Dr. Dahlia Keen Articles
Take 2 Joysticks and Call Me in the Morning (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)
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Somewhere in Between
The even newer development of MMORPG's (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games), such as EverQuest and more recently World of Warcraft, has (in some regions of the world) usurped the popularity of single player games.
British Pediatrician and Psychoanalyst Donald W. Winnicott (1990), believed that before a baby learns to separate from his/her parents, the child needs a soothing object (such as a blanket or pacifier), to take the place of the unavailable or abandoning parent. This object helps the baby manage the space between him/her and the parent, which is called "transitional space" (Winnicott 1990). The advent of adolescences marks the second separation and individuation from parents. The computer game may act as the soothing transitional object, comforting and befriending, and allowing for a creative process to deal with some of life's stressors about separation, adulthood, society, and inadequacies in relationships. It's like a posse. They don't have to do it alone. The computer game as transitional object in some cases may serve the purpose to slow down and distance oneself from demands, and to delay growing up. The gamer has effectively prolonged his/her current position and at the same time gained a rewarding sense of control in a medium where his/her mastery is uncontested: gaming. In both cases, the person may enter the life tasks when ready, with increased confidence, self awareness and ability. Future research should look into this, and how playing these games can be a positive developmental stage or process.
Future research should also look more deeply into the profile and personality of these "high risk" players. Most importantly, those with a history of violence or susceptibility for violence should be prohibited from playing these games. Ideally violence should be reduced in these games (APA, 2005), and we need to make these perpetrators less heroic. They should pay many consequences for their evil doings and show more empathy for the victim. The victim should also show their pain and suffering so as to develop more of a potential for empathy in the perpetrator (APA, 2005). "Good guys" should be rewarded. They should possess a veneer of coolness and triumph to promote identification. An electronic superman, wonder woman, or a really sensational police officer could be interesting. Future research should also look into how these games are being played, as not everyone plays the same. People use these games differently, and for different reasons. Just because it's a violent game, doesn't mean that everyone is guilty of mass destruction. There are soft and hard players. There has been some research into different types of players (Alix, 2005), and research should continue. It would also be interesting to investigate how many players enjoy both violent and non-violent games alike, versus a sole preference for one over the other. The vast popularity of violent games up against the best selling game of all time The Sims makes you wonder.
Games should be supervised by parents and there should be a limit on the time spent playing so it does not distract from other constructive activities. Adolescence is a time of many changes and teens need room to explore thoughts and feelings. We need to find out what is going on in the game for them as the experience is not the same for everyone. We need to scratch beneath the surface and explore what meaning, if any, these games have for them, what the characters are all about, and what the make believe murders are all about. We need to find out why these games are so popular. Academic institutions and families should offer outlets for these types of discussions. Parents should find out what their kids would be doing instead if they were not playing games.
We have to make nice to the video game industry and put gaming into perspective.
Gore laden video games may be dangerous to those that are metaphorically, (or not), already holding a loaded gun. These games for them may have the power to trigger aggression and violence. The games are not the bad guys,—but some of these players may have mental health problems that need to be acknowledged. It's important to pay attention to who the player was before the game, and to acknowledge that those with pre-existing aggression or violent tendencies might prefer violent interactive games, as it would be consistent with their behaviors. Most players are aware that the game is not real and that they are playing in an unreal world. Ironically enough, we are talking about preventing deaths, but many feel that if they can't play these games, they would rather die.
Special acknowledgement and thanks to 1337 gamer Jon Retting for sharing his wisdom in the field of video games.
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