This refers to the idea that what is out there, around us every day, seems normal. That what is always around us seems right. So let us think a moment about the word “normal.” We say this all the time. But what do we really mean when we call things ‘normal?’ Artists, scientists, writers, parents, teachers constantly question the notion of what makes something ‘normal.’ Now it is your turn! You task for the initial post is to describe a particular “normal” cultural phenomenon that you encounter often. It can be anything- school, movies, ads, a show, a trend… anything. Explain why and how you came across this phenomenon, and try to account for its categorization as ‘normal.’ Does everyone do / think / say this thing? Does no one question it? Do people seem to accept it? For how long? Is it traditional? New? After you’ve explained the phenomenon, write a few questions encouraging your colleagues to join you in looking closer at this “normal” part of our culture. You could also write a few sentences offering some insight as to why the phenomenon might NOT be normal after closer inspection. – What is “Normal?” We do not question the normal because it is normal, we question the abnormal because it is not normal, but what do we classify as normal? Spending seven hours a day on your phone scrolling through social media is fine but wearing shorts in the winter is absurd? Escaping reality through video games, completely engaged visually, auditorily, and emotionally is just ‘what teenagers do’, but rooting for a sports team other than the local one is a crime? There does not seem to be an obvious line separating the normal from the abnormal, and if there was it would be more of a dramatic squiggle. Things like violent movies and games that were frowned on at first and even taken to congress in some cases are now societal norms. One of the more recent cultural phenomenon’s that took over the youth’s pastime was the boom in the gaming industry. Video games are quite the oddity at closer inspection, we momentarily forget our personal lives and live through fictional characters on a screen. We get so much enjoyment from this seemingly simple concept that we use these games as a form of escapism. Despite how weird this may sound to someone who hasn’t heard of these games before, they have been seen as ‘normal’ for a while now. However, the more recent extreme popularization of them has turned them from ‘nerdy’ to ‘cool’, thus increasing their approval and success. Do not get me wrong, I am aware that video games have been played by teens and anyone else since Pong first came out back in ’72. However, with the advancement of modern technology, these games are correlatingly advancing for many reasons. For one, there was the recent popularization of watching people stream these games (which is a cultural phenomenon in itself) through new platforms like Twitch and Mixer, and even through eSports (competitive gaming). Even YouTube has taken inspiration and recently implemented a streaming feature. Another one is the simple fact that the quality and quantity of games is increasing. Not only are there many more home and handheld consoles readily available for anyone to buy, but they are getting better too. Graphics-wise, size-wise, and even the stories of these games are getting increasingly engaging and meaningful. The quantity of games these days is to be given credit for bringing new people into the gaming community due to the large number of niche games being released. Thirdly is their efforts to reach new audiences. Despite being marketed toward males at first, the community has seen an increase in female gamers recently and this is not only due to their use of streaming platforms (e.g. Pokimane, Kittyplays, LoserFruit, etc.) but also the release of new games that challenge traditional gender roles (e.g. Overwatch, Horizon Zero Dawn, Uncharted, etc.). A fourth reason is the increase in ‘free-to-play’ games. There was a time in the past where all games were cartridges or CD’s and had to be purchased in person, but now that we live in a digital era, all games are available online so naturally more are free to download. In fact, the most popular games today are free-to-play, games like League of Legends, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, Pokémon Go and many more are free to download on your PC, console, or mobile device. The last reason I’ll give for the recent boom in this industry is the number of great games that came out recently. It is no exaggeration to say that we are in a golden age of gaming. With releases in the past decade such as Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2, Nintendo’s Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and CD Projekt’s The Witcher 3, it is no surprise that more and more people are playing video games. Now that we have accounted for why this industry has seen an exponential increase in popularity as of recently, lets talk about how it is seen as normal. At first they weren’t, a number of games that came out in the early stages of the industry were blamed for causing violence among youths, and like I stated previously, some games were brought to congress for examination of constitutionality. Games like Mortal Kombat, Night Trap, and Doom were all part of congress cases and were looked down on by many adults. ‘Video games cause violence’, ‘video games make my kid dumb’, and ‘video games make my kid lazy’ were all common complaints made by adults in regard to these new games. Despite their bumpy start, video games have wedged their way into the daily lives of people across the globe and have gained the reputation of being a societal norm. Questions for consideration: Do you think there was a certain or exact moment in time when video games became normalized, or has it been a gradual process? How has the advancement of technology contributed to video games becoming normalized? Have you ever stopped to question this concepts normality? Would you consider video games to be normal? What would your parents or grandparents answer be to that question?
