Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked

Henry Jenkins, Director of comparative studies at MIT, produced an excellent essay that systematically shuts down eight of the biggest myths about video games. From violence to games as art, from anti-social loserism (my words, not his) to the idea games are just for teenage boys, Jenkins offers intelligent insights and research to show people the light. Bookmark this one and refer to it often. Hell, learn it by rote if you have to. This piece could be a very good starting point for anyone eager to possess some enlightening comments for misinformed anti-gamers. One of the money shots:

“Violence has always been and remains a central interest of humankind and a recurrent, even obsessive theme of culture both high and low. It engages the interest of children from an early age, as anyone familiar with the classic fairy tales collected by Grimm, Andersen, and Perrault are aware… To shield children right up to the age of 18 from exposure to violent descriptions and images would not only be quixotic, but deforming; it would leave them unequipped to cope with the world as we know it.” Many early games were little more than shooting galleries where players were encouraged to blast everything that moved. Many current games are designed to be ethical testing grounds.

Reality Bytes: Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked [PBS via The Guardian]

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