Study: Sexualized game avatars may cause self-objectification in real world women

[RDKirk]

Video games are a means to escape the everyday humdrum and explore alternative realities. In order to access these sometimes fantastically antisocial worlds, we commandeer digital avatars. Most of the time, we're able to maintain a healthy mental barrier between the fantasy of the virtual and the snooze of the actual. But a growing body of research suggests that The Matrix may exert more influence on people's thoughts and behaviors in the real world than previously believed.

A recent Stanford University Study (PDF) found that female players who inhabited sexualized video game avatars had a tendency to internalize the avatar's appearance and showcased more self-objectification than those who "wore" non-sexualized avatars.

Study: Sexualized game avatars may cause self-objectification in real world women | TechHive

There are some suggestions here that might apply to women who are inappropriate content enthusiasts as well.

 

[Bobby64]

That makes a lot of sense to me. I wouldn't be surprised if some men feel a little emasculated on the inside by hyper-masculine male characters in games.

 

[Gadarene]

A bit like how violent video games "cause violence", no doubt.

 

[RDKirk]

A bit like how violent video games "cause violence", no doubt.

I don't know about "causing violence," but the US military has noted that combat games purported to be "realistic" do teach young men wrong things about combat tactics and the Law of Armed Conflict. Then they come into the military with years of things they think they know that are very difficult to untrain in a few months of infantry training.

 

[CounselorForChrist]

Well I do think violence and sexulazation are a bit diffrent in how they affect the brain. My friend who would play games with me would see something violent in a game and we would laugh because lets say the way the person died looked awesome. After the game that did not carry over into the real world. If someone dies we would not laugh and make fun of it.

Where as when he seen a barley dressed woman in a game he would make sexual remarks like "Man she has nice ****!" or "I'd love to **** her in the *****!". But outside of the game he would still make those comments. And after the game when we were out he was more sexual oriented when he would see a woman.

This is why gamers are often stereotyped also as people who can't find someone to love them. And that when they see women they think of "boobies". While this is not true of all gamers, obviously the stereotype would not exist if it wasn't based on some truth.

 

[RDKirk]

Well I do think violence and sexulazation are a bit diffrent in how they affect the brain. My friend who would play games with me would see something violent in a game and we would laugh because lets say the way the person died looked awesome. After the game that did not carry over into the real world. If someone dies we would not laugh and make fun of it.

Where as when he seen a barley dressed woman in a game he would make sexual remarks like "Man she has nice ****!" or "I'd love to **** her in the *****!". But outside of the game he would still make those comments. And after the game when we were out he was more sexual oriented when he would see a woman.

This is why gamers are often stereotyped also as people who can't find someone to love them. And that when they see women they think of "boobies". While this is not true of all gamers, obviously the stereotype would not exist if it wasn't based on some truth.

There might not be a difference after all, though, because your real-world experience includes women but not violence.

What, however, if your real-world experience did include violence--such as a soldier in Afghanistan who plays a war-oriented game at the base club (teaching all the wrong lessons) who then goes out on a combat patrol an hour later?

 

[Serendipity..]

lol where is that game? I wonder if it would work on me.. I could bring out my inner barbie doll.

 

[CounselorForChrist]

What, however, if your real-world experience did include violence--such as a soldier in Afghanistan who plays a war-oriented game at the base club (teaching all the wrong lessons) who then goes out on a combat patrol an hour later?

Well I do know during the Iraq war soldiers often would have gaming consoles sent to them and play games. They seemed to have become desensitized to violence. Hence why articles came out about them posing with dead bodies. Or joking about how they purposely let a dog walk on top of a mine to see it blowup. Now can't prove if the game made the guys that way or war did. Maybe a combo of both.

 

[RDKirk]

Well I do know during the Iraq war soldiers often would have gaming consoles sent to them and play games. They seemed to have become desensitized to violence. Hence why articles came out about them posing with dead bodies. Or joking about how they purposely let a dog walk on top of a mine to see it blowup. Now can't prove if the game made the guys that way or war did. Maybe a combo of both.

I would not say "desensitized to violence."

I would say "disoriented in finding the route to morality in the situation"--and I'd say that inappropriate contentography does exactly the same thing.

 

[RDKirk]

Anime cosplayers have been doing this for centuries.

There has been anime cosplay for centuries?

I think there is actually a subtle difference. I don't see cosplayers so closely assuming the character as merely playing the character.