“Why Violent Video Games Are Good for Girls,” by Carmen Tieu, a student, discussed her reasons based on her personal experiences playing first person shooter games. However, there are good reasons as to why girls need to play these violent video games. It gives girls an opportunity of beating guys at their games (83). Playing first person shooter games provides freedom from feminine stereotypes and boosts a girl’s confidence (83). Playing the games provides a different way that girls bond with guys (84). When girls play the violent video games, they can get an insight into the troubling part of the male subculture (84).
The aggressiveness and violent nature of these chats are meant to repulse girls. Girls are considered to consider socialized activities that promote talk and togetherness and not violence in video games that is about shooting and killing (82). According to feminists, video games that are violent are always used to objectify women as toys that are sexualized for men’s gratification (82). Tieu’s first reason is that it gives girls an opportunity of beating guys at their own game (83). Starting it as a female obviously will encounter various defeats in the beginning, but one learns with time.
Guys always have physical strength advantage when it comes to playing normal games as they are faster, taller and stronger. However, video games provide a platform where the competition is equal, and no physical strength is required. It gives a girl some adrenaline rush to beat a “bunch of testosterone-driven guys” (83). Since there are no female video games that allow them to play incidences such as shooter games, playing first person shooter games provides freedom from feminine stereotypes and boosts a girl’s confidence (83). Females are always portrayed as non-violent, motherly and caring individuals that are not supposed to enjoy games with violence and war themes. Playing these games breaks these stereotypes. It aids girls with confidence and become outspoken as they can psychologically stand up to aggressive males (83).
Tieu’s third reason is that by playing first person shooter games, it provides a different way that girls bond with guys. There is some respect attached when an individual notices that a girl can play Halo. There is always a difference in talking when a guy notices that a girl can perfect on the male skills that he perfects on too during playing (84). There is a perverse sense of pride that is gained when an individual knows they are better than the other. Finally, when girls play the violent video games, they can get an insight into the troubling part of the male subculture (84). It is not always that when male acts like sexist jerks are that they are always like that. When a guy is with a girl, they share the soft one-on-one conversations and depict the softer side. However, the offensive macho comes in when they are in their male groups that tend to of fake character (84).
The article by Christopher J. Ferguson probes the question as to whether video game violence is bad. However, he acknowledges that the research to establish this argument can go round in circles without ending. Always when a mass shooting happens somewhere, it is linked to violent video games (Ferguson). However, why exactly do individuals try to relate these two phenomena? According to the article by Tieu on why video games are good for girls, there is a psychological aspect involved that boosts the confidence of a girl when she is involved in what is meant to be guy games. The video games are supposed to enhance learning and not promote violence as in the case of Tieu. Girls can understand guys and how the macho and sexists nature arises when they are with other guys. Therefore, the debate of whether violent video games promote violence is something that will be non-ending unless the right aspect is tackled (Ferguson).
Societal moral panics are what guide the media psychology, and this has an unfortunate tendency of drift towards moralism in which objectionable content is automatically bad and an imitation towards the road of ruin (Ferguson). Big conclusion, moralistic pronunciations, and frightening headlines need to be forgone for scholars to be able to understand the sophisticated influence of video games.
Tieu’s article is well written based on her personal experiences. Tieu states good reasons as to why girls need to play these violent video games. She claims that first person shooter games can be good for girls. Playing violent video games give girls equality to boys because physical strength is not needed (83). Playing violent video games breaks the female stereotypes and boosts a girl’s confidence (83). Tieu states that since playing violent video games, it is much easier to talk to males (84). There is always an aggressive spirit in the chatting as a way to show the opponent is inferior. The insults are always degrading and gay-associated since the play is always meant to be aggressive. I enjoyed reading Tieu’s article because I see myself as her playing violent video games. Her personal experience playing Halo is what drew me in. “Why Violent Video Games Are Good for Girls” is a must read for anybody who loves to play the first-person shooter games.
- Ferguson, Christopher J. “Is Video Game Violence Bad?” Psychologist, vol. 27, no. 5, 2014, pp. 324-327. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Accessed 17 Sept. 2016.
- Ramage, John D., et al. Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings, Brief Edition. 10th Ed. Pearson, 2016.
