Can you tell a person's feelings based on video games?
Video games have been a part of society for many years. People have considered it to be harmful to their children. They believe that seeing violence creates violence, and that people are likely to do immoral acts because they are shown in games. I wonder about the emotional impact on games. Can you tell how a person feels by the games they are playing? Can you see why they are choosing these particular video games? I decided to use myself, and some friends to see if I can answer these questions.
At this moment in my life I do not know where I am going. I am at a standstill. I need to wait in order to take the next step. The only thing I can do is to wait, and I do not like waiting. I am not in complete control of my life, and there is very little I can do about it at this time. The game I play the most at the moment is the Sims 3. Sims is a game where you create people with personality traits, and control their life. They get married, have families, and become old. You create their houses, and everything about their life.They go through the cycle of life. Reading the description it seems to be boring, because that is what you do everyday. Why would it be interesting? I feel that this particular game helps me feel control of something. It makes me think of how I would set up my house, and what kind of house I would like to have in the future. I can create a world of my own, and have crazy people be the bosses. It is definitely something that fits with my anxiety in this time. Control is the one thing I feel I do not have the freedom to do.
Freedom is another example that I found in these questions. I asked my friend what kind of games he enjoys, and he mentioned many world games. Skyrim, Fable, games where you can create your own destiny. They are games which give you the freedom of choice. You do not create your personality, just how you look. These are games which give you the freedom to choose your path. He mentioned that he likes to play games that give him freedom ,and when asked - he suggested that it was because he has been married for six years, and uses games as an escape. To have your own space is an important part of being human, and to have the freedom to do this is essential.
Based on these examples, I believe that you can tell a person’s emotions based on their game playing. I think if you watch your child choosing to play games where they shoot people, ask them about their day. When you see your child choosing to play a world game, like World of Warcraft, Skyrim, Fable then gives them more freedom in their life. Whether it be to allow them to play this game when they choose, or to go on a trip they have always wanted to go. When you see your friend playing the sims on a regular basis, help them understand what they are control of in this life. I do not think it will stop the person from playing the games, but it might help them in the long run.
Video games may not just be a form of entertainment. They could be away for parents to understand how their child is feeling. Based on my own theory I would like to create an experiment to support my hypothesis. Overall, video games have an affect on children, and how they are going to be in the future. Whether it is for good or bad is up to the individual, and parents should limit their usage, but not force them to stop playing.
