The Moral Panic

For as long as there has been new forms of media or new ideas, there has often been a moral panic associated with it. This is often due to the threat of this new media changing societal norms and sometimes fundamentally changing what our cultural consciousness looks like. Many years ago, books were the prime evil, then it was comic books, then rock and roll, Dungeons and Dragons, pornography, rap music and of course, video games. It seems that when a new media, or a new phenomenon becomes popular, those who perceive a threat present it as an evil visited upon this world.

Recently, The Age and The Herald Sun ran a piece that mirrored another article posted in an American newspaper that raises concerns about men. These authors postulate that men are disengaging from work in alarming numbers, so they can play more video games. While they admit that it is “at least in part”, due to video games, their message is clear. There is a present danger to the delicate fabric of our society, and video games are to blame.

The problem is that we’ve seen this conversation so many times before. The last of which is pornography, where men are supposedly helpless in the face of a sea of naked people having sex on their computer monitors. Video games is just the latest in a long line of moral panics, where we perceive a mass exodus of men from a clean and sanitary society.

For clarity, while I seek to look at the information provided with a sceptical and rational eye, I wish to make it clear that we are advocates for healthy, positive interactions with video games. We believe there are tremendous benefits to engaging with video games and this blog is as much my opinion as it is a critique of information that is presented to us by two major newspapers.

Correlation, not Causation

For one, there seems to be correlation but not causation in what these authors are proposing. Yes, young men are indeed spending less time working:

“Men aged between 21 and 30 years old saw their working hours decline by 12 per cent annually from 2000 to 2015, compared with an 8 per cent decline for older men, reported America’s CBS.

The decline on work hours exceed that for women.” – Herald Sun

It seems however that there is a decline in average hours worked for both men and women. It only seems the most significant for young men. The question is why? While the authors both seem to acknowledge the question, and pay lip service to some alternative explanations, neither seem to investigate these other possibilities any further.

“Or if the game playing was a symptom of a lack of available work.” – Herald Sun

“Might they have suddenly found work hard to get? It's possible. These days there are fewer (traditionally male) manufacturing jobs and far more (traditionally female) healthcare and social services jobs. Might the minimum wage have priced them out of work?” – The Age

The problem with interpreting correlative data is that you may not be getting the full picture. For example, more men are working part time than they have in the past. This is something that has been celebrated by many different groups, as men have historically been unwilling or reluctant to work fewer hours. This has been to the detriment of men’s mental and physical health, as well as their overall happiness.

“In 1996, 495,700 men worked part time, equal to 11 per cent of all male workers. In 2006, that had grown to 791,300 men (14 per cent of male workers).

Today more than a million men (1,134,600) work part time.” – News.com.au

Additionally, the spectre of automation has been hitting (stereotypically) male jobs, such as manufacturing and industry, while (stereotypically) female jobs are only now beginning to see the fruits of technology such as deep learning AI (artificial intelligence). It is possible that we will see this impact jobs such as retail, hospitality and the mental health sector in the future.

All this is leading men to take jobs that are part time, or becoming redundant. While older men may have job security from being employed for a long time and having experience, many younger men cannot compete with someone seeking employment with 10 years’ experience.

While men may not be working as much, they may find themselves with more time on their hands. This may allow them to find more work life balance, something that has been afforded to women far more in the past (despite the many other struggles they face). The fact is, it may be that men are turning to video games because they have the time now, and because of external factors out of their control where they didn’t before. Not the other way around.

“Young men cut back on work by an average of 2.5 hours per week between 2004 and 2015. All of it became extra leisure time, an astonishing 1.9 hours of it extra "recreational computer time", and 1.4 hours of it "gaming" – using computers to play video games.” – The Age

There may even be other reasons. Gaming has become far more accessible since 2004. The first ever iPhone was released in 2007, making gaming on the go far more accessible than it has ever been before. Smartphones have grown in popularity from a boutique item to a must have necessity over the same period. While men may be working less hours, they may also be utilizing time for gaming that has otherwise been wasted. Many people fill time on public transport, in waiting rooms, in-between meetings with easily accessed, bite sized chunks of gaming. This alone could make up quite a significant amount of new time gaming.

Correlation does not equal causation. There are many reasons why the two variables of men playing video games and men working less hours may be happening. After all, ACDC releasing albums correlates with economic recessions, but no one seriously believes that they are the cause.

If it is True, why is it Bad?

Let’s assume that the article’s hypotheses are correct. Video games are indeed pulling men away from work in favour of leisure. Has anyone stopped to think about whether this is an inherently bad thing? At least for the individuals doing it?

It’s no secret that men overwhelmingly work more full-time hours than women. Men are also 4-5 times more likely on average to commit suicide, twice as likely to develop alcohol dependence, much more likely to abuse substances and more likely to have a mental health disorder in their lifetime. While women suffer disproportionately in other ways, men face challenges and work plays a major role.

“Almost half, or 46 per cent, of the female workforce is part time, compared to 18 per cent of the male workforce.” – News.com.au

The framing of the article, from the herald sun especially, provides a view that this shift is inherently harmful. That men are expected to perform, produce, provide at a high (and hopefully increasing) level. The problem is that men are already working 20% more hours than women, are knocked back from working part time hours, are ridiculed and feminized for seeking better work life balance and often occupy jobs that require significantly more hours to maintain.

It is possible that this movement is not inherently negative. This could be a slow, steady acknowledgement by men, that they are finally seeking to look after themselves.

Men already are less likely to seek help for mental health issues, physical ailments or admit weakness. Men fight an uphill battle in order to preserve an image of strength, or preferably invulnerability. Perhaps this is a shift away from the notion that men don’t need help, or time off, or to relax. Perhaps this is men telling us that they’ve needed help, and they’ve found a way to get it.

In fact, the author said it themselves.

“Men in their 20s are happier than they were in the year 2000. Older men, who aren't into gaming, are more miserable.” – The Age

In our podcast, we went through the tremendous benefits that video games can provide. We told you about research that shows that people who play video games are better learners, develop better spatial cognition, better social skills, better leaders and build friendships. It is our opinion that ill-informed articles hurt what is, and will likely continue to be a net-positive influence on society. Of course there are dangers, and considerations to be had. Just like anything, too much is bad for you. Fortunately, most people can negotiate these pitfalls, or seek help if they can’t.

For more information about healthy gaming, how it impacts people and for any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Until next time.

Rob

References:

http://www.aihw.gov.au/australias-welfare/2015/working-age/

https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/Stats_at_a_Glance.pdf

http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/more-men-are-working-part-time-but-still-have-a-long-way-to-go/news-story/5fbb09874a68f6514f8a8aaeaf2e636d

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/oct/27/acdc-music-recession

https://books.google.com.au/books?id=BVXSCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA211&lpg=PA211&dq=rock+and+roll,+books,+video+games+moral+panic&source=bl&ots=1cptJ65fPs&sig=MdQildfe8yKt39OujxMiOkFK71o&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjCk7qMo4jVAhXEWLwKHdgYBnsQ6AEIOjAD#v=onepage&q=rock%20and%20roll%2C%20books%2C%20video%20games%20moral%20panic&f=false

https://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21700758-will-smarter-machines-cause-mass-unemployment-automation-and-anxiety

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4125.0main+features3150Jan%202013

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/work/link-between-young-men-spending-more-time-gaming-and-less-working/news-story/8fecbdcde2013c4beef9b3d0daf89719

http://www.theage.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/gone-gaming-why-young-men-are-walking-away-from-work-20170706-gx6dcj.html