Editorial Blames Video Games For Society’s Problems

January 31st, 2008 by Erich Jurgens in Articles, News, Offbeat

Yesterday I would have told you that by now everyone’s heard of the Fox News incident. Apparently, this isn’t the case because a recent editorial written by Kay Hymowitz titled “Child-Man in the Promised Land” (which sounds like a horror show from the 60s) shows that people are still ignorant as ever about video games and society. The article is extremely biased against media, stating that males mature into men at a far later age in this generation. The reason? Media, and can you take a guess specifically which type of media has the main role according to Hymowitz? You guessed it, video games.

“Nothing attests more to the SYM’s [Single-Young-Males] growing economic and cultural might than video games do. Once upon a time, video games were for little boys and girls—well, mostly little boys—who loved their Nintendos so much, the lament went, that they no longer played ball outside. Those boys have grown up to become child-man gamers, turning a niche industry into a $12 billion powerhouse. Men between the ages of 18 and 34 are now the biggest gamers; according to Nielsen Media, almost half—48.2 percent—of American males in that age bracket had used a console during the last quarter of 2006, and did so, on average, two hours and 43 minutes per day. (That’s 13 minutes longer than 12- to 17-year-olds, who evidently have more responsibilities than today’s twentysomethings.) Gaming—online games, as well as news and information about games—often registers as the top category in monthly surveys of Internet usage.”

All in all this is an ill prepared editorial with little research to back it up. Accusing males who use media of being children is simply immature… and childlike. When Cooper Lawrence ranted about Mass Effect, the gaming community responded by sabotaging her book on Amazon. I wonder what the back lash from gaming community towards Kay Hymowitz’s article will be, hint, hint.