The psychology of computer usage is not a simple and straightforward subject. It contains various different aspects one being the idea that cyber crimes might be as serious as the real life incidents. “A Rape in cyber space” presents to us the notion that maybe a rape on the internet should be considered as serious as one committed in the real world. To have a quick recap of the story a cyber rape was said to have been committed in a virtual community known as LambdaMoo. A user known as Mr. Bungle used a subprogram to falsely identify other users as committing horrendous sexual acts. Several of his victims then came forward as being emotionally traumatized by the occurrences and expected some sort of punishment.
The major question regarding this story is whether this sort of incident should be taken as seriously as real life physical rape. To many this statement might sound preposterous considering that being raped in reality involves both physical and emotional trauma. Through multi-user domains a person is physically untouched and in no situation involving extreme danger. However, the power of the mind should not be taken for granted. When one creates an identity in these online communities parts of their actual selves become incorporated in their character. In the context of LambdaMoo they are their character. No wonder a person might feel highly violated when a cyber crime like rape has been committed against them. We have all felt so absorbed within a computer game whether it be the SIMS or World of War Craft that the outside reality becomes inconsequential. The only thing that we concentrate on at the time is what we see before us. Also, the fact that people invest so much time and energy into their characters makes sense that anything committed against them online will hurt and inflict pain on them emotionally.
There have been various opinions on how one committing these cyber crimes should be dealt with. However, I’m sure most will come to the consensus that no law in real life should take effect in punishing the offender. Every day in reality women and even men have to deal with being emotionally violated. There is minimal and in many states no penalty or punishment for things like obscene phone calls, leering, or even inappropriate touching. So why then should an emotional crime such as cyber rape be dealt with by law? The internet community should take a stand and bear it upon themselves to delete and prevent those sorts of perpetrators from going forth with their acts.
Going back to the idea that people become their characters and are therefore affected by the offenders, one should also take into consideration that this also occurs because of ones inherent vulnerability to addiction. I therefore felt it important to speak somewhat of addiction to MUD’s, the internet, and computers in general to fully cover this topic.
Whether you believe in this dilemma or not, nowadays many have come to call the problem impulse control disorder. Various lists have been put together to help determine if one suffers from the addiction. Of course it cannot be considered nearly as serious as addictions to alcohol and drugs, but there are still many damaging consequences connected with acquiring it.
If you are still hesitant to believe that, take a look at this YouTube video that depicts how the Chinese government has chosen to deal with internet and computer addicts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYp2lw3d-p8
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14 comments:
The emotional attachment to online personalities strikes an interesting point. Where do we draw the line between ourselves and our alter-egoes? In regards to the chinese solution, I feel that it's a great idea. Many of these kids are truly addicts and forcing them into the real world in a controlled environment can really help. Also, it would help the military in recruitment and in my opinion: money spent on rehab is better than money spent on bombs.
Cause China needs a bigger army. = /
I know the Chinese are having large problems with their online gaming. Very much disproportionate from the rest of the world. Personally, I believe in the harm principal - The government should only intervene if there is clear evidence that what I do is harmful to other people. It's a utilitarian argument, or based on the maximization of happiness. Everyone should be given the freedom to pursue his or her own good in his or her own way. Thus I am not really wild about the coercive treatment.
This is putting a bandaid on the real problem. Chinese leaders should be examining the cultural and societal reasons for these numbers and fix them from the top down.
The Chinese solution for video game addicts is troubling. I can understand how forcing the children to engage in real, physical activities like simulated war games might help them, but they are sending the complete wrong message to these kids. Since when has real war become a game? It looks like to me that the Chinese approach could very well help convince some children that real war is not that much different than video game war and is a regular fun ol' time.
That is clearly not the case. It looks like the Chinese military is looking for new ways to recruit these young children and turn them into soldiers and since these kids are avid video game players this task is made much easier for them. Seems very sinister to me.
In regards to the online rape aspect: I think there's a good chance that whoever is going around virtually raping people either has a bad sense of what is fun or probably has some internal problems or has twisted thoughts of that nature. With the veil of anonymity, they feel free to unleash something they have hidden within. Now while this may be the case, I do not think this merits arresting the person for intent to rape in real life because most likely it is the anonymity that is allowing the person to act this way and if it was in real life they may not have done it.
Personally, I am shocked people would want to incriminate people for virtual rape. That concept just blows me away. There is no physicality at all in cyber rape, so there should be no punishment aside from being blocked or removed from whatever the offender was a part of.
Instead of making it a true crime, I believe that some action by the administrator of the MUD or what ever program this incident takes place in, whether its giving a warning or it is getting completely kicked off of the site. There is no true way for one to be prosecuted becuase there is no way to be 100% sure that the person committing the acts is actually the person that has created the character.
Most games include a block feature, that easily allow a player to stop incoming messages from an abusive player. On top of that, most games have administrators that would ban a player who goes so far as to virtually rape another player. Making sure that there are ample protections online to block those messages and some set of punishments for the players who choose to abuse their anonymity is really all that can be done.
The Chinese solution is a little worrysome as well, at best it will exchange one problem for another. The kids with video game addictinos need to be helped earlier, before they become absorbed into a virtual society.
I went to China over Christmas break and there are huge internet cafes on almost every block of the larger cities and spiratically placed in the smaller towns. When you went into them they were packed with people, each one had over 150 computers and they were always filled with people.
Yet it is interesting that online gaming is such a problem because the Chinese government monitors, filters and blocks websites. For instance, when we were there we get couldn't get into the AU portal, so the people that didn't forward their AU email were out of luck.
I feel like it's just not possible to get raped on the Internet. Like others have said, there are block features in most chat areas, and if someone is really that concerned or getting harrassed, then they should just stay away from chat rooms.
Although there is no physicality related on online rape, as metallicinflux said, there are still some emotional issues that it could cause. Albeit, the internet is known for its annonymity but sometimes people cross the line and things can become very offensive and as stacy said, "traumatizing."
I think that on the internet people tent to abuse their anonymity and not only become someone else but take actions that are not acceptible in the "real world" simply because they can. However, limiting harassment like this can be difficult because so often pull the first ammendment card and right to free speech. The trouble with online opinions is that they can not be regulated and censored. To follow the video, I understand that the government is trying to get the kids to like the real world more but I disagree with giving them guns and plaing real war games as opposed to virtual ones.
I think the addiction inherent in many of these games is particularly dangerous for its target age group. Teenage boys often become addicted, whether to drugs or TV, and it certainly doesn't help that it's an anonymous outlet for socially inept. Also, if they're role playing, it's quite possible they're dissatisfied with their lives. I would blame the people playing before I would blame the game itself.
Honestly, I don't see the Chinese solution to video game addiction here any different from old-school American parents who sent bad-boys to military camp or what-have-you. I even had a sociology teacher in high school who farmed his disobedient son out to the philippine army (that was until he slept with the commander's daughter and got booted out). Regardless, I think these kids can use the discipline, and it's not like they're permanently in the army- they only stay for the few months needed to break them of their habbit. If you noticed, they're mostly the stereotypical nerd, many of whom got really weak from always sitting in front of a computer, and who, in my opinion, could use a little military training. For example, I don't see many of these kids defending themselves in a mugging or bar fight very well. At least, that's just how I see it. About the cyber rape issue- see one of my latest blog entries for definitions on rape and what DemonBoy is actually guilty of committing.
I agree with the treatment of these kids, however, the diagnosis is a little sketchy. I mean, I'm sure there is a certain level of genuine addiction. But I feel abou this the same way we call obesity an epidemic. The thing I think that may have been missed by some people is that these kids are sent away by their parents, not by the government. It seems to me, semi-voluntary. I think there seriously are people, in american too that need to get off their ass and the only way they will do it is if someone makes them. At the same time, this China thing could be some creepy like pre-conditioning for the kids to become soldiers by taking highly skilled gamers and harnessing their drive and putting a physical component into it, after all large portion of military field training in the US is on computer sims and some of the best tank driver/commanders could own anyone hands down at a videogame that required a high level of coordination.
I have to agree with the idea that while it may constitute harrassment, "cyber rape" is not equivalent to actual physical rape. There is no comparison. If it happens online, the victim can simply stop it by turning off the computer, not so in real life.
And China is not the only country using videogame aspects to recruit new soldiers. Our own Army even has it's own videogame series.
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