Virtual games are computer programs designed for entertainment that are played using a keyboard, mouse, joystick, gamepad, or other input devices. They can be single-player or multi-player and offer players a variety of challenges and goals to achieve. Some games require skill, strategy, or problem solving while others focus on action, adventure, exploration, or social interaction. Games also have different settings, themes, genres, styles, and designs.
The design of virtual games has significant effects on human behavior, including how people approach sexuality, gender roles, and relationships.
Games can promote positive behaviors like teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking.
They may also reinforce harmful stereotypes about women, men, LGBTQ+ individuals, and nonbinary people. Virtual games can contribute to sexual normalization and distortion through their representations of sex, gender, intimacy, and power dynamics. This essay will explore the ways in which game design influences these factors.
Game developers create characters who engage in various sexual acts, such as kissing, hugging, touching, and having sex. Players often assume these identities to progress in the game, leading to normalized sexual expectations. The game's plotlines can encourage players to interact with others online, promoting intimate interactions that might not occur otherwise. In addition, players may identify with certain characters and imitate their actions in real life.
Virtual games can influence gender norms by portraying masculine or feminine characters. Female gamers are sometimes seen as less skilled than males but are often sexualized in gameplay. Male characters may be more violent or aggressive. This promotes heteronormative ideals of masculinity and femininity, perpetuating problematic attitudes toward gender identity.
Games can also affect relationship dynamics by showing unrealistic romantic interests.
Characters may have exaggerated beauty standards, implying that love is only possible if one looks a certain way. Players might think this is true in real life, seeking out partners who fit those criteria instead of valuing personality traits like kindness, intelligence, loyalty, and empathy. Some games even promote abusive relationships between powerful men and submissive women, reinforcing harmful stereotypes about gender roles and power dynamics.
Virtual games impact how people view sexuality, gender, intimacy, and relationships. Game designers should consider these effects when creating content so that they don't contribute to distortions. Players need to be aware of the messages they receive from playing and actively question them to form healthy beliefs about themselves and others. By understanding the ways virtual games normalize or distort behaviors, we can create better-quality products that foster positive change.
How does the design of virtual games contribute to the normalization or distortion of sexual behaviors and roles?
Virtual games are designed with various themes and plots that depict different scenarios where players assume specific roles and characters. The way these games are designed can either normalize or distort sexual behaviors and roles depending on the theme, plot, and context used by game developers. Some games portray positive sexual behavior such as intimacy, romance, and attraction while others may present negative perceptions like violence, abuse, and manipulation.