Schools must dedicate time in encouraging active citizenship and social development. Online games introduce and appeal to students by introducing them to subjects such as war and poverty. Social and political engagement can be stimulated by learning . It is important that children from various backgrounds meet and learn from each other. According to authorities, the games will play a role in assisting children to become totally citizens.
A GOOD WAY TO INVOLVE YOUNG PEOPLE AS CITIZENS
Online games are extremely popular and successful. Beside from the medium’s popularity, there are three reasons why games, is important for education as a way of encouraging active citizenship.
- In today’s society, playing a game is one of the most competitive forms of media consumption. Players must pay close attention to how the game was developed, and they must react to stimuli in the game.
- Playing games is a natural part of young people’s media culture.
- A growing number of online games with a social or political message are accessible. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will create games through the efforts of the American platform Games For Change.
Does it work?
Can games with a political and social content motivate young people to participate and get involved? Scientific researchers conducted a study of possible use of games in relation to citizenship and social engagement. A U.S. study found that playing certain games strengthened social engagement, in which the simulation of social and political processes had a high learning yield. A small-scale qualitative study showed that gaming has a positive effect in knowledge of the players. It also appeared that players wanted to talk about the topic with their friends and family members. The issue became a part of the social network of the young person, which reinforces the social involvement of several people. This is also called ‘social facilitation’.
Poverty is Not a Game
Poverty is Not a Game that aims to make high school students aware of poverty as a political-social phenomenon. Students who had undergone positive change in general political interest in three months after playing the game, had spoken a lot with their friends and family about poverty. Research shows that for a small group of players, contribute to get political interest after playing. Some researchers argued especially to those young people who are already interested in political and social issues who play these games. But playing such games will have little or no impact on those who are not politically or socially interested, according to researchers in their study. They say follow-up research should reveal exactly how the described mechanisms work. The results show the importance of the social environment of young people. The interaction between the game and discussions with their friends makes the difference. The researchers conclude that the game introduce a subject to players in which it is processed in a social context.
Games and citizenship
According to researchers online games that put political and social issues on the agenda can have positive effects. After playing, people are more likely to talk to others about the subject like playing ‘ afk arena list 2020 ‘. Biggest challenge in using games in education lies in the context of the game itself. There is strong evidence that the interaction between the experiences, the player has through the game and the discussions he or she subsequently makes a difference. The research is modest and still in its infancy, but the first results are optimistic.