Don't Underestimate Virtual Violence

Three decades ago, looking closely for Ms. Pac-Man's red bow and lipstick was virtually the only way to identify a female character in a video game. Technology has changed drastically during the past 30 years -- and so have the pixelated renderings of women that move across video game screens.

Today's gaming avatars are detailed, lifelike, and often uncomfortably sensual. From demoralizing displays of female figures oozing out of their clothing to graphic depictions of sexual assault, game makers keep pushing the boundaries of decency -- even as many young players log on.

Years ago, a Pew Research survey of 12- to 17-year olds found that nearly all American tweens and teens -- an overwhelming 97 percent -- play video games. And while three-quarters said their parents checked game ratings, half of the boys and 14 percent of the girls surveyed listed a game with an M (Mature) or AO (Adults Only) rating as one of their favorites.

According to the Entertainment Software Rating Board, an M-rated game "may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and/or strong language." An AO-rated game "may include prolonged scenes of intense violence, graphic sexual content, and/or gambling with real currency."

A trailer for Mortal Kombat X, rated M, features scantily clad women engaged in bloody duels.

"You're going to fight me wearing that?" one woman says to her cleavage-bearing challenger.

"Shame to disarrange that lovely face," another female voice coos.

The short clip ends as one young woman rips out a female opponent's beating heart.

Heath Adamson, director of National Youth Ministries for the Assemblies of God, says many parents don't realize how depraved some video games have become.

And with today's games available through social media and other online platforms, monitoring screen time is no longer just a matter of policing the family room gaming system or reading a rating on the back of a box.

"We live in an era now where it's not enough for parents to ask about their kids' activities," Adamson says. "Parents need to be the gatekeepers for the 21st-century doors that the enemy loves to walk through. We need to spend time with them and know what they're doing. We need to thumb through phones and check social media accounts."

The average U.S. household owns at least one game device, computer, or smartphone, according to a 2014 report by the Entertainment Software Association. The survey found that an increasing number of gamers play on phones, tablets, and other wireless devices rather than traditional consoles.

"Kids who don't have parents involved are at risk of being exposed to any number of things in virtual worlds," Adamson says. "We can't afford to be naïve to the fact that kids are ingesting toxins and poisons in a candy coating of slick marketing. We don't have to ban all video games and cellphones, but we need to pay attention. The Bible says we're to be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

In a study of male students at one California university, researchers concluded that exposure to hypersexual video games reinforces negative stereotypes and may lead to an increase in sexual harassment.

"Playing a sexually charged video game for merely 25 minutes might increase a self-reported tendency to engage in inappropriate sexual advances," the authors wrote.

Researchers and churchgoers aren't the only ones expressing concern about sex in video games. Feminist Anita Sarkeesian, a lifelong gamer and one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2015, has received death threats for calling out video games that degrade women and promote gender stereotypes.

Mandy Groot, director of National Girls Ministries for the Assemblies of God, says such images are damaging to young girls, who may get the idea that their worth is measured in terms of sex appeal. She encourages parents and church leaders to emphasize the eternal value of all people.

"Creating an environment of safety and unconditional love is vital in helping girls understand what real love is and what it means to be cherished and valued," Groot says.

Image used in accordance with Creative Commons license. Photo credit: Chris_Parfitt, Flickr

Christina Quick

Christina Quick is a former Pentecostal Evangel staff writer who attends James River Church (Assemblies of God) in Ozark, Missouri.