1. Ryan Giviens
Renee Hobbs
Children in Media
28 September 2012
Assignment #3
Can a child tell the difference between a game and reality, between what exists only
in pretend and what exists in the physical realm? In many cases, I do believe that the
answer is yes. However, what happens when a game becomes a representation of reality, or
at least something that can occur in the physical world? These are the types of questions
that come to mind when I consider how children consume media and how they respond to
its evolution over the years.
When I was only in middle school, around the age of ten, I invested a large quantity
of my time in video games. The Nintendo 64 game console had just been released a few
years before and I was absolutely addicted. I remember one of my favorite games being
Mario Party, in which the players were presented with the options of single or multiplayer
modes. One choice allowed up to four controllers to play against each other in a battle to
win the most mini games and earn the most stars while the other permitted the use of only
one controller so that one person could beat mini game levels to win the game. I would let
hours pass without stopping and I thought nothing of it. The game was just a game that I
enjoyed playing and I was quite aware that, unfortunately, nothing existed in real life that
was even remotely similar to this game.
Today, I look at the top grossing video games and I am a bit shocked as to what
media in which children spend their time engaging. Nearly every best seller is a first person

2. shooting game, one of the most popular being Halo. Since the original game was released,
over half a dozen sequel versions have been produced and put on the market. This game is
only one of many first person shooting games that are most commonly rated MA for
mature. However, it is not only adults that purchase and play these games. Statistics show
that adolescents still make up at least one quarter, and likely more, of the video gamer
population. Most often, they end up buying into the same gaming media that the older
markets play.
Clearly, there are a multitude of differences between both the games and the
markets of the past and present. During my childhood, the vast majority of video games
were based upon fanciful ideas that did not closely mirror reality. The only market for
these games were children my age because the technology was so new and could only
appeal to the small age bracket that could learn how to use it. Contrastingly, today’s video
games transcend all age brackets and consist of much more lifelike graphics and situations.
Due to the higher concentration of technology comprehension in the digital age, anyone can
understand gaming systems, games themselves, and the concepts that they introduce.
Although many games still embody the original ‘harmless innocence’ of this particular
media, many make apparent a presence of serious issues. Demonstrations of violence, war,
theft, and uncontrolled driving are just a few examples of the many problems that these
games so carelessly expose to children.
Research proves that these violent games that are being mass marketed today do
have a strong influence on younger gamers. If the game condones fighting then the children
are inclined to imitate what is occurring on the screen in real life. However, where is the
line drawn between what they feel they must imitate and what they know cannot be done?

3. When I was a young gamer absorbed in my Mario Party, I was aware that it was only a
game and could not be replicated in real life. I do not believe that any game on its own had
an affect on my behavior or value system. I can infer, though, that playing video games in
general instills in children a sense of ‘passion’ that does not exist in the real world. Were I
ever to lose any game, I would throw a fit and become very angry at the game, even
knowing that it was only a machine.
There is a noticeable pattern between violence and video games in general; the
matter of whether or not the content alone is a determining factor may still not be settled.
Blatantly pretend content did not make me violent but the games and the system
themselves did. However, since such lifelike content did not exist when I was younger,
there is no way to compare them in a controlled manner. I believe that what is most
important is recognizing that the vast majority of video game content has taken a drastic
shift from make believe to a realistic realm and that regardless of the target audience,
children will engage in video gaming media: as long as they can get their hands on it, it is
made for them.
Mario Party – 1998 Halo 4 – 2012