War and Social Media

Military, War, and Social Media

(America's Army 3 Trailer)

Notice something about this Video Game trailer for America's Army III? Well, firstly, there are no women (which are allowed in the military currently and soon will be allowed into Infantry units) present as a character at all. It isn't alone. Call of Duty, Battlefield, they all feature a distinct lack of women.

In fact they all feature a distinct lack of what the military is like at all. For the most part, they seem to romanticize war. They portray it as this giant theatrical production with music playing, heroic speeches, Ramboesque gameplay, they make it seem like a cakewalk. The cut scene to the right comes from a game I enjoyed greatly; Halo: Reach, and it features an example of`this theatrical representation. This picturesque attack with heroic music playing in the background is an example of the theatrical nature of some video games. It trivializes the nature of war, makes it seem beautiful when in actuality, it is a serious matter in which real people lose their lives or are scarred forever. 

Look at games like Call of Duty again, What else do they show? Well, they make it seem like the military is a place of constant action where you go all over the world to these war zones and do these amazing things. You eliminate hundreds of enemies, destroy installations and secret projects, and do amazing things, all without any Psychological effect on the character. It says "there is no side effect to war, don't worry." 

The worst part of all of this, is it sends this message that killing is fun and enjoyable. My eighth grade year, a Marine came to my school to talk to us. He had been through Iraq and seen combat. This caused one student to ask him if he was proud of killing people to the point that he marked his kills somewhere. What type of message are we sending when children think this way? I am not saying Video Games are bad, I am just saying proper education is required so children understand what it is really like to be in a combat situation, or how serious the act is.

Once again, the problem is not Video Games, but education. Children must know the truth behind war and conflict, that way they can develop the respect that these subjects deserve.