Traditional Children's Games and Cyber Games: Their functions in social stability

Traditional Children’s Games and Cyber Games: Their functions in Social Stability
Prepared and Written by: Mr. Gerry A. Marcelo

It is but natural for societies like the Philippines to change towards the direction of modernity. It seems to be the more logical collective action and movement in the light of fast pacing changes brought about by computerization. Except for a few, the advent of computerization, sharpened by the introduction of Microsoft software by Bill Gates, is a very welcome development. With it is the promise of security in all its forms and variations that one is perceived to be doubly ignorant for not possessing even the slightest know-how or familiarity with the most used software and office program.
The push towards computerization in almost everything permeates almost all aspects of the human society. It is literally impossible to escape its tangling effects and the tentacles of its influence. All generations simultaneously existing in the present age experience the resultant clout of the cyber world and the youth, with open arms and expectant enthusiasm welcome the advance, to their fold, like the morning embracing a new day. Of all the generations now exist, it is the youth who are the recipient and hosts of this new technological advancement that even the aspect of games are invaded and transformed by this astonishing development.
George Herbert Mead significantly discussed and explored the pattern of the development of Self as going through two stages in childhood development. He termed them, the Play stage and the Game stage. Between the two, the Game stage seemed to usher the completion of the development of the Self. In this stage, the child should take the role of everyone else in the game. This stage allows the development of generalized others – the attitude of the whole community or the entire group to which the child belongs. It is important that the child engages in cooperative social activities for him to develop a complete Self. The development of the Self is beneficial to both the individual and the society. It contributes to the total stability of the society because, the Self, as product of the game stage and the resultant agency of the generalized others, is expected to live up to the group or society’s expectations.
The picture of the Self as a product of group social activities, characterizes the actual games children play in any age. In the past, traditional games such as “tumbang preso”, “agawan base”,” luksong baka”,” patintero”, or “piko” served as the venues for a child to develop the self and learn the generalized others. Rules dominate these group games where children assume particular roles systemically related to all other roles played by all participants. A very strong sense of belongingness, compliance and cooperation are exhibited by children playing traditional games, that the slightest violation of group norms (generalized others) results into temporary ostracism by the entire group. This temporary ostracism produces an impact to the child and learned in the process the twin virtues of compliance and cooperation. These traditional games produce among children the expected internalization of acceptable and desirable values and norms significant to the group. In microsociological perspective, games initially prepare a child to participate and assume roles in the larger society. The system of rewards and punishments for compliance or violation of group norms and rules results into the internalization of these same experiences and thus conditions the person (formerly a child) to positively comply and avoid violating social rules in general. The internalization of the value of compliance and the pain associated with violating group norms produce in an individual child (later an adult) the affinity to seek approval from the group and later the larger society, culminating in his desire to follow social precepts and regulations. The process and experiences result gradually to the attainment of stability in the society. Like all games, traditional games promote competition between groups. The goal is to outplay the other team or group by strictly following rules governing the game. But these traditional games are not vent on totally eliminating the opponent merely outplaying them and enjoying the game in the process.
It is therefore significant that children are encouraged to play games with other children so as to learn the rudiments of socialization and familiarize themselves to the rules governing social relations. It is through interaction in games that norms and social rules and compliance to them are subtly learned and internalized by the child and forces him to abide by them. Games are not known to be used, except in Roman Empire, as a venue to release the frustrations of the populace. It was never like this, since the advent of modern times where traditional games have lost their influence over the young. Today, the young are busy playing not traditional games but internet and cyber games. These games are characteristically violent, aimed at eliminating the opponents who are either on the same computer center or far away in another country. Cyber games which are originally designed to entertain and probably to stimulate the thinking process and hand-eye coordination of the child now became more violent and disturbingly vandalistic in character. Unlike the first wave of games of this nature such as “Super Mario”, newer games like Counter Strike”, “Ragnarok”, “Dota”, “Ran”, “Flyff”, “Red Alert”, “ Guild Wars”, “ Tantra”, or “Age of Empires” depict more violence and enhance the violent behavior of children and adult alike. A very astounding phenomenon regarding these games is that, not only children play them but have also captured the imagination, interest and enthusiasm of adults. These games seem to be turning into a game of all ages and its very nature permeates the individuality of the players. Admittedly, cyber games are very creative and challenging. They even allow the players to improve and enhance the character they choose to play and thereby defeat the enemies. One psychology student said that cyber games allow a player to create his own alter ego and has become a venue for many to release the frustrations and tensions they have in life. This is probably the reason why even adults play the games.
Cyber games have replaced the traditional games children played before. Truly, it is undeniable that these games also socialize the individual and mold him in the shape of the group. But the values they are promoting have shifted from group cooperation for collective survival to group cooperation aimed at ultimately eliminating even the group-mates themselves. Games mirror the reality of the modern times which is characterized by anomie and fleeting relationships of individuals. Karl Marx discussed that human relations are determined by economic needs of the inter-actors, while Durkheim posited that as societies become more and more advanced, people become less and less attached to each other. This reality is manifested in the tendency of the cyber games players to enhance their games alter ego and in the long run, depending on the level attained, sell the character to the highest bidder. Although, such practice can only be observed among adult players, the nature of the games has been altered and has entered the domains of economics and business. If the creation of alter ego of players is a manifestation of their frustrations, thus it is probably safe to assume that the modern times has made the younger generation more and more stressed, less and less attached to each other and has become truly materialistic. It is only fitting in the light of these developments, to say that the ideas of Durkheim regarding the anomic and egoistic tendency of people has become the characteristic nature of the modern society. In the past, when traditional games are played, the feeling of frustration was never a motivation or the challenge to eliminate the opponent, the ultimate goal of the game. Today, cyber games have become the legitimate and acceptable, though not desirable venue for pent-up emotions and frustrations the younger generation have been going through corollary to modernization and technological advancement.
Traditional games are functional in the sense that they allow the child to internalize the values of cooperation and compliance to the rules. Multiply this phenomenon to the members of the society results into the over-all promotion and attainment of order and generally, social stability. The same is true in cyber games they, like traditional games, promote cooperation and compliance among group players and has probably the same effect to the society. Both are functional to the society. The difference is that, cyber games serve as an outlet for the players to release their tensions and frustrations as products of their superficial relationships with other people.
Are cyber games products of human frustrations or that it has become the outlet for frustrations? To answer this, it is probably wise to make an analogy. In the beginning, societies are created due to the conglomeration of individuals who wanted to survive. Man created societies but societies in the long-run created man. The societies that man created became a potent force that imposed upon them its norms, values, goals which men themselves created. Thus, societies are created by men, but in time, societies evolved to control and devour man. In the end, man cannot survive without it. Likewise, cyber games were created due to man’s frustrations, that in his frustration regarding human relations, he needed his own creation to relieve him of his frustrations. The new generation has found an outlet for their frustrations on their own creation. In this way, cyber games have become very functional to the modern generation. (Is it also true that the modern generation cannot live without it, just like man without the society?) Societies, to follow the tradition of the organicists in sociology such as Comte and Spencer, are designed to attain balance whenever there is disequilibrium created by new developments. Technology and modernization, the new religions of the modern times have their own effect among people, as pointed out by Durkheim, these have made people very unattached to each other that human relations seem to become just a by-word. Even families are invaded by new values ushered by modernization and technology. The nucleus of the society has fallen victim to the new theology of modernization and technology. The disequilibrium created by the advent of modernization and technology (i.e. frustrations and dissociation) is so widespread that the society seeks to strike a new balance by tapping an already existing structure to provide and serve as a tool to return to equilibrium. Cyber games are now relieving the society of the same ills it has created when it chose to ride the pale horses of modernization and technology.
Traditional games have served the society well and contributed immensely to the continuity of the same. The twin values of cooperation and compliance are successfully internalized by the older generation resulting into social order and stability providing the society with a very strong and enduring foundation and made it ready to face the challenges of modernization and technology. But like the nature of almost everything, traditional games are now outlived by the society and new developments introduced by modernization and technology are calling for fitting solutions to the rampage of advancement. A state of disequilibrium was created and re-created by the same advances humanity has made. Veneer relationships even among members of primary structures of the society observed to be taking one of the greatest tolls against human societies. Children of very young age have become disillusioned by technological advancement that possessing them was made a new standard for being in. Humanity, young and old, become doubly preoccupied with the dizzying changes in technological realms, and the race for the acquisition of newer and better technologies, consequently, man has become more and more alienated from himself and others. Technologies are supposed to help bring man nearer to each other but the opposite is true. It has widened the distance between them.
In the end, man, especially the younger generation instead of gaining distance created wider gap between each other and between them and the older generation resulting into anomie and evidenced by frustrations expressed in their continued indulgence to cyber games. Nevertheless, cyber games are helping humanity to once more endure the tumor of social alienation.
(Disclaimer: The writer does not intend to develop nor advance a theoretical understanding of the emerging technologies rather this article is merely a plain and simple comparison of the two types of games played by different generations of the Philippine society. The use of sociological ideas such as those advanced by Durkheim, Marx and George Herbert Mead are partial applications only and does not claim that they are directly referred to by these great writers.)