Category: Uncategorized
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Ableism
Ableism is targeting mentally challenged or physically disabled people. Disabled characters are under-represented in video games, and the characters represented are predominantly secondary, non-playable characters who are not primary to the story (Shell, 2021). For example, in the game Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, time travel is used to “fix” a disabled character, who is…
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Stereotypes and Prejudice in Online Gaming
Like in the real world, the online world also has winners and losers in games. However, the online world creates incentive and reward structures that foster and promote strong competition amongst its players. Unlike 3rd grade soccer, not everyone gets a participation trophy, online gaming is a zero sum game. This fierce competition creates an…
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My favorite day of the South Africa Exchange Program
One of my favorite days of the exchange program was when we had lived a day in the life of our exchange student. We attended their classes and understood how the school works. I wasn’t used to the setting of their school because it was more of an outdoors school rather than a building like…
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My South Africa Exchange Program – the townships of Joberg
We started our journey by visiting the townships of Johannesburg. It was sad to see some of the living conditions of these neighborhoods, but I love how this shaped their everyday lives. Despite the challenges of their environment, the residents of the townships persevered. The residents had made it clear that lots of shops make…
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South Africa Exchange Program
I was selected to be part of an exchange program with students from Johannesburg and Capetown in South Africa (SA). I used this opportunity to gather information about how students in SA interact digitally, use digital media in the townships and how technology has impacted the lives of people living in SA. During the middle…
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The Intergroup Threat Theory (ITT)
Intergroup Threat Theory (ITT) is an effective theoretical framework to apply to the online gaming world to identify the triggers of prejudice. ITT contends that by being a member or part of a “tribal” social group, people get a common language, customs and traditions (Stephan, Ybarra & Rios, 2016). In the context of ITT, people…
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Group Identity and Tribalism
While people can create multiple online gaming identities, they also crave to be part of a group. They want to feel accepted because humans are fundamentally “tribal” in nature (Clark, Liu, Winegard & Ditto, 2019). This is especially manifested in online gaming, where “tribes” are created based on the games people play. Acceptance, belonging, and…
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My First Book Published!!
Click on link to check it out: Daisy’s Digital Footprints This book is for all parents, teachers and educators who would like to introduce young kids to the online world. With colorful illustrations, the author explains in a very simple, yet powerful way, the implications of Daisy’s online actions. It also provides some basic rules…
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Sense of Identity and Self-Worth
Another factor unique to online gaming is this feeling of individual identity, self-worth or self-esteem. In fact, 68% of Gen Z males who play video games on a regular basis say that video games are a core part of their identity (Strauss, 2019). Gamers have a lot of different components that make up their identity.…
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Need for Higher Status
Like in the real world, the online world also has winners and losers in games. However, the online world creates incentive and reward structures that foster and promote strong competition amongst its players. Online gaming is a zero-sum game. Gamers play against each other or in groups and are ranked based on their in-game performance.…
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