids visit friends , it is a very hard thing to control. I wish that there was some way to make people more aware of the dangers of letting their kids play some of these games.
Thank you for your reply Janice. I agree with you that parents need to take some responsibility on this topic. You are right, as a society we need to become more aware of the dangers indicative of video games. Whether the video game is violent or not it sends a message to the children and it is always important to discuss with children what the message is that they are receiving. When the message gets skewed I believe that is when children begin to 'defy' authority. If you go to this website it actually gives you some specific rating systems in the video game world as well as other helpful tips for parents. (If the link does not worry, try copy/paste). http://mediasmarts.ca/video-games/resources-parents-video-games
I think all games with violence are not condoned by teachers or parents, and because of this the child feels that they are defying authority. To many children, defying authority is an exciting opportunity.
As most parents and teachers realize, all things influence children (in either big or small ways) and it is the adult's responsibility to steer children toward things and situations that respect authority.
Thank you for your reply Diane. That is a fairly broad statement that you make when you say, "I think all games with violence are not condoned by teachers or parents..." I do agree with you. What educator or caregiver would approve of such violence. While I do agree that all things influence children, it is important to TALK to them about their feelings and beliefs and thus give them a sense of power, which is believe is much of the crave for these violent video games.
There are a lot of other opportunities for children to "disobey" authority that I don't believe society can put the blame solely on video games. Parents need to take an active role in supervision while their children are playing video games. Some games are outrageously violent but common sense has to prevail in regards to ages allowed to be witnesses to such violent games.
I think that even though parents believe they have taught their child right from wrong and their child knows what games they are not allowed to play on kids are influenced by their friends and will play the forbidden game if given the opportunity. As soon as games are forbidden by parents or teachers it is an automatic draw for kids. My child is 8 and has been told numerous times that the game 'Hallo' is not age appropriate yet he will try to play it whenever he is at his cousins or at a friends house. It is balking authority and it is peer pressure that has kids playing games they know their parents or teachers do not approve of. At school I hear kids in elementary talking about playing really violent games that belong to their dads. Parents need to pay closer attention to what their children are playing. These violent games do influence children's behavior whether they are being brought up in healthy environments or not.
I find it interesting that you bring up peer pressure. In the world we live in today, children and teens as well as some adults are enveloped in the world of video games, both handheld and not. Within this world there are certain views that people have and just like our world, I think there is always the importance to fit in. Very few people want to be the outcast or the person who doesn't fit in, especially children. Imagine what this would do to their self-esteem. I am no parent but as a soon-to-be teacher I can see the benefits of having a discussion about the issue of peer pressure. I believe that we need to start enabling children with the value of feeling comfortable in their own skin and doing what is right because they feel it is right not because someone told them it is right. If only the media would portray this message...The world has changed a lot since I was young and the importance of discussion is becoming more and more critical.
I think these handheld or any kind of games have nothing to do with the parents/teachers at all. Parents really have no control over what their children play on handheld devices or what is even being sold and advertised. If there is a will, there is a way for a child to play a forbidden game. The advertisements are marketed for children and teens. Kids see it, want it, parents buy it and approve it with no real knowledge of what they are buying, or out of pure laziness to keep kids quiet and happy. I myself have been fooled into buying a game for a child that was so totally inappropriate. TV's made great babysitters and handheld devices and computers have replaced them. The games start off innocent enough, but once they have your child hook, line and sinker your soon on to the violent games. Be aware, any of these hand held devices are robbing our children of a social and active life and one of reality. To our children, killing is but a game, a cool game! Cool, Right?
That's okay, thanks for your reply Julie, my apologies for the removed posts above (not sure what happened). While I do agree with you that we have less control over what children see on advertisements it is hard for me to believe the idea that parents/teachers have nothing at all to do with video games. As a parent/teacher I think it is your responsibility to select what is appropriate for your child or the class in general, but that is only my opinion. A recent article that we discussed in class was on the topic of censorship. Do you believe parents and teachers ought to censor material or should we allow our younger generations to discover things on their own? In this censorship article it discusses parents and roles. "Parents floundering with the decision about how to guide and, where necessary, restrict what their children view, it can be reassuring that they do not have to take sole responsibility for every decision for a child. Internet service providers are required to offer Internet filters, and libraries and schools do in fact take a very serious view of assessing material they offer as acceptable for children. However can any external authority adequately replace parental guidance or supervision?
My friend Lyn, a parent of sons and a grandparent, believes parents bear the responsibility to bring up their children with the right values. “They are the ones who should decide what they want for their children. It is not the responsibility of teachers or schools to give children values in the first place.” She explains that she believes parents today rely too much on ‘other people’ to influence their children." (Rae, H. (2008). All These Choices! Parents and Censorship. Retrieved from http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/ojs/index.php/tlg/article/view/88/74
You know, my personal opinion was always that video games are negative because they’re violent. This project encouraged me to consider my opinion and think critically about it. After doing some research I believe that inherently violent video games should be censored. Parents need to be parents and censor these violent video games until children are mature enough to handle this sort of entertainment responsibly. I see now that there are many positive sides of video games that I didn’t realize before. This website has so much information about video games and their pros and cons: http://mediasmarts.ca/video-games
One part of this website that I found particularly interesting was the fact that it includes educational video games for children. An organization called Games for Change promotes the use of games for educational and social action. This particular website allows you to browse by age, interest, human rights, or even games designed by kids for kids. Perhaps this is a great alternative for children to feel powerful and in control, yet in a different, safer form from those dreaded killing games. Enabling that sense of empowerment and authority in children might instill the value that there is no need for them to defy authority. They can be entertained in a respectful manner whilst still having fun playing video games. The website can be found here: http://www.gamesforchange.org/play/
Do you remember the article, Violence and Fear in Folktales? In this article it does mention video games, but first it talks about how 'scary' folktales were used to teach children how to respond to fear. It was not used to scare them, but to teach them how to feel and respond to being scared. I wonder if there is a place for violent video games to do the same. If a parent were supervising a young child playing a violent video game, would there be opportunity to teach that child about shooting and fighting instead of sheltering a child from this topic?
"The moral superstructure of healthy children does not break down when they are faced with violence in the media" (Boudinot, 2005, para.16)
Reference: Boudinot, David. (2005) Violence and Fear in Folktales. Retrieved from http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/ojs/index.php/tlg/article/view/31/35
I think if a child is brought up to know the difference between right and wrong what they watch or play should not make a difference in how they behave.
I believe its the childs responsibility to know right from wrong that is if the parents set out the important morals to succeed in life as they were growing up. Also I believe it depends on the age of the child starting to play these controversial video games such as COD or Halo which should definitely boil down to the parents.
I came across this video in my travels and thought it kind of relates to this question. It might be a bit radical and seem a bit senseless to blame people's problems on something like video games but what do you think? Personally, I think video games obviously influence children. However, if children have the proper morals instilled in them the material viewed by video games is not going to influence a child enough to commit a shooting based on the influence of the video game. Does this boil down to the parents?
ReplyDeleteHere is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmP4SYfXpQE
I posted this link on another post but it is kind of comical how the media over reacts to these games. Check out this comic. Too funny! http://kotaku.com/brilliant-comic-slams-how-the-media-treats-video-games-1343541477
DeleteI can't open your link for some reason but I agree that most often if a child is brought up in a good healthy enviroment they can tell right from wrong and won't go out and shoot people but unfortunately from what I have seen alot of the times the kids who are playing the really violent games are not from what I would consider good healthy homes. Plus as a mom who has a boy who is in the process of getting a diagnosis for asperger syndrome there are things that some kids can differentiate betweenas being funny and not funny , appropriate and not appropriate that my son has a harder time at. I try very hard to keep all his shows and games at what I consider a good rating , unfortunately he goes to a house of his friends and play it there. It does boil down to the parents to some degree but not all parents and not all kids are the same, what I consider a bad game another may not and kids visit friends , it is a very hard thing to control. I wish that there was some way to make people more aware of the dangers of letting their kids play some of these games.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reply Janice. I agree with you that parents need to take some responsibility on this topic. You are right, as a society we need to become more aware of the dangers indicative of video games. Whether the video game is violent or not it sends a message to the children and it is always important to discuss with children what the message is that they are receiving. When the message gets skewed I believe that is when children begin to 'defy' authority. If you go to this website it actually gives you some specific rating systems in the video game world as well as other helpful tips for parents. (If the link does not worry, try copy/paste).
Deletehttp://mediasmarts.ca/video-games/resources-parents-video-games
I think all games with violence are not condoned by teachers or parents, and because of this the child feels that they are defying authority. To many children, defying authority is an exciting opportunity.
ReplyDeleteAs most parents and teachers realize, all things influence children (in either big or small ways) and it is the adult's responsibility to steer children toward things and situations that respect authority.
Thank you for your reply Diane. That is a fairly broad statement that you make when you say, "I think all games with violence are not condoned by teachers or parents..." I do agree with you. What educator or caregiver would approve of such violence. While I do agree that all things influence children, it is important to TALK to them about their feelings and beliefs and thus give them a sense of power, which is believe is much of the crave for these violent video games.
DeleteThere are a lot of other opportunities for children to "disobey" authority that I don't believe society can put the blame solely on video games. Parents need to take an active role in supervision while their children are playing video games. Some games are outrageously violent but common sense has to prevail in regards to ages allowed to be witnesses to such violent games.
ReplyDeleteThanks for you comment Brenna, I couldn't agree more. Do you think that teachers play a role when it comes to video games?
DeleteTarla Olson says:
ReplyDeleteI think that even though parents believe they have taught their child right from wrong and their child knows what games they are not allowed to play on kids are influenced by their friends and will play the forbidden game if given the opportunity. As soon as games are forbidden by parents or teachers it is an automatic draw for kids. My child is 8 and has been told numerous times that the game 'Hallo' is not age appropriate yet he will try to play it whenever he is at his cousins or at a friends house. It is balking authority and it is peer pressure that has kids playing games they know their parents or teachers do not approve of. At school I hear kids in elementary talking about playing really violent games that belong to their dads. Parents need to pay closer attention to what their children are playing. These violent games do influence children's behavior whether they are being brought up in healthy environments or not.
I find it interesting that you bring up peer pressure. In the world we live in today, children and teens as well as some adults are enveloped in the world of video games, both handheld and not. Within this world there are certain views that people have and just like our world, I think there is always the importance to fit in. Very few people want to be the outcast or the person who doesn't fit in, especially children. Imagine what this would do to their self-esteem. I am no parent but as a soon-to-be teacher I can see the benefits of having a discussion about the issue of peer pressure. I believe that we need to start enabling children with the value of feeling comfortable in their own skin and doing what is right because they feel it is right not because someone told them it is right. If only the media would portray this message...The world has changed a lot since I was young and the importance of discussion is becoming more and more critical.
DeleteI think these handheld or any kind of games have nothing to do with the parents/teachers at all. Parents really have no control over what their children play on handheld devices or what is even being sold and advertised. If there is a will, there is a way for a child to play a forbidden game. The advertisements are marketed for children and teens. Kids see it, want it, parents buy it and approve it with no real knowledge of what they are buying, or out of pure laziness to keep kids quiet and happy. I myself have been fooled into buying a game for a child that was so totally inappropriate. TV's made great babysitters and handheld devices and computers have replaced them. The games start off innocent enough, but once they have your child hook, line and sinker your soon on to the violent games. Be aware, any of these hand held devices are robbing our children of a social and active life and one of reality. To our children, killing is but a game, a cool game! Cool, Right?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThat's okay, thanks for your reply Julie, my apologies for the removed posts above (not sure what happened). While I do agree with you that we have less control over what children see on advertisements it is hard for me to believe the idea that parents/teachers have nothing at all to do with video games. As a parent/teacher I think it is your responsibility to select what is appropriate for your child or the class in general, but that is only my opinion. A recent article that we discussed in class was on the topic of censorship. Do you believe parents and teachers ought to censor material or should we allow our younger generations to discover things on their own? In this censorship article it discusses parents and roles. "Parents floundering with the decision about how to guide and, where necessary, restrict what their children view, it can be reassuring that they do not have to take sole responsibility for every decision for a child. Internet service providers are required to offer Internet filters, and libraries and schools do in fact take a very serious view of assessing material they offer as acceptable for children. However can any external authority adequately replace parental guidance or supervision?
DeleteMy friend Lyn, a parent of sons and a grandparent, believes parents bear the responsibility to bring up their children with the right values. “They are the ones who should decide what they want for their children. It is not the responsibility of teachers or schools to give children values in the first place.” She explains that she believes parents today rely too much on ‘other people’ to influence their children." (Rae, H. (2008). All These Choices! Parents and Censorship. Retrieved from http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/ojs/index.php/tlg/article/view/88/74
What are your thoughts?
My reply was above and I messed up.... Should have added my name somehow. Julie
ReplyDeleteYou know, my personal opinion was always that video games are negative because they’re violent. This project encouraged me to consider my opinion and think critically about it. After doing some research I believe that inherently violent video games should be censored. Parents need to be parents and censor these violent video games until children are mature enough to handle this sort of entertainment responsibly. I see now that there are many positive sides of video games that I didn’t realize before. This website has so much information about video games and their pros and cons: http://mediasmarts.ca/video-games
ReplyDeleteOne part of this website that I found particularly interesting was the fact that it includes educational video games for children. An organization called Games for Change promotes the use of games for educational and social action. This particular website allows you to browse by age, interest, human rights, or even games designed by kids for kids. Perhaps this is a great alternative for children to feel powerful and in control, yet in a different, safer form from those dreaded killing games. Enabling that sense of empowerment and authority in children might instill the value that there is no need for them to defy authority. They can be entertained in a respectful manner whilst still having fun playing video games. The website can be found here: http://www.gamesforchange.org/play/
Do you remember the article, Violence and Fear in Folktales? In this article it does mention video games, but first it talks about how 'scary' folktales were used to teach children how to respond to fear. It was not used to scare them, but to teach them how to feel and respond to being scared. I wonder if there is a place for violent video games to do the same. If a parent were supervising a young child playing a violent video game, would there be opportunity to teach that child about shooting and fighting instead of sheltering a child from this topic?
Delete"The moral superstructure of healthy children does not break down when they are faced with violence in the media" (Boudinot, 2005, para.16)
Reference: Boudinot, David. (2005) Violence and Fear in Folktales. Retrieved from http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/ojs/index.php/tlg/article/view/31/35
I think if a child is brought up to know the difference between right and wrong what they watch or play should not make a difference in how they behave.
ReplyDeleteI believe its the childs responsibility to know right from wrong that is if the parents set out the important morals to succeed in life as they were growing up. Also I believe it depends on the age of the child starting to play these controversial video games such as COD or Halo which should definitely boil down to the parents.
ReplyDelete