Computer Ethics in video games
We can’t refuse that video games are in our lives day by day, in many cases there are people who feel better in the digital life than the real life, so it is necessary to consider their ethics and morality, since there are both lovers as detractors. The most important ethical problem that videogame creators have at the time of their development is the purpose for which they do it, would it be ethical to create a game of extreme violence without hindering their access, being able to access under-age, In order to earn huge amounts of money? Exist a freedom of expression regarding the creation of video games, but the ethical responsibility of that game must fall on all concerned: creators who reflect on the morality and ethics of video games, governments that make laws to avoid the easy access to video games with inappropriate content, sellers don’t sell games to children with inappropriate content and especially parents, who should raise their children's awareness of what is ethically approved and disapproved.
Detractors of videogames, why?
- There are no laws who sanction the purchase of video games to ages not recommended for children and with inappropriate content. (PEGI)
- Studies say that a very continued use of video games can lead to bad grades in school. Although it is also true that not everything is the fault of video games, but also television, mobile, social networks or internet also have a lot to do; In addition there are many educational games that produce the opposite, increase the capacities of the people causing in many cases to reach better grades.
- Being hooked on a video game can cause the total immersion of the person in that fictitious world created by the developer, where in many cases they lose the total notion of time and of what surrounds them.
- They cause sedentariness by being constantly sitting in front of the screen without moving, causing health problems as serious as obesity. However it is true that exist games that stimulate movement such as Wii, PlayStation Move or Kinect, which can help improve our health.
Links
La Vanguardia - Daniel del Olmo Soriano
