Class Reaction 2

I certainly learned a lot from the article and in class about the effects of video games. When the Social Cognitive theory is applied, it makes perfect sense. Children learn by observing. When they see this violence, it increases their aggressive levels, anxiety levels, aggressive thoughts, and feelings. Similar to the other video game article,  where the study found that male characters were portrayed as macho and females were depicted in more of a sexual way.  When they see this, children are learning what boys are and what girls.

The article about video games made me really think. I did not think video games were not as bad as television, but the article convince me. When we play these games, we are actively engaging. I know when I play a game, I do find myself only picking a girl, who is pretty and I pick that character every time. Video games may increase aggressive thoughts and behaviors, but I do not think it is an excuse for the violence that children may commit. I think it is the parent’s responsible to limit what children watch on television and what video games they play. I would never let a child play a rated M game. We need to be responsible and use the rating system. It similar to letting a child see a pg 13 or rated R movie. We need to take responsibility.

Class Reaction 1

This week when our class was discussing whether gender was socially constructed. I had to completely agree with the class’s analysis. Gender is socially constructed, for example, a baby’s parents immediately assigns gender related colors of blue or pink based on gender. Boys are given action figures, while girls are given dolls.  When a boy wears a pink shirt or a girl dresses more like a tomboy, we immediately look at them strange or question why. Media also shows us what boys are and what girls are. I thought that our discussion kind of collaborated with the Dill reading about video games. The findings showed men are being portrayed as more physically aggressive and women are being portrayed as very sexualized.  These can be dangerous images, especially to young people who are not mature enough or have the knowledge to counter these images. Gender related images found in the media can give youths illusions of what gender really is. For example boys are supposed to be macho and physically aggressive, while girls are supposed to be thin and more sexual. As a result youths try to live up to what they see in the media. In addition, these images can lead to early sexual activity among youths. Images of differentiating gender are definitely socially constructed and they have consequences on our youth.