Quantcast


Videogame characters can harm self-esteem photo

Have you ever played Metal Gear Solid 4 and found yourself envying Snake's ancient but oh-so firm and inviting asscheeks? Perhaps you can't play a round of Gears of War 2 without feeling intimidated by the fat, meaty necks? Don't worry, according to a Kansas study, you are not alone.

According to research, games that feature well-toned males and skinny females can cause low self-esteem in their players. Prof. Richard Harris of Kansas State University claims that a mere fifteen minutes of playing games with extremely idealized physiques can cause a dent in the player's ego.

Using WWF Wrestlemania 2000 and an unnamed beach volleyball game (which I'm certain is published by Tecmo), Harris interviewed players of both genders before and after a fifteen minute play session. Allegedly, the subjects felt more negative about their own bodies after such a short time. Harris says this is "disturbing," since videogames are such a powerful cultural force in society. 

So not only are videogames responsible for murder, misogyny and morbid obesity, they are now the root cause of anorexia and self-harm. Yet another totally-not-bullsh*t  victory for SCIENCE!








More gaming stories around the web. Got news? Submit yours to tips@destructoid.com

Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize. Likes PS2, iPod Touch, Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid, Dynasty Warriors 3 Meet the rest of the team



Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

60 comments | showing # 1 to 50
prev
next 50 comments

Buster's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:08
Buster
i might not have envied snakes ass, but i have thrown up after looking at a picture of cammy
Zombutler's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:09
Zombutler
I think tha--afsdhdshdshgahhhhhhhhhhh**drools**
Zerozaki Ishiki's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:09
Zerozaki Ishiki
Fifteen minutes spent reading articles about studies like this always improves my self-esteem greatly. I feel like a god damn genius not wasting my time producing bullshit studies riddles with holes so big a three year old could find them.
DigDug's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:10
DigDug
Jim, I always love when you put NSFW pics on the front page.
xdarkxwarriorx's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:18
xdarkxwarriorx
well, about the wrestling game, i disagree, since it is an accurate portrayal of how large (and fucking stupid) those characters look.

however, about the beach volleyball game / soul calibur / etc etc, i have to say that the portrayal of women is... lets go with "unrealistic". sure, its just an extension of our society's (our global society's in some cases) views on what is attractive. just like how disney gets a bunch of shit for their animated characters being like toothpicks, its no surprise that video games get the same treatment (i'm surprised its not worse, actually).

so i think the study does have a "point" in that the portrayal of people in video games is sometimes unrealistic and absurd. however, they didnt need a study to say that, and to me they should be focusing on these airbrush obsessed magazines that try to actually convince people that the fantastical proportions found in video games are actually a real thing. video games are fantasy. magazines pass themselves off as reality.

so, in conclusion, video games do fall victim to the same "social presets" of beauty in our society, but they are not nearly the worst offenders, and, in my opinion, are taking steps in the right direction.
Bigby's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:21
Bigby
I wasn't really aware that people paid that much attention to how fit their character was or was not. Well I guess I can feel better about myself when I see the Boomer and don't feel morbidly obese. Side Note: I had no idea Cammy had such a nice ass irl.
Gantz's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:21
Gantz
I don't need video-games to help me feel shitty about my body, I have Television and Society for that.
cainball's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:25
cainball
@xdarkxwarriorx

Some excellent points in there, and I especially agree that magazines are much more harmful to the average person's self esteem. I heard that the Australian government is considering making magazines label photos that they have air brushed.

You say at the end of your comment that video games are taking steps in the right direction. What did you mean by this?
AwesomeToph's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:25
AwesomeToph
I guess this is why most gamers prefer First Person Shooters?
ThunderHeartXI's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:26
ThunderHeartXI
'Scientists' these days just seem to be playing the role of Captain Obvious more and more. How does I blame video games for something that's been happening for thousands of years.
KamikazeTutor's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:30
KamikazeTutor
Like movies? And TV shows? And...
Gyrael's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:36
Gyrael
It seems like these days anyone can be a 'scientist' or an 'expert'. How many times have you heard the phrase 'the experts say...'.
xdarkxwarriorx's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:40
xdarkxwarriorx
@cainball

well the most recent evidence i can think of off the top of my head of the video game industry getting better about their portrayal of women is the reduction of lara croft's breasts. i mean, jesus they were huge. sure they are still big, but a step in the right direction.

plus you get a lot better clothed characters for the most part. for instance:

http://www.megagames.com/news/images/gow_anya.jpg
or
http://o.aolcdn.com/gd-media/galleries/61/alyx-vance-2.jpg

i havent played gow more than just a bit (PC gamer here, havent picked it up), but alyx vance would probably not be featured in a fashion magazine. plus, shes a central character, a very intelligent character, and is, in my opinion, one of the best portrayals of women in >any< media in the last few years. personally, i'd like to see an episode where people get to play as her, but im not sure that will happen.

also, chell from portal. i doubt she would be featured in any magazine with that full jump suit lol.
Red TheHaze Veron's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:43
Red TheHaze Veron
Wrestlemania? Really, I dont want to be half-naked in tight leather underwear while having close physical contact with other half-naked guys in tight leather underwear. Not wanting to be one of those guys is my goal.
Pygmy's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:44
Pygmy
pictures like that can hurt my self-esteem because i already know i would have no chance at being with a girl like that. looking at anything that looks better then me can hurt my self-esteem.

NO SHIT?!

I'm glad we have these studies telling us things like "looking at people who are better looking then you can make you feel like you don't look as good as them =("
Raf's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 20:54
Raf
Well Jim, I gotta disagree with you on this one. I don't think the researchers are trying to say that people should stop playing because it lowers their self esteem. They are just saying that people feel bad seeing only good looking people on videogames, just like on TV and magazines. I actually think the researcher deserver a little credit for considering videogames as a "powerful element of popular culture".
xdarkxwarriorx's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 21:03
xdarkxwarriorx
@pygmy

sure, theres nothing wrong with portraying more beautiful people than the player / viewer / reader in media. the problem arises when there is an overwhelming amount of portrayals of unrealistic beauty. then its just harmful. however, like i said, video games definitely arent the most guilty offenders.
cainball's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 21:09
cainball
@ xdarkxwarriorx

Thanks for the comprehensive answer- those are some great examples.
Aaron Mxy Yost's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 21:19
Aaron Mxy Yost
I wouldn't mind being loosely related to her.
OrangeMango's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 21:22
OrangeMango
Gotta love the Dead or Alive Xtreme beach volleyball games.


Breaking news: "Xtreme" is not a real word.
John B's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 21:39
John B
@MotoRobo:

As someone who gladly owns all three current-gen consoles, I have no shame whatsoever in saying go fuck yourself.

Asshole fanboy...
MaxVest's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 21:41
MaxVest
There's nothing loose about that pic.
Excel-2011's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 21:43
Excel-2011
I don't want to sound like a shill, but the Vic Viper's multiplicative offensive capabilities have done more damage to my ego than any school project I've ever failed at.
ikiryou's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 21:58
ikiryou
I can think of something else which harms a person's self-esteem more than video games: High School peer pressure and bullying. I guess video games are just an easier target for this sort of useless, negative study.
Darren Nakamura's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 22:13
Darren Nakamura
This study sounds bunk to me. One of the pillars of psychological research is that your subjects shouldn't have a preconception about what you're testing if it has a chance of affecting their subjective results. They obviously knew what the researchers wanted them to say, and I'd be willing to bet that many of the subjects did just that.
Coltronathon5000's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 22:19
Coltronathon5000
I'm sure this article was worth reading, too bad my computer mysteriously freezes when trying to scroll past that picture.
MaxVest's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 22:33
MaxVest
Free link to the study here: [pdf].

They were playing Wrestlemania 2000 for N64, and "Extreme Heat Beach Volleyball" for PS2.

Considering that the volleyball game in question is actually called Summer Heat Beach Volleyball (unless he was playing the working alpha build of that 5-yr-old game, which did use Extreme in the title).

The research student who authored the study also made a math error in the published study. He probably reported the wrong average height for his sample, but the BMI numbers don't add up.
monosylabik's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 22:35
monosylabik
her dad took that picture......
Orionsaint's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 22:56
Orionsaint
You just got learned
DemonEyes23's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 23:11
DemonEyes23
my lord...what was this article even about i can't get pass that picture
Woocifer's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 23:19
Woocifer
Love the pic. How about...yes...you are fat and flabby and you suck and you're going to die from heart disease...Nothing wrong with realizing you are gross and dying is there? So...instead of being a lazy bunt and sitting on your ass staring at these people, how about go out and exercise to try to be healthy? Body image is based on the healthy. I'm sorry...but that's the way it is. You've eaten and sat yourself into a pit of lard and shit. Sorry...you suck...pick up a barbell...WORK OUT OR PLAY A SPORT!!!! These people feel bad about themselves because they SHOULD. Otherwise if you're getting laid...who cares. Or if you can make it up the stairs without huffing and puffing. GOOD!....otherwise...goodnight, you need to sleep and eat and work out...simple as that. Stop whining and stop making excuses for McDonalds and any other fatty shit shop business out there.

Fuck man...FUCK I HATE PEOPLE.
Xhumation's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/27/2008 23:32
Xhumation
I'm a psychologist and I once read about a case like this. a 14-16 year old was troubled because he couldn't look like the main character from FFVIII (forgot his name) because this girl he liked really liked this character.

In the end is just a simple case of being able to draw the line between what's real and what's just plain fantasy.
Kfizz's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 00:32
Kfizz
Now if that chick in the pic could talk like camie OMG. Still it has more to do with the angle of the shot then she is posing sexy like camie or cos playing like her. Like I think a women with some skimpy outfit on gets me hot and bothered more then a naked women. It lets you think about what's coming and its fun taking off that stuff too.
Mr Wrighty 987's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 01:56
Mr Wrighty 987
i dont coz im a big fat meathead myself so i dont care and is it me or does that girls face look a little *too* young!
Aurain's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 01:57
Aurain
Too much into, you just read it.
MultiJoe's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 02:55
MultiJoe
Yet again Jim Sterling fails to differentiate between a contributing factor and a root cause. Obviously any time anyone finds any type of fault with a videogame, they're part of the Thompson-ite anti-videogame agenda, because it's not like idealised human figures have caused body insecurity in any other form of media, right??
Debeo Laurus's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 03:38
Debeo Laurus
Yet again these faceless wonders decides to express their pointless opinion! Also, awesome picture.
Trowble's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 05:05
Trowble
I so want to puke due to too much alcohol, but wont do too physique jealousy. Nah, fuck it, if I do it'll be from the alcohol.
Lsage's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 05:14
Lsage
I think it'd be less of an issue with guys, as it feels in many cases that the characters bodies are more obviously an exaggeration, especially as you get a lot of the super muscly bodies as well as a lot of the super geeky/skinny bodies, and even a lot of badass chubbys mixed into games.

I'd hate to be a girl though since all you would see are the hot model bodies. (apart from the sparse larger women characters that are very rarely taken seriously at all)
Druid 01's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 05:23
Druid 01
compared to some of the other "studys" with games i wouldn't really be surprised if this is true.
VGMari's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 07:20
VGMari
Playing DOA makes me wanna kill myself because those girls are hot and I'm super fugly.

WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

*becomes an hero*
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 07:39
Jim Sterling
"Yet again Jim Sterling fails to differentiate between a contributing factor and a root cause. Obviously any time anyone finds any type of fault with a videogame, they're part of the Thompson-ite anti-videogame agenda, because it's not like idealised human figures have caused body insecurity in any other form of media, right??"

Yet again someone without an avatar fails to grasp a single thing I've said. Obviously any time I make a sarcastic comment, it's part of my apparently new problem of being unable to differentiate between a contributing factor and root caus. It's not like the fact that idealized human figures in other form of media actually proves my point over videogames being singled out, right?

Please, avatar-less people. You're trying so hard as to appear desperate now.
John B's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 09:22
John B
Jim, please... "Trying" assumes an attempt to reach a certain goal by going through some kind of logical procedure. By default, trolls have no capacity for logical thought. You give them too much credit.
John B's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 09:27
John B
Oh, by the way ... just tell us where you got the original photo! I need a new desktop wallpaper! ;)
MultiJoe's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 09:41
MultiJoe
@ Jim
Well the study was on videogames, not all forms of media, so of course the study's conclusion will be what effect videogame characters have on people's self image. Whether or not the study was conducted well is another point all together, but I don't see what is so bizzare and sarcasm worthy that the conclusions of a study on the effects of idealised human figures have on people's body images are that ... they makes people insecure.
Also, complaing that I'm a troll because I don't have an avatar is just stupid.
pascuz46's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 09:44
pascuz46
NEWS FLASH! Low self esteem can be caused by looking in a magazine, or watching films and TV. Im pretty sure that advertising agencies are much better at giving people low self esteem than a video game, but what the fuck do I know! I don't take 'science' Kansas state U.
donkeykong's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 09:49
donkeykong
I don't have to worry about my self esteem since I actually have an idealized male form. Perhaps now, reading my comment, your self esteem has dropped. I apologize.
jerrt's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 10:09
jerrt
great read, also, i see how it is realated. [;
commish's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 10:48
commish
I always get disapointed with studies with videogames that focus on the negative aspects of human behavior. in school I wrote up a mock study that would evaluate levels of co-operation. Researchers should try and look at the positives things that videogames do instead of the negative.
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/28/2008 10:50
Jim Sterling
MultiJoe:

The study is ridiculous. It's Captain Obvious to say that "people will feel self conscious if they look at someone better looking" but singling out videogames just to try and make stating the obvious more credible is absurd.

This study (which used an N64 game based on wrestlers, for crying out loud) is worthy of nothing BUT sarcasm. This "study" has no applicable merit whatsoever other than to say "videogames do what other forms of media do, but I have decided it is particularly disturbing because of ... reasons."

Stupid test is stupid. And please also tell me how you feel I've got a history of "not being able to differentiate between a contributing factor and a root cause." I've not heard THAT accusation before, and I'm always interested to learn how people come to these weird conclusions.
prev next 50 comments

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

Comments policy

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?

Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!