Beyond the call of duty: Why shouldn't video game players face the same dilemmas as real soldiers?
Publication Details
Clarke, B.,
Rouffaer, C.,
&
Senechaud, F.
(2012).
Beyond the call of duty: Why shouldn't video game players face the same dilemmas as real soldiers?.
International Review of the Red Cross, 94 (886), 711-737.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1816383113000167
Abstract
Video games are influencing users’ perceptions about what soldiers are permitted to do during war. They may also be influencing the way combatants actually behave during today’s armed conflicts. While highly entertaining escapism for millions of players, some video games create the impression that prohibited acts, such as torture and extrajudicial killing are standard behaviour. The authors argue that further integration of international humanitarian law (IHL) can improve knowledge of the rules of war among millions of players, including aspiring recruits and deployed soldiers. This, in turn, offers the promise of greater respect for IHL on tomorrow’s battlefields.
Keywords
video games, influence, behaviour, undermining effect, applicability, challenges, messages, obligation, initiative, trivializing
