This weeks lecture featured a guest speaker who had some very interesting ideas to share with the class. She spoke of a study that was conducted in which students were followed for three years with their use of technology being a focal point of this research. Some of the results included that students demonstrate a great ability to fracture their focus, many thought reading was boring, and the two results I am going to focus on were that some students really enjoyed violent videogames and students were massive consumers, but not critical consumers. These two last points I do not find to be surprising, but I do find to be relevant knowledge that educators need to consider.
With children spending more of their spare time engaged in the interactive, challenging and often violent digital media of videogames than any other generation, it is important that educators learn about the effects this is having on their student's minds. The literature on the effects of violent videogames is very controversial with no clear consensus on the exact impacts that playing these games is having on childrens' development. A study conducted by Holtz & Appel (2011) tracked over 200 10-14 year old boys and found some negative repercussions of playing age inappropriate videogames. By distinguishing between the types of violent videogames played, the researchers found that first-person shooters were associated with outward displays of aggression whereas those that played fantasy type games were more likely to have internalized problems. Another study, this one by Ferguson & Kilburn (2010) found that there are many problems with the studies that have been done about violence and videogames such as using males since males tend to be more aggressive than females even without the influence of videogames. Despite these troublesome factors, Ferguson & Kilburn (2010) believe that the concern over violent videogames is legitimate.
I have been an avid videogamer from a young age. It is only by being too busy by university life that I do not play very often anymore. I still enjoy the occasional videogame and I find them fun, no matter how unproductive they may be. The games I often played were violent in nature not because I sought the violence out, but because the games of the highest quality and competitiveness were usually violent. I predict this is not the reason why many young children play these games, but as the guest speaker mentioned, one of the students interviewed played violent videogames because he found it to be good for releasing his aggressiveness. I do think sometimes certain children need an outlet for physical aggressiveness, I'm just not convinced a videogame can provide that. I think that violence in videogames comes down to the responsibility of the parent to determine if their child can handle the images and if they are mature enough to rationalize what they see without imitating it or acting on impulses. Video games are not inherently evil, they just need to be monitored correctly and can even be educational if text or problem solving is involved.
The second topic I wanted to comment on that was brought up by the guest speaker, and actually ties in with the first topic, is the idea of media literacy. She commented on how young people are becoming massive consumers, but not critical consumers. This is very relevant to what we have been learning in this course as media literacy is increasingly being recognized as an important competency. Potter (2010) lays out a strong argument for why media literacy is important for young people and the avenues that it needs to be learned in. It is stated that the purpose of media literacy is to "gain greater control over one's life, particularly the constant influence from the mass media" (p. 681). I definitely agree with the importance of media literacy, but am skeptical that is can be effectively learned by students within the classroom. Schools are a place where children are for the most part free from the constant bombardment of advertisements; it acts as a haven from the mass media. Since children are not surrounded by the ploys designed by marketers within the classroom, I think it is difficult for teachers to demonstrate to children the potential negative consequences of advertisements unless they are in the moment experiencing it. The strategies of marketing can be mimicked by the teacher, but it will never grab the students attention or catch them at the right moment like it does outside the school. Just like violent videogames, media literacy is something that parents should be aware of and intervene and teach their children if their child is taking mass media at face value. There will always be potentially negative influences in the lives of children, it is just becoming increasingly more difficult for parents to censor all of it for their children. As educators we need to recognize this and continually aim to present a view of the world in which students can distinguish fantasy from reality, and yet be capable of being critical of reality.
Thank you to anyone who has read my blog and I hope that I was able to stimulate some thoughts for you on the subjects I chose to discuss as they relate to education. This will be my last post on "Integration with the Hoff" but the experience has been an enjoyable one and I could see myself blogging in the not-too-distant future. Bye for now Interweb!
References:
Ferguson, C. J. & Kilburn, J. (2010). Much Ado About Nothing: The Misestimation and Overinterpretation of Violent Video Game Effects in Eastern and Western Nations: Comment on Anderson et al. (2010). Psychological Bulletin, 136(2), 174-178.
Holtz, P., & Appel, M. (2011). Internet use and video gaming predict problem behavior in early adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 34, 49-58.
Potter, J. W. (2010). The state of media literacy. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Meda, 54, 675-696.
