Video Games, Propaganda and Acceptable Violence

Im not a blind or bias pacifist, but I have many reservations when it comes to the US army ,war and violence. From a family and a town were the army appears with so many negative effects that it is only acceptable in  WWII- like situations, the army always had a negative stigma. So maybe I am bias, maybe I see the signs of US military aggression and I cringe. Maybe that is my own prejudice, but this time I don't think so. Video games like Battlefield, Call of Duty and Homefront promote and glorify violence, specifically , US military violence. 

There are a few points I want to make with this blog. #1 This is blatant propaganda, and though the face of military and government propaganda has changed over time, the message and effect has not. #2. Video games shape children (and adults) more than many people recognize. This is not exclusive to military violence. The violence promoted in other games, like Grand Theft Auto, are equally damaging. 

The face of propaganda has changed greatly since the rallying, effective posters of the WWII campaign.  

 In this new age, any obvious propaganda can be ripped apart by the unlimited world of bloggers and activists. People have more access to information and are avid promoters of their own opinions. The US government and the US military have developed new ways to propagate their message to Americans, one of which is feeding American youth images to inspire patriotism with support of the military, and subtle objectification of US enemies. Those ideals and goals remain the same as  they were in the older era, its just the delivery system that has changed with the media. Now it is through movies and video games . 




Propaganda...
 Goal Number 1: INSPIRE PATRIOTISM: 
In WWII propaganda, Patriotism meant caring about liberty. This was portrayed by beauty and by each doing their own part, no matter where or what their specific job was. At that time, the Government played on peoples emotions by using women and beauty and appealing to what was important to them, In this case, their farming. 

In Homefront, the American Flag is everywhere. However, instead of clothing a woman in a non-violent image, it is imbedded in the background of images fraught with war, violence and destruction. Patriotism means defending the US and great sacrifice in the name of the flag. This portrays the US as something that is truly worth fighting and dying for. 

Goal Number 2: Objectification 

Without objectification of the enemy it is much harder to do them harm. This also has changed over time. During WWII the Germans and the Japanese were brutally dehumanized by the US propaganda campaign. 

This image depicts Germans as a reincarnation of the vicious huns. 

The dehumanization in the next on goes without saying...

Since then, mainstream America has become much more politically correct... thankfully. However, this can make objectification more dangerous, as it can be harder to spot. However, I think that the Battlefield 3 symbolic destruction of a hotel with arab writing is evidence enough that the government still seeks to dehumanize their enemies. 

then...

then...

          What kind of values does this impart on the children who are playing this game? Images like this make the arab writing on the hotel a symbol of what the US is fighting. If this is a child's reference point when they see written arabic, that will have a negative impact on their view of arabic culture. It propels children who are playing to game to view themselves as superior, otherwise why would they be heros for destroying the hotel and all the presumably innocent civilians inside? 

           I recognize the impact that the US Government has on every aspect of our lives, from the food we eat to what we can learn, but I don't support these images being repeatedly imprinted in the minds of American Kids. 

This leads to my next point, that video games help shape and influence children as they develop. Is anyone really going to deny that? This CNN study (http://articles.cnn.com/2008-11-03/health/healthmag.violent.video.kids_1_violent-video-video-games-game-genres?_s=PM:HEALTH ) sits that the 90% of american kids play video games for an average of 13 hours per week, and studies show that game violence makes kids more aggressive in real life. (Not a shocker.) The Huffington Post gives it an even higher estimate, at 97 %. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/16/survey-97-percent-of-chil_n_126948.html) The Huffington post article states how easy it is for children to obtain M (mature) or AO (Adult Only) rated games. According to Dr. Phil and American Psychological Association, "The number one negative effect is they tend to inappropriately resolve anxiety by externalizing it. So when kids have anxiety, which they do, instead of soothing themselves, calming themselves, talking about it, expressing it to someone, or even expressing it emotionally by crying, they tend to externalize it. They can attack something, they can kick a wall, they can be mean to a dog or a pet." (http://www.drphil.com/articles/article/297) Does that sound healthy? He also points out that video games don't teach morality, and give points for killing. Is that really what parents what to impart on their children? You can tell a child killing and violence are wrong, but that message is easily convoluted by images of violence towards strangers, women, enemies etc. They become incredibly desensitized.  This is important in early childhood, all the way through teenage years. 

             In the following article Judge James Burge did not see Halo 3 as a defense for murder, but he "still believes that the game influenced the murderer heavily." (http://news.softpedia.com/news/Judge-Believes-Halo-3-Murderer-to-Be-Influenced-by-Videogames-102336.shtml) His sentiments are actually very common. The popular crime show, Law and Order SVU has an episode where teenagers commit a murder that is heavily influenced by a game that appears to be modeled after Grand Theft Auto. (http://lawandorder.wikia.com/wiki/Ghost). The lines between what is acceptable in a virtual world and acceptable in the real world does not take much instability to get blurry. At this point there is little debate that children (and even adults ) can be influenced by violence in video games. Some may argue that patriotic violence in military games can be more productive than street violence in Grand Theft Auto. 

Personally I am uncomfortable with the influence the US military has on the minds of young players, and the support they are getting through this kind of motivation. Images and beliefs that children see and are surrounded with as they develop stay with them for the rest of their lives, informing their decisions and their actions. Im not comfortable with 90 % of children growing up with the images that make violence ok and make them less likely to question the moves of the US military.