prosocial game claims bolster violent video game claims
Games researchers say that games are powerful teaching tools that can teach positive messages… but if games are powerful teaching tools, doesn’t that mean that violent video games can teach violence?
Video Games for Prosocial Learning-Koo argues that the “solution” to this conundrum is that games teach via rules and outcomes, not literal copycat behavior.
Nobody sees a gun in a video game and thinks “ah I should shoot people now!”, but they may wrestle with tough choices in a game and learn about ethics in the process of thinking through the choice.
I am scared of games that make violence the answer, where protagonists get what they want and don’t face consequences, but that’s more about the game’s narrative than the amount of blood and gore.
