Do Virtual Gaming Worlds Reinforce Stereotypes?

From my perspective, avatars reinforce stereotypes within the gaming world.  These online cultures are a great escape for some but in that world the players take on a different identity, one that eliminates their weaknesses as they see them (which seem to be the same weaknesses their culture would identify as well).  For some, they are able to communicate differently once they appear different or take on a different physical form in the game.  This means that they too realize the characteristics or qualities associated with different images or symbols.  A woman is able to be more assertive when she takes the form of a man, for example.  These people are identifying with and conforming to the same stereotypes that knock them down in the real world.  This doesn’t seem healthy to me, however, I have never been a part of a virtual world.  I understand the appeal of role playing to escape everyday pressures, etc. but I do not think it is a healthy way of dealing with insecurities.  I am also concerned with the amount of time these individuals are gaming.  I think social interaction and therapy would be a nice alternative if these individuals are indeed suffering from personal issues, such as self-esteem or assertiveness.  That is not always the case I realize, but in the event that it is I question the effectiveness of an avatar in helping a person in the real world.

A Statement About Stereotypes and Intercultural Communication

The negative effects stereotypes have on intercultural communication are extensive.  They do not allow us to see the person, they are the “guilty” qualities we associate before “innocence” instead of the other way around.  Stereotypes inhibit communication because they provide barriers such as fear, uncomfortable feelings or awkwardness, they make us less interested and less likely to approach someone different, and they make us more skeptical and more suspicious of others.  Stereotypes don’t allow us to see people; we see an image that someone or something else handed down to us, a negative picture or generalization that stops us from seeing the individual and all of the unique qualities that make up that individual.

            To counter this problem, we need to educate ourselves and each other on our differences, our pasts, our current struggles, our fears and our concerns.  We need to look at people with curiosity and respect, not assumptions or inflexible and predetermined ideas.  We need to learn to focus on the communication rather than our fears and uncertainties about people that appear different from us.  Stereotypes cannot be taken lightly if we ever care to stop them which mean recognizing the damage in joking casually about them.  We have to respect each other for our differences, like Dr. Kenneth Clark said, “Racism is indicative of a lack of self-respect” (Adodom, 2007).

Reference

Adodom. (YouTube). (2007). Interview with dr. kenneth clark. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64rSgf0iOhQ