*TAP TAP* Is this thing on?
Ah, this is what I was looking for. It took a moment to figure out a blog post was called a “story.”
Anyways, hello! I am Mitchell Smith, I am 21, and a junior currently aiming at a Computer Science major with a minor in Math and Game Development. That latter piece should give away why I am in this class, it is a requirement to get the Game Development minor, but hold the phone! I am not treating this like a requirement, I am genuinely interested in this class as I have been a game developer for a few years now and a big piece of that is using several forms of media as a form of communication between the community and I. So far, I have only been learning how to approach media on my own without any guide. Hence, I am very curious to study how media works in our society and how it affects its readers.
There are several I see media right now. Primarily, it is a form of communication through a means outside of speaking to someone in person like the internet or newspaper. With that definition, arguably video games are a form of media. They are a form of an author communicating experiences to a player through the form of play, like how a book gives experiences through the form of imagination. Of course, this does not apply to many games, for example, Flappy Bird, which has nothing to say to the player. Neither am I claiming video games to be just as powerful as a book in conveying ideas and experiences, as today they usually are not built for that and are more for trying to capture the player into some addictive loop the game provides. These are garbage games, just as there can be garbage books. Unfortunately, these garbage games are often consumed in much greater quantities because of the addictive properties. Take Sid Meier’s Civilization as an example for a good game, where conquering your opponent is not always a victory. The game shows how costly war can be where not only does it end up demanding more resources, but even after a victory, your land might have battle scars, your people are unhappy, those who you captured are rebelling, and nations around you are uncomfortable with your actions. The war may not have been your fault either, it might have been a cocky nation who thought they could plunder a city and take your resources. This game can put you in several difficult decisions, and that is the interesting thing games have over books in conveying a story. You see the consequences of your decisions in a game. Another great example of this, which unfortunately I have not played yet, is Undertale.
This is why I feel called to this sector as a Christian. Video games have become the modern book for kids, whether you like it or not. They are played in great quantities. The challenge as a Christian in this field is to make a game that takes you in, but establishes something holy about it that separates it from other games. It is to be in the world, but not of the world.
Outside of that, I also commonly think of media as the mainstream social media, like Instagram. I use to use these a few years ago, but then I dropped using these forms of media as I felt it to be unhealthy for the Christian mind — getting likes for how you look, or the things you do. I found it to be influencing my decisions for how I treated going to social gatherings — I wanted to get a picture artificially looking cool with my friends and I, instead of just chilling with my friends. As you can see, I do not have high regards for this form of media. I think it influences subtle decisions on people that actively use it in poor ways. I think it can be addictive like a garbage video game, providing that addictive loop of likes for good pictures, and hence making people more self-conscious and reinforcing the idea of someone being “popular,” or cause people to make stupid decisions “for the vine.”
Then another primary form of media that comes to mind is anything with a one-way conversation on events, and hence Medium could be apart of that. News outlets are the one to pop up most strongly. In the mainstream news’ current state, I think news is in an obviously unhealthy state. It’s become all about trying to grab someone’s attention to click on their article to make money off eyes on ads on their page. Often I find news articles to be full of junky ads and a small percentage of it being an actual report on a situation, and often the title is blown out of proportion too for the sake of clickbait. Yet despite its clear junkyness, it is incredibly powerful, and spreads information quickly whether its true or not. I remember hearing a saying in the industry, and it went along the lines of “Sometimes a story is just too good not to report on.” This creates a frantic culture I’ve heard referred to as “post-truth.”
That said, I think the world is in dire need for a Light that gives truth and peace.
P.S. Sorry for going way over the word recommendation, but I have never spoken about this topic until now. I hope it made for a good read!
