Social Media and Gender

Effects of Societal pressures and Video Games

I do my thing, and you do yours thing.

I am not in this world to live up to your expectations

And you are not in this world to live up to mine. 

You are you and I am I,

And if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful.

if not, it can't be helped.

-Frederick Perls, Gestalt Therapy Verbatim

In the introduction to his book, Dr. Perls includes this little gem commonly called the Gestalt Prayer. It calls the patient to drop the outside influences of the world and to be simply themselves. This though is hard to do as Perls even remarks that "To suffer one's death and to be reborn is not easy." 

We are continually invited by society to enter into stereotypes, what Perls is calling for his patients to forget. We are socialized and trained how to act and see the world. As was seen in the movie "the Codes of Gender," this is especially true in advertisement, which positions and poses men and women in ways that fit into stereotypes. These ads, commonly viewed in ads, are an example of one way we are socialized. Video games offer a similar outlook though, usually picturing men as tough and independent, people who make things happen and cause change. Call of Duty, Battlefield, Halo, popular titles that always show men as this strong force, as the changers and betters of the world.

Even advertisements for video games have this effect. Women shown in these ads tend to be shown or drawn exactly as is shown in "the Codes of Gender." In game, they are also made to be "the perfect woman." The ideal woman all men want. They reflect how women should act or behave, and how they should show themselves off. 

One can see what has been presented in everything else from movies to music videos, TV shows to sports games, women are shown as passive, submissive, open figures, and this portrayal invites people into the culture, to play with it, to join it. When everyone in the world believes one thing, it is easy to see why it is hard "to suffer one's death" and be reborn anew. The culture doesn't let you be an individual, as they tend to be crushed and destroyed through oppressive forces in the media and real world. 

It is no wonder that Perls says this causes psychological problems. Being suppressed by society and shoved into a box you may not agree with should and does have many negative and adverse effects on a person's psyche.