The makers of Grand Theft Auto have done it again.
They have managed to exploit a social issue and amplify its mainstream affect with Rockstar Games’s new video game “Bully.”
The new game is based in a school where the protagonist is bullied, antagonized by teachers and faced with the provocations of different cliques and groups.
The game mirrors many of the negative aspects of school that haunt many schools around the world. This game inspires the question, “why?”
Why would anyone want to glorify the atrocities of bullying through an avenue like video games that so many children play. Unlike more adult oriented games, this game could have an immediate impact on a young child.
A 12-year-old is not likely to imitate the criminality in games like Grand Theft Auto at such a young age. But they will take it upon themselves to emulate the intimidating presence of the bully that the game attempts to recreate.
A group, Bullying Onlinie, in Britain, whose sole purpose is to fight the ubiquitous presence of bullying in schools, is fighting to get the game banned in the United Kingdom. A step like this makes a great deal of sense considering the nature of the game and its target audience.
And in the United States, the Peacaholics organization protested outside Rockstar Games’ New York City headquarters.
The bottom line is that violent games like “Bully” will only serve as a social hindrance and not a source of entertainment.
So the question “Why?” still remains. Unfortunately it has no answer in this case.
Akeem Anderson for the Editorial Board.