A Marxist Critique Of Video Games

[Krypto-Communist]

What I want posters here to comment on is the tidbit below regarding a Marxist critique of video games. The studies published by the members of the APA confirm a link between "increased aggression" and playing video games. Now, if the research confirms this, then I guess I can't really agree or disagree with it. Although I could criticize it and possibly offer an alternative hypothesis but that's what I'm going to do.

What I'm saying is: So what? So what if video games increase aggression and decrease empathetic behavior? Isn't that what capitalism wants? I find it amusing that schools continue (atleast at the pre-school and K-4 level) to teach the ways of empathy, sharing and cooperation when these traits don't really mean jack-shit within a capitalist society. You think any rich prick or any type of businessman, clergyman, etc got to where he is by "sharing or being a nice-guy"? Hell no! This country IDOLIZES people like Donald Trump, Dickless Cheney, etc.

What I'm saying is, shouldn't schools be teaching the opposite? Not saying that they should and that's what I want. What I say is that, if they want capitalism to continue, should schools, churches, families, be teaching the aspects of sharing, kindness, and empathy?


From Wikipedia: Video Game Controversy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_controversy#Criticism_related_to_childr en.27s_social_development)


Over two hundred studies have been published which examine the effects of violence in entertainment media and which at least partially focus on violence in video games in particular. Some psychological studies have shown a correlation between children playing violent video games and suffering psychological effects, though the vast majority stop short of claiming behavioral causation. Critics to these argue that many of the studies involved fail to use standardized and reliable measures of aggression, and many selectively discuss findings that support their hypothesized link between video games and aggression, and fail to discuss findings that disconfirm this link. [citation needed]

The American Psychological Association summarizes the issue as "Psychological research confirms that violent video games can increase children's aggression, but that parents moderate the negative effects."[2] Craig A. Anderson has testified before the U.S. Senate on the issue, and his meta-analysis of these studies has shown 5 consistent effects: "increased aggressive behavior, thoughts, and affect; increased physiological arousal; and decreased prosocial (helping) behavior".[3] However, some studies explicitly deny that such a connection exists, most notably Anderson and Ford (1986), Winkel et al (1987), Scott (1995), and Ballard and Lineberger (1999).


Some psychologists and parents' groups have criticized video games because they believe they cause children to sit alone in the television room for many hours in a row, interacting with a machine rather than running and playing outside as they exercise and improve their social skills by playing with other children. They claim that video games can be even more addictive to children than TV, and therefore more likely to isolate them socially in this way. Some studies have purported that there is a correlation between depression and playing computer games.


Perhaps the most blistering response came from social critic and author J.C. Herz, who suggested that some criticisms of video game violence come from distinctly Marxist and socialist viewpoints from academia, and do not reflect the realities of modern life:

That's what we do in America: glorify autonomous individualists. What else would we possibly glorify? The autonomous collective? One can only imagine the kind of arcade game that would pass muster with the leather-elbow-patch set (leap over the running dogs of capitalism, liberate the oppressed proletariat, and accumulate enough petition power to defeat the evil Murdoch). (Herz, Joystick Nation, 1997).



Specifically, Herz claimed that such things as a "lack of cooperative behavior" and "aggressiveness" are both necessary and useful traits in a capitalistic society, but that academic psychologists tend to ignore this.

[LSD]

What I'm saying is: So what? So what if video games increase aggression and decrease empathetic behavior? Isn't that what capitalism wants?

No.

Capitalism wants a docile and maleable proletariat so that the bourgeoisie has to expend minimal energies in exploiting it.

The capitalists take care of their own, for the rest of us, they hope that a decade of "education" and a healthy dose of "traditional values" will turn us all into obedient little drones ready to follow their every command,


I find it amusing that schools continue (atleast at the pre-school and K-4 level) to teach the ways of empathy, sharing and cooperation when these traits don't really mean jack-shit within a capitalist society.

That's because those concepts have a natural resonence and unless they are delt with at a young age, people might begin to question the "rules" of the society around them. Remember, school doesn't only reach "cooperation" it also teaches that "life is unfair" and "you have to work to get ahead".

Mixing capitalist "values" with communalistic thinking helps to normalize capitalism and make social hierarchy just a "part of life".


What I'm saying is, shouldn't schools be teaching the opposite?

No.

Schools are not designed to raise "businessmen", they're designed to raise workers and the last thing the bourgeousie wants is rambunctious proles!

That's the whole point of "Church", rememebr? To pacify us so we're that much easier to control. All that nonsense about "heaven" and the "American dream", it's not made for capitalists' ears, it's made for ours.

[RevMARKSman]

This is a very opportune moment to post a couple of images (hopefully I'm allowed to use them if I provide a reference) about the stereotype of video games building aggression and crime.

http://ctrlaltdel-online.com/comics/20051012.jpg (http://ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d=20051012)

http://ctrlaltdel-online.com/comics/20031215.jpg (http://ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d=20031215)



If I want to play video games, it's not your business or anyone else's to stop me, no matter why or how I play them.

[RevolutionaryMarxist]

If the youth are more violent, they will be more radical and prone to a revolution or radical actions, yet the other down side is that the video games themselves might turn them into fat couch potatoes, or World of Warcraft Nuts

[Krypto-Communist]

Capitalism wants a docile and maleable proletariat so that the bourgeoisie has to expend minimal energies in exploiting it.

What you're saying is, neither empathy or antipathy should be encouraged? The ruling class just wants robots? That makes sense. Although, you can't dispute the hypothesis that aggression and antipathy are useful traits within a capitalist economy.



The capitalists take care of their own, for the rest of us, they hope that a decade of "education" and a healthy dose of "traditional values" will turn us all into obedient little drones ready to follow their every command,

So, all of that compulsory schooling and parent mandated Sunday school that I went to was just to serve a tiny elite?

Ouch!

I am already conscious of that fact but I remember the exact moment I figured it out, it made me feel cheated and not really in control of my life at that time. The school system and our economy is good at killing any potential people might have.


That's because those concepts have a natural resonence and unless they are delt with at a young age, people might begin to question the "rules" of the society around them. Remember, school doesn't only reach "cooperation" it also teaches that "life is unfair" and "you have to work to get ahead".

So what exactly explains our existence then? Why do we question the rules of society? Was it just sheer chance? Being in the right place at the right time? What exactly is the communists' psychological makeup or what circumstances have we been through that made us receptive to communism and leftism and critical thinking? I mean, there are alot of people who were raised in oppressive conditions and they are reactionary as hell! But then there are some who were raised in oppressive conditions (like myself for example) and they turn out just like us.

Has anybody ever done a study on this stuff?



Schools are not designed to raise "businessmen", they're designed to raise workers and the last thing the bourgeousie wants is rambunctious proles!

I jsust have to wonder...will it ever come to the point where open hostility and state backed aggression against any dissidents is actively pursued in the USA? When I make hints at totalitarian socieites of the past and comparing them with the USA, people always mock my comparisions. They say something like, "well....is the US government rounding up people and gassing them?"

Then I reply, "no, but it could come to that if the ruling class is desperate and the material conditions make it acceptable in the eyes of most people (the middle-class)."


That's the whole point of "Church", rememebr? To pacify us so we're that much easier to control. All that nonsense about "heaven" and the "American dream", it's not made for capitalists' ears, it's made for ours.

Makes sense to me. After reading alot of religion critiques, it kinda makes me feel sorry for people who take it seriously, like my aunt. My mom on the otherhand, made us go to Church about once every 3 months and around the holidays. We weren't crazy about it and I don't really mind the people who attend church once a month, because if you really think about it...they're secular down to the bone.

I've read in one of those "Dummies" books that most pastors, ministers, priests, etc...don't really believe in God but acknowledge that religion may play a postive role in people's lives. I don't really mind those types of people, it's the fundamentalists that worry me and it seems like their numbers are growing...especially in my neck of the woods.

[CCCPneubauten]

Let us see....

I've played/play the same games and listen to the same music as those kids who shot up their school Columbine...would I EVER do that? NO!

Simple as that...

Violence is more deep seated than video games or music...

[MiniOswald]

Its not the games that make us violent, we're already violent, but they do provide us with some fun new ideas

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Originally posted by [email protected] 6 2006, 04:25 PM

What I'm saying is: So what? So what if video games increase aggression and decrease empathetic behavior? Isn't that what capitalism wants?

No.

Capitalism wants a docile and maleable proletariat so that the bourgeoisie has to expend minimal energies in exploiting it.

The capitalists take care of their own, for the rest of us, they hope that a decade of "education" and a healthy dose of "traditional values" will turn us all into obedient little drones ready to follow their every command,


I find it amusing that schools continue (atleast at the pre-school and K-4 level) to teach the ways of empathy, sharing and cooperation when these traits don't really mean jack-shit within a capitalist society.

That's because those concepts have a natural resonence and unless they are delt with at a young age, people might begin to question the "rules" of the society around them. Remember, school doesn't only reach "cooperation" it also teaches that "life is unfair" and "you have to work to get ahead".

Mixing capitalist "values" with communalistic thinking helps to normalize capitalism and make social hierarchy just a "part of life".


What I'm saying is, shouldn't schools be teaching the opposite?

No.

Schools are not designed to raise "businessmen", they're designed to raise workers and the last thing the bourgeousie wants is rambunctious proles!

That's the whole point of "Church", rememebr? To pacify us so we're that much easier to control. All that nonsense about "heaven" and the "American dream", it's not made for capitalists' ears, it's made for ours.
Quoted for truth.

[Janus]

I would see violent video games as a problem only if a very malleable little kid were playing it. Other than that, video games generally only have small side effects on older kids. In fact, I feel a lot more mellow after playing video games for a while.

Of course, there have been violent acts linked with video games for example, the Asian guy who stabbed a fellow CS player but chances are that guy was messed up in the first place and it was only a matter of time before something set him off.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Pro-U.S. imperialism and anti-communism are the worst part of video games; not violence. There's a reason the U.S. Army makes video games.

[Janus]

There's a reason the U.S. Army makes video games.
Yeah, they might as well put recruitment posters and sign up sheets in the games as well. :angry: Wait, do they do that?

[bloody_capitalist_sham]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America's_Army

America's army is an online game made by the american army.

I remember reading somewhere its supposed to try to get people interested in the armed forces.

[Janus]

I remember reading somewhere its supposed to try to get people interested in the armed forces.
That's the sole purpose of it. They are trying to appeal to a certain sector of the population. The whole game is equivalent to a training and introductory video except that you can actually control your character.

Will it sway some people? Probably but I doubt that it will be the sole reason why someone would want to join the armed forces.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

There's also a game (I don't know if it came out yet) where you play the U.S. Army invading Venezuela to oust a "tyrant".

[Janus]

There's also a game (I don't know if it came out yet) where you play the U.S. Army invading Venezuela to oust a "tyrant".
Mercenaries 2?

That hasn't come out yet.

There are also the Tom Clancy Ghost Recon games that are also very pro-US in its depictions. But most people buy the games for the action and generally ignore the political crap in it.

[MrDoom]

Well, we have Guerilla Warfare for the NES, originally known in Japan as Guevara... :D

[ComradeOm]

Originally posted by Lennie [email protected] 7 2006, 08:50 PM
There's also a game (I don't know if it came out yet) where you play the U.S. Army invading Venezuela to oust a "tyrant".
And how many times have Hollywood action films portrayed American heroes "liberating" third world countries? How are games different?

[EwokUtopia]

And in the west (where the vast majority of video game consumption occurs), the goal for the elites is not to have docile masses, but rather viciously hungry masses who crave every new thing and have ignorant world views that lead them to believe war is fun, and increase the likelyhood of them signing up to enforce corporate control over the worker states primarily in the economic south.

[Janus]

How are games different?
They allow you to take an active role in doing it. <_<

[ComradeOm]

Originally posted by [email protected] 8 2006, 03:19 PM

How are games different?
They allow you to take an active role in doing it. <_<
Really? Because I&#39;m fairly sure that my ability to rapidly click on a series of pixels has no affect whatsoever on my ability to fire an actual gun. Even more bizarrely a decade of playing computer games has not turned me into a drooling manic :o

As a child the big argument raging in the media was over the influence of violent films on children. All sorts of scaremongering and hand-wringing took place after the release of films such as Terminator. The arguments against computer games are equally full of shit.

[Janus]

Really? Because I&#39;m fairly sure that my ability to rapidly click on a series of pixels has no affect whatsoever on my ability to fire an actual gun. Even more bizarrely a decade of playing computer games has not turned me into a drooling manic
Of course not. I&#39;m just saying that the propaganda methods are somewhat more direct in video games such as the aforementioned ones.

[CCCPneubauten]

Originally posted by [email protected] 7 2006, 10:04 PM
Well, we have Guerilla Warfare for the NES, originally known in Japan as Guevara... :D
It didn&#39;t have much political stuff in it, well...if you call chucking a &#39;nade ad a group of Batista suporters politics than it does... :P

[Intelligitimate]

Was the OP supposed to be a Marxist critique? Because it sure as hell doesn&#39;t look like one.

The vast majority of capitalist video games suck. Some of the best games out there are completely open source and free, such as Nethack.