The Corruption Of Blacks In Video Game Stereotyping

The sociological interpretations of video games are almost as numerous as the games themselves, and like many aspects of our society can be harmful or beneficial depending on how they are utilized by an

In the modern world, violence is an everyday occurrence, and the video game Grand Theft Auto not only promotes violence and aggression, but it also normalizes it, creating a negative impact on society. Video games have gained a lot of popularity as of late, nearly every person has some sort of gaming device, whether that is a console, handheld device, or even just a smartphone. Consequently, the act of playing video games regularly has become accepted as ordinary in today’s culture. It seems strange to think that a video game could have any effect on society, whether it be positive or negative. However, through the presentation of offensive language, aggressive behavior, and gun violence, the video game Grand Theft Auto will undoubtedly assist you in comprehending the negative characteristics that a video game has the potential to possess.

Stereotypes are defined as an oversimplified image or idea about a specific type of person. It is believed that stereotypes about African Americans began in the United States around the 18th century. Anti-Black stereotypes arguably the most developed racist stereotypes in racial framing and have been used as foundations for the capture, enslavement, and later, the subjugation of African American people. Stating that stereotypes are just a joke is an understatement of the consequential after – math racial images and stereotypes have on the African American population. Even stereotypes that are considered positive are often concealed with negative implications and reasons as to why they exist. Most people may think they only hold stereotypes in the back of their head, but studies show that people are more likely to fall back on them in making judgments when they feel challenged, face uncertainty, or experience sensory overload. Using information from class, comparisons from the films we have watched and Ed Guerrero’s Framing Blackness, this paper will analyze the stereotypes in the television show Empire.

The media sets the tone for the morals, values, and images of our culture. Many people in this country, some of whom have never encountered black people, believe that the degrading stereotypes of blacks are based on reality and not fiction. Everything they believe about blacks is determined by what they see on television. After over a century of movie making, these horrible stereotypes continue to plague us today, and until negative images of blacks are extinguished from the media, blacks will be regarded as second-class

Researchers regularly research the media’s influence on race perception, but rarely examine one specific form: video games. Unlike formats such as television and newspapers, video games provide an interactive platform for users to live in an alternative world and perform acts considered socially wrong in real societies (Burgess et al). This form of virtual simulation can reinforce how one perceives stereotypes at higher rates. Not only do the majority of these games feature white protagonists, but also task them to defeat ethnically-ambiguous enemies. Currently, the most popular genre is shooter games set in the Middle East, where the

In relation to violent video games, in the Black community, the same violence that’s shown in some games is currently happening in real life. Video game violence can be influenced by violent games and can be the cause of violence happening in most Black communities. Some games show rage and anger which can cause them to act that way in real life. In the article, “Background Of The Issue”, Writers from ProCon, claim that, “Critics of violent video games argue that playing violent games desensitize players to real life violence and is responsible for the increasing rates of bullying”. Gamers who play these games are becoming more and more desensitized by being exposed to what’s shown in violent video games such as, fighting, bullying, disrespecting

A stereotype is a way to easily categorize a group of people. For example, the media portraying black people as gangsters and thugs. When the media portrays certain groups of people as unrealistic stereotypes in an abundance people will train their brain to think that way. A stereotype is something was taught to people, we weren't inherently born to think that different groups of people act a certain type of way without some form of influence. Stereotyping usually happens with minority groups especially in the media that's being constantly shoved down our throats.

Video games have been around since 1950s and have gone a long way from what they are today. They are in no doubt a big part of our society and with doing so they have been criticized by many. Video games come in different categories which include: action, racing, adventure, role-playing, simulation, strategy, and sports. The purpose of these games can be casual, serious, art, Christian, and educational. You can play these games on different types of platforms as well to make it the gamers preference. In today’s society, it is common for one to play video games. Some people play causally and some play professional to make money. Even though, video games are now mainstream, they are still being stigmatized and it has been like that since the creation of them. Some people see video games as a waste of time and that they are unproductive, but after being studied thoroughly by researchers that is not true; video games are known to have benefits. It can help children with development and it can help adults perform better at their job. It can also help people with different disorders. Video games should not be stigmatized because of the advantages ranging from cognitive to social benefits for children, people with disabilities, and adults.

Schools may teach tolerance and diversity but that’s a goal nearly impossible to reach if our minds are being influenced by the persuasive power of the media, and our minds are being influenced by the types of stereotypical visual media we are exposed to. That is what Burgess Et Al are suggesting to their readers in the article “Playing with Prejudice: The Prevalence and Consequences of Racial Stereotypes in Video Games” (551-557). They begin to influence their audience by demonstrating examples from researchers in this field as well as citing their own work to build credibility. Their argument works well. Each study they share with their audience builds further proof of negative influences. They don’t hesitate to use negative words in the article and although many negative words are used, like: hostility, impulsive, aggressive, criminal, devalued, the words

As video games become more and more popular, we will inevitably see an increase in amount of video games being produced. The growth in popularity of video games is facilitated by the creation of a website known as Twitch.com. This website allows gamers and content creators to stream themselves playing video games online and interact directly with a live audience via chat. This new platform makes gaming both more accessible and more acceptable. The social stigmas that accompany video games are diminishing; in fact there has been an increase in competitive electronic sports as well. Logically, the growing interest in video games encourages programmers to make more and more games. Melinda Burgess et al presents an interesting perspective about video games. She explores the prevalence of racial stereotypes and how their effects are detrimental to society as a whole. In Burgess’s essay, “Playing with Prejudice: The Prevalence and Consequences of Racial Stereotypes in Video Games”, she provides fantastic commentary on how top selling video games show “overt racial stereotyping” (Lunsford et al 551) and negatively affect how we think. By providing statistics and data about the videogames that she is critiquing, she effectively shows that there is may be a correlation between video games and how we think and interact with the world around us.

Since their early beginnings the video game industry has given distorted images of people both physically and psychologically. Both men and women have been heavily impacted by their ridiculous body images of both men and women. The impact that video games are having on its users starts as young as 10 when most kids start to play video games. This number has declined about 7 years( Luke Plunnet Kotaku) Although they seem meaningless and just part of the story, components of video games can actually have a lasting effect on the minds of children leaving the future generation to be one thats racist and disrespectful to women.

Over the years, videos have changed because more women and diverse race characters exist in games. In the past, videos games leading roles were predominantly white male characters and supporting roles for women. In fact, most of women characters’ roles were less important because women characteristics were based on stereotypes. Because of this, the exposure of video games and I will discuss about how video games such as Grand Theft Auto, Assassin’s Creed, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider exert a media influence over the ages of 9 to 18 years affects their gender role.

Video games first started being introduced into the world around the 1970’s and since then have evolved and made an impact on the real life and online world. Throughout the years of video games making more and more of an impact in the entertainment industry, the question to weather they are a form of media still remains. Media is defined as “the main means of mass communication (television, radio, and newspapers) regarded collectively.” And depending where you’re coming from media can include the video gaming industry, film industry, tv industry and of course the news and marketing industries.

Since several video games contain some sort of violent content, it has been hypothesized that gamers nowadays tend to be more aggressive. Gentile also states that “playing violent games increases aggressive behaviors, increases aggressive cognitions, [and] increases aggressive emotions.” This is an intense list of negative consequences, but what makes violent games instill such hostility? Many video games today include multiplayer in addition to classical single player modes. With real life opponents, gamers are much more competitive and inclined to demonstrate dominance over friends and real life opponents. Whereas facing a computer can be competitive, there may be a stronger feeling of satisfaction after defeating a nonvirtual enemy which could translate into real life aggression towards real people. Though correlation does not mean causation, the fear that violent video games may increase problematic antagonism is clearly not misplaced.

The video game industry is a multibillion dollar a year industry, so it isn't hard to understand why they go through great strides to protect their image. They provide entertainment to all ages, genders, nationalities, and ethnicities. Contrary to the opinions of the industries opponents, video games are not destroying our youth, they challenge, educate, and provide an escape from an oppressive world.