Violence, Sexuality, and Gender Stereotyping: A Content Analysis of Official Video Game Web Sites

To promote video games, game manufacturers create official Web sites for their games that are designed to attract consumers' attention and push them to purchase. This paper examines the messages that these Web sites send to the public regarding violence, sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and racial and gender representations. Results show that male characters outnumber female characters, that female characters are shown in a more stereotypical and sexualized manner, and that Hispanic characters are grossly underrepresented. The majority of game Web sites display violent acts that include actual shootings with blood and that no significant difference exists between the number of violent acts on the Web sites for games rated (T)een and games rated (M)ature. Given the violent depictions, stereotyping, and sexualized portrayals on these Web sites, parents should be as vigilant in monitoring their children's exposure to the Web sites as they are to the video games. Video gaming is a mainstay of American children's leisure time. Today, video games have become a multibillion-dollar industry, with combined computer and video game sales topping $7.4 billion and selling over 240.7 million computer and video game units in 2006.1 This amount nearly matches the $9.7 billion generated by the 2007 movie box office.2 As for gaming equipment, 85% of teens and 77% of preteens in the United States say they own a video game console.3 Moreover, teens play electronic games an average of 9 hours per week, with male teens playing 3.5 times more hours per week than female teens (14 hours compared to 4 hours). Children ages 6 to 11 are equally engaged, playing an average of 10 hours per week, with boys playing 13 hours and girls playing 5 hours.4 Clearly the video game industry has become a major force in the worlds of both business and entertainment.