Politini: The problem with ‘playing as black’ in video games

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Each week Politini gives you the scoop on why the headlines matter.

Are video games to blame for white aggression?

Well, according to a recent study conducted by Ohio State, video games may play a part in the negative racial attitudes of white gamers.

In the study Playing As Black: Avatar Race Effects White Video Players researchers found that white people act more aggressively after they play video games using black avatars because they internalize violent stereotypes of black people perpetuated in the media. Not only that but when given a positive word association test white gamers who used black avatars were less likely to associate words like peace, love and happy with black people.

According to Manveer Heir, a designer for Bioware Montreal, there is however an easy fix to the lack of positive diverse characters within video games. At a recent the conference the designer stated at the game developer’s conference that games need to proactively include underrepresented populations (women, people of color, LGBTQ people etc.) in protagonist roles and publishers need to support this change.

Our country is becoming increasingly diverse with the New American Majority (essentially everyone who isn’t white, male and straight) rising in number within the next thirty years and shifting our demographics. Industries that cease to diversify and include people of color from the C-suite to the cubicle-land will not be sustainable. Diversity and inclusion in gaming doesn’t just level the playing field (literally), but it’s good business as well.

Danielle and Aisha Moodie-Mills are executive producers and co-hosts of Politini, a weekly politics and pop culture show covering the personal side of politics every Thursday 8pm EST on Blis.Fm. Follow their musings at facebook.com/Politini, subscribe to their podcast, and visit them at www.politini.com.