Breaking Bad Broken Down

Introduction

Breaking Bad is a crime-drama television series set in Albuquerque new Mexico. It follows the life of a chemistry teacher with cancer turned methamphetamine cook. The main character Walter White falls deeper into the criminal underworld trying to widen his distribution line and begins blurring the lines between good and bad.

Genre

The genre of Breaking Bad is a "Crime-Drama." This means that the show revolves around criminal acts and creates drama. Crime-drams often revolves around a criminal and shows you their experiences in crime. A notable example would be the show "Dexter" which follows the life of a serial killer. Crime-dramas can also revolve around the "good-guys" trying to take down the criminals. Many detective type shows such as "Sherlock" use this technique.

In terms of Breaking Bad it focuses on the criminal and his rise to power as he avoids getting caught. The show is very intense and exciting which may draw people who are looking for escape to it. This is due to the fact that their own life may not be as exciting as the show. Therefore, they use Breaking Bad as a way of escaping their own boring life and replace it with the main characters exciting life.

The average person may also be drawn to this show. By "average person" I mean somebody who lives a relatively normal life in terms of the NRS social grade maybe C1'S an B's. Again the criminal acts might excite them. Due to the things the main character does being illegal. The average person generally can't do this sort of things or they may face consequences. Therefore, they can live out the criminal lifestyle through the show without the worry of being prosecuted in the real world.

Overall, I feel that people gain excitement and entertainment through watching breaking bad. The shows ever-changing and intense keeps people coming back for more excitement to find out what happens next.

Codes and Conventions

There are many re-occurring themes in television shows which are dependent on it genre. For  example, a sitcom will generally contain canned laughter. Crime-dramas such as breaking bad are no different and follow a set of codes and conventions which show up in many other similar shows.

Conflict 

With the show being a drama, conflict is an essential aspect which is the foundation of any drama. In breaking bad there is always conflict between Walter and his wife which develops and becomes more dramatised as the show progresses. The conflict slowly progressing until reaching a climax is what generally happens in these instances. The climax in Breaking Bad being Walter and Skyler's fight, kidnapping his daughter and then running away.

Conflict keeps the story going and keeps the audience entertained and on the edge of their seat.

Polar Opposites

It is very common practice for two or more of the main characters to be the complete opposite in terms of the type of person they are. In Breaking Bad Walter is the straight edge compliant family man whereas his business partner Jesse is the cocky unemployed rule breaker. Both these characters are the complete opposite however they need to put their differences behind and work together. This is another way in which conflict is created by having to opposites having to work together to reach a common goal in this case being money. 

As with many shows this duality between characters is often skewered or in breaking bad's case completely switched around. By the end of the series Walter is everything Jesse used to be (rule breaking and non conformist) whereas Jesse becomes what Walter once was. This change is often progressive in order to create a sense of momentum in the show and make it apparent to the audience how much the characters really have changed.

Secrets

Characters having secrets is what helps drive the narrative of a show, especially when they have to hid them from another main character or loved one. This is because the character has to constantly out smart and be on step ahead of other people. This in effects keeps viewers on the edge of there seat as they don't know when the characters secret is going to be revealed. When the secret is being hidden from someone the character is close to it creates more tension as the character may not want to hurt the person they are hiding it from. They also will spend a lot of time close to this person constantly having to be on guard which creates even more tension. For instance, in breaking bad Walter has t constantly outsmart Hank who doesn't know Walter is the criminal he is looking for. Secrets are often a huge part of crime-dramas such as "Dexter" were the main character is a criminal such as a murderer.

There will often be many "close calls" between the character hiding the secret and other people in the show. For example, the part in the first series of breaking bad were Skyler asks Walter abut Jesse Pinkman. This strikes fear in the viewer that the character is going to be found out building tension. Usually, the character will come up with a solution for these close calls which repeatedly happen throughout the show. However, often the close call will not be so close later on in the series. This is because the viewer has gotten use to the close calls so the how catches them by surprise and makes it so the character can't come up with a solution and their secret gets found out. For example when Skyler discovers that Walter is a drug distributor.

Cliff Hangers

A cliff hanger is when something suspenseful happens just before the episode or show is over. or example a character may be in a life or death situation before the credits roll. This is done to leave the audience hungry for more and keep them wondering about what is going to happen. This is done at the end of nearly every series of breaking bad in one way or another. The best example is when Hank realises that Walter is the meth cook he has been looking for all along.

This was the last episode before the lat series Having such a huge realisation right at the end of the series keeps the audience excited for the next one and teases them. Therefore they are more likely to tune in and buy into the next series as they want to find out what happens.

Cat and mouse

This technique is used heavily in crime dramas in particular. It is when there is to opponents who are often polar opposites have to consistently outsmart each other. In breaking bad this would be the constant battle between Walter and Hank. One of the main characters, usually the main character will be much more superior to their opponent. It is also common practise for one of the opponents to b unaware of the other existence. For example, hank doesn't know that Walter is Heisenberg so Walter has to constantly outsmart hank to keep his secret. This at and mouse technique is used to keep the story going by putting obstacles in front of the main character.

Death of important characters

In dramas it is common for important character to be killed of. The deaths that are dramatised are characters that the audience have built a connection with. Often, a character will be explored and developed for a long period of time before their death. This is so that the audience understand them and in a way build an emotional connection with them. Therefore, when they actually do die it is more of a shock and the audience feel emotions towards the character. This keeps the audience emotionally engaged with the show making it seem more real therefore making them want more due to the real emotions it makes them feel.

It's not always a well developed character that is killed of to evoke emotion. Sometimes it is someone close to an already developed main character such as a lover. When this happens the pain that the person close to the deceased feels is what is used to evoke emotion in the viewer. For example, when Jesse's girlfriend is shot in front of him.

Change and morale

Change is important in dramas as it creates a sense of momentum and pacing throughout the narrative. In Breaking Bad it is one of the most important concepts. In this show you see the main character Walter change from a boring middle aged man to a criminal anti-hero then a villain. However, the lines between good and bad change and this is when morale come into place. As Walter White hangs it is up to the viewer to decide if he is a hero or evil. This fully engages the audience in the story-line by making them use their own ideals and morale to make a choice about the shows concepts. This is very effective as it really immerses the audience within the show and has them asking questions.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene refers to how the whole of the scene is put together in terms of how it looks and the message in which it portrays. This can be done in endless amount of ways and generally everything within a shot is there for a reason or to add to the overall mise-en-scene.


Lighting

Lighting can often be use as a layer to set the mood of the shot whether it be sad, moody or uplifting. In breaking bad Walter home is usually light up very well with the lighting pretty much in uniform which portrays a sense of safety and normality. However, when he is his alter ego "Heisenberg" the lighting is generally more darker and cryptic. This gives a clear distinction between Walters two personalities the family man Walter White and the Villain Heisenberg.

Walters house on the left. Heisenberg's lab on the right.

What's interesting though is that the lighting of Walters house slowly changes over the course of the show as he grows more and more estranged from his family.

The image above is from a later episode were Walter has completely alienated his family and has become much more immoral. As you can see the lighting is much darker then it was earlier in the series. This has been done to show how much Walter is hurting his family and how his criminal alter ego has come into his home and become is normal life. This is due to the fact that now the lighting is dark in both Walter Whites world and Heisenberg's world.

Props

There are many props in breaking bad which are there to convey hidden meanings and messages. This means that the viewer has to think about the props use in order to understand the messages that they are trying convey.

Pink Teddy bear - The teddy bear is a re-occurring prop which is meant to show the damage which Walter has done to his family and the people around him. Many people have also speculated that it is also a representation of Gusto Fring, a drug distributor which Walter murders.



Eyeball - The plastic eyeball is also seen many times throughout the series. It always shows up when Walter is in the midst of making a bad decision. It in a way represents his conscience looking back at him whenever he is about out make a bad choice.



Colors

Colors are often used within the show to tr and get across the type of person that somebody is. The colors in which the characters wear and live in change corresponding with how the characters change. They are also often used to represent something in which the character is going to do.

I the episode "crawl space" Walters gym bag full of money is the color red. This is sued as a way of conveying his guilt and also that something bad is going to have as red symbolises danger. This color can also be seen as a rug below his pile of money in a later episode.

This use of color subconsciously gives the view clues about what is going to happen and also encourages them to come back later to locate more of these hidden messages.

At the beginning of the series when Hank is first introduced he were primarily brown which is a very earth color portraying masculinity and stability. However after his fight with Tuco salemanca he becomes less secure and his clothing starts changing to more of blue and pink colours portraying more innocence and weakness.

Again the colour red is used to portray a sense of impending danger in the episode were Hank dies.

Narrative Structure

Narrative structure is how the story is how the narrative is played out and paced. Breaking bad is a non-linear narrative story as there are many flashbacks with it flashing back and forth. However, there is also a linear narrative happening at the same time amongst the flashbacks which keeps the story going. This is why I believe the show is so successful as although it has an interesting non-linear format it also has an ongoing linear story going in chronological order to keep the main story on a set path. The flashbacks like in most similar shows eventually some together and are explained. In breaking bad they can be quite illusive and confuse the viewer. This is effective as it keeps them guessing as to what it means wanting them to watch more.

Representation

Representation refers to how the media portrays various people and minorities. The general categories representation covers are:

• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity 

Many shows represent each of these categories different through the way there characters act and look. In this section I am going to go through each category and explain how breaking bad using representation in their products.

Males

The main male characters within the show are generally presented to be quite stereotypical and masculine. The central character eventually becomes more masculine and dominant however initially he is more of a weaker less masculine character. Each character has different masculine traits here is a list of the most important and relevant ones.

Walter White - Walter starts of as more of a weaker less alpha male. This can be seen through his attitude towards life and how he is constantly out done by his colleges in terms of achievement and general masculinity. However, he uses his alter ego Heisenberg to become all the things he never was in the real world. Eventually he becomes his alter ego and his colleges become inferior to him. This can be seen through the uses of costumes and colours. As Walter becomes stronger his clothes evidently start getting darker colours whereas the people who were once superior to him such as hank's clothes get lighter and less masculine.

In terms of age Walter lives a generic middle-aged man life by going to his day job everyday and coming home to his wife. When he gets cancer this makes him aware of his own mortality. He realises that nothing exciting ha happened in his life and along with jesse's youth and immaturity he re-lives a more exciting existence before he dies.

Hank Schrader - As with most of the characters in the show hank goes through many changes as the series progresses. He starts out as a tough and masculine character until certain events which happen as a result of  Walter's crimes (Gunfight with Tuco) which damage his mental state. This has him questioning his own worth on top of the fact that he can't track down Heisenberg. However, he is generally a stereotypical male with masculine hobbies such as beer-making.

Jesse Pinkman - Jesse tries to be tough and masculine however the Truth is he is weak. This weakness is shown through the range of emotions he shows as him and Walter go deeper into the criminal underworld. Jesse wants out due to the awful things they have done but Walter seems to show know remorse. 

In terms of age, Jesse is portrayed as an irresponsible teenage unaware of the consequences of his actions. This could be taken offensively as all the people in the show his age are generally drug users. This could be seen as an unfair representation of young people.

Females

Similar to the males in the show, females are portrayed pretty stereo typically in terms of their attitudes and actions.

Skyler White - Skyler is Walters wife in the show. Their relationship becomes more and more estranged as the series progresses due to Walter always being away all of the time. She is always on Walters back and is often portrayed as a bad person due to the bad things she does to Walter such as cheating on him. This could be conceived as portraying women negatively. She also wears a lot of black as the series progresses portraying here negativity towards current circumstances.

Marie - Hanks wife Marie is similar to Skyler in that she is an obstacle between Walter and what he wants. When she gets in his way and begins catching onto what he is doing, Walter simply lies to get out of the way. This is very similar to the way in which Skyler is treated. This could possibly be a negative offensive representation of women. Suggesting that they are obstacles in succeeding and should be just put out of the way. This could however not be the representation. Although, the two main female characters and the way they are represented could suggest otherwise.

Ethnicity

The cast of breaking bad are primarily white which could be conceived as offensive due to it being an unfair representation of America.With it being set in new Mexico there are many Mexican characters within the show but not much of any other ethnicity. This could also be seen as an unfair representation considering that there not the only ethnicity within the region.

There is also the fact that the only black character within the show is Gusto Fring who is a villain and eventually dies. This could offend people of a similar race as this is the only black representation in the series. Therefore, people could be lead to believe that the writers only perceive black people in this light. Being a villain.

Many critics think that the show is taking a stab at the privileged, white American stereotype. This is due to the main character Walt being white. At the start of the show he has a relatively good normal life. A big house with a swimming pool, a loving family and a baby on the way straight away represent his decent life which he feels is bad. After he gets cancer and descends into the criminal underworld he tells himself it is for his family. However, after the feeling of power it stops becoming about his family and being about him instead. This can be proven as he continues cooking, long after his cancer is cured. Walter begins seeing what he wants and takes it just because he feels he is privileged and it is his right. People could believe this to be the generic white-privileged male psyche.

The racist politics comes together and becomes more apparent later on in the series. This is when Walter is hired by the only black character in the show. Gus is eventually murdered by Walter who sets up his own similar business operation. This could again be showing Walters privileged white male stereotype. He sees something that he wants (Gus Fring's job) and takes it because he feel he deserves it. What makes this more relevant is the fact that Gus is black. Walter the white male takes away black male Gus's position. Many people believe this is used to represent the white man's power and privilege over the white man. Or rather the power that the white man believes to have over other races.

Overall, I don't think that the creators of breaking bad particularly put much though into representation. Rather their energy went into the way in which the characters develop, change and interact with each other. However, I do feel that it is plausible that the show has and undertone of race politics. This is due to the consistent focus on how Walter takes what he want as he feels privileged.

Assigment 3: Responding to media products

Introduction

Throughout the years there has been many theories surrounding audience and how they react to products. Overtime, the methods and ways of understanding how the public responds to the media has changed and developed. These days the generally accepted theories are much more complex and take into account individuals rather than the mass audience. This differs from the old ones such as "The hypodermic needle" which only takes into account the public as a whole. In this report I am going to be explain a range of audience theories as well as relating them to three video games. The purpose of this post is to figure out how various video games effect people and whether or not the media and games has the power to change peoples ideals or actions.

Audience Theories

Passive and active audiences

This refers to how the audience interacts with the media product and how they absorb it's messages. The difference between passive and active is that a passive audience does not question the messages which the media is channelling to them. Rather they remain indifferent and just absorb the message without asking questions or looking into why a specific message is being portrayed to them. An example would be very young children who may not yet have the ability to fully build there own opinions and question what the media is trying to tell them. This is one of the reasons that certain products are age classified as young children are generally more susceptible to the media and it's messages than adults. On the flip side, an active audience will always actively participate with the product and maybe questions it's purpose or ulterior motives. For example an person within this audience may notice the subtle marketing techniques in commercials and analyse why they are there.

Hypodermic needle theory/magic bullet theory

The hypodermic needle theory is an old audience theory dictating that the media has an immediate and direct effect on the public, The problem with this theory compared to the more modern ones is that it only takes into account the masses rather than individuals. Therefore, it is not an accurate representation of how everybody interacts with the media. This theory implies that any messages portrayed by the media are directed absorbed by it's audience and are just accepted. Although, this theory isn't an ideal model for analysing audience it has been shown to be true in the past. For example, the 1938 broadcast of "The war of the worlds" sparked widespread panic amongst the American population as they thought they were under alien attack. Rather, it was simply a radio drama episode. There was also the propaganda used in the second world war which seemed to have a huge influence on the masses. However, this theory coming into play back then could be for a lot of cultural and societal reasons. The media though radio and television was a new novelty back then so people could have been more susceptible due to it being new. 

Effects debate

As the name suggest effects debate simply refers to how media products affect individuals and whether or not, they lead them to take actions they otherwise wouldn't, if they hadn't seen the media product. There have been many incidents which raise these question withing the media and especially video games. I will get into real world example later on. However, speaking theoretically an example would be if somebody watched "Breaking Bad" and later went to build a methamphetamine lab based of what they saw. If this was out of character for the person and they did it solely from the messages which they absorbed from the television show then this would come into effects debate.

Uses and gratification theory

This refers to the media product in which audience seek out in order to fulfil their needs. There are many different needs or gratifications which people use the media as a means of fulfilling. Some examples would be escapism, social interaction or entertainment. For instance,  somebody seeking escape may use an online multiplayer game such as "World of Warcraft" as a means of creating a second life and getting immersed in a fantasy world unlike their own. From this they can be somebody who they are not in the real world as a way of making them feel better about their own life. People looking for social interaction will often use social media products such as "Twitter" as it allows them to connect with people all other the world from the comfort of there home. This comfort is also what would gratify the individual as it allows them to be socially active and comfortable.

Call of Duty

Call of Duty 1-3

Call of Duty is a critically acclaimed "shoot-em-up" war game series published by Activision and developed by companies such as Infinity Ward and Treyarch. It began in 2003 with there debut of Call of Duty set in world war 2. In this and the sequels that followed (2 and 3) you played as infantry soldiers from various regiments and countries. The first few games set in this era gained a massive reception with high ratings from many game magazines and reviewers. There was not much controversy over these games which could be due to it being based on real historical events. Therefore, it could be argued that it teaches players the history of the wars and maybe make them realise the atrocities of it. There has always been controversy over shooter games in general with claims that they make people violent but the early Call of Duties didn't particularly stand out amongst the rest in terms of controversy. It wasn't until games developed later in the series depicting current wars and conflicts, that the series began causing altercation in the general public and media.

Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 1 and 2

The equally as successful modern warfare series focused on current conflicts in the world using realistic and accurate weapons and locations. It followed the same structure as the other one following various infantry soldiers from various regiments such as the S.A.S as they wage war in the modern world. Both Modern warfare 1 and 2 caused a lot of controversy due to there hyper-realistic approach too war and the questionable and sometimes brutal content of certain missions.

Shock and awe (Modern warfare 1)

Shock and awe was a mission in the first Modern Warfare in which the players involved in a nuclear blast and crawls to their death in the aftermath of the explosion. This caused debate and outrage due to its realism and shock value. Also the Iraq War was going on at the time so this brought up uncomfortable issues regarding it being insensitive due to current events. 

You could argue that that the franchise just wanted to provide a realistic depiction of the brutality of war so that people don't take it lightly. However, this in turn can also create negative effects based of the audience theories discussed earlier. For example due to the context it may make certain players feel uncomfortable. For example ex-war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress may not want to re-live a similar experience in such detail even in a video game. Also a passive audience may interpret it very differently than somebody else. With you having to finish this mission to progress in the game you could interpret it as meaning this type of violence is beneficial is achieving goals and is okay. Due to the out roar caused by this mission in the following game, Infinity ward warned players before they played equally as graphic section of the game. This was seen in Modern Warfare 2 in which a similar mission "No Russian" gave the player an option to skip due to it's graphic content.

No Russian (Modern Warfare 2)

In this mission you are an undercover agent working with a group of Russian terrorists. You wander into an airport with the terrorist group and mercilessly kill hundreds of innocent civilians. This caused much more controversy than the previous shock and awe as you played the perpetrator and have the option to gun down these people. The issue was that there was no consequence to these actions within the game. It doesn't show the punishment for war-crime rather just glorifies in a way by trying to make it into an entertaining game.

Turning a brutal massacre into a game for the players entertainment raises many ethical questions and can effect people susceptible to media messages in negative ways. Taking the hypodermic needle theory into account if this message was absorbed straight into a passive audiences mind then they may get the wrong idea. Due to their being no consequences for committing these crimes they may feel that killing people isn't so bad and they are no repercussions. In terms of the effects debate it is argued that many brutal scenes like this have actually caused acts of violence in the real world.

Anders Breivick

Anders was responsible for a mass shooting in Norway in the year 2011. He claimed that he used the game Call of Duty in order to train for the elaborately planned attacks. Although the game didn't appear to influence his actions it helped in aiding the act which can come into uses and gratification theory. rather than using it for entertainment purposes he used it as a simulation in order to complete a series of violent acts. Therefore, it is clear that some people can use media products for immoral and violent acts. However, he was diagnosed with borderline-personality disorder due to many events in his life which shows that the game was not a direct correlation between the murders. Rather, he used it as a tool to aid him in completing them.

Sandy Hook murders

The game could however be linked to have affected Adam Lanza the killer of 20 children and 6 staff members at sandy hook elementary. It is reported that he was obsessed with the game and it's weapons, sometimes spending a at least 16 hours a day playing multiplayer. Taking effects debate into account it could be argued that the excessive playing of the game may have contribute towards his violent actions. The aim of multiplayer is to kill other players and gain experience points so you can rank up and unlock new in-game items. Therefore, many susceptible audiences could see this as killing people is rewarding and become conditioned to believe that. If you go of the hypodermic needle theory than the message injected straight into the consumers mind would be "Killing people is fun and rewarding." It is not clear if the game directly influenced the killings however it is something to take into account considering his infatuation with the multiplayer aspects of it. If you take the approach that the killer was already mentally ill than the game may have simply been an escape were he could live out his violent fantasy without fear of persecution. However, it could also be argued that the game reinforced his already mentally ill and violent psyche.

Conclusions

Although it is not clear whether Call of Duty directly influences people to commit violent acts we can assume that it can potentially play a part in somebody who is susceptible to the media such as the mentally ill. Passive audiences such as children could pick up negative message from the games which is why there is an age rating. It is not hard to believe that shoot-em-up games like call of duty can influence people who are pre-dispositioned to things such as violence or lack of empathy. If you think in terms of neuropsychology, the reward centre of the brain releases hits of dopamine when you progress in a game providing a sense of well-being and achievement. Therefore, excessive playing can lead to the brain conditioning itself to believe that killing people is rewarding as that is the main aim of shoot-em-ups. Due to this, it is possible that this process played a role in some of the murders linked to the game.

Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto is a open world sandbox game in which the player will normally be placed in a fictional city as a criminal or gangster and have to complete various missions to progress. Due to it being free roam, the player can complete missions at his or her own leisure and do whatever they want in the city. Besides missions, players can kill civilians, buy guns partake in races, drug deals and even pay for prostitutes. This has to be one of the most controversial games of all time due to the freedom the player has to reek carnage on the innocent civilians within the virtual world. It also features adult themes such as drug use sexual content and bad language.

Criminal Activities

The game has been heavily criticised for promoting criminal activity contrary to previous games in which the protagonist engaged in heroic deeds. Rather in Grand theft auto you play the anti-hero and commit a number of crimes ranging from murder to armed robbery. The idea of being rewarded for completing illegal acts sparked much debate over the effects this game could have. Attorney Jack Thompson blamed the games graphic nature for the murders of a group of Alabama police officer by 17 year old Devin Moore. He called the game a "Cop Killing simulator" arguing that Devin Moore had no history of mental illness or criminal offences before spending countless hours playing it.

Like Call Of Duty, the game featured very few consequences for the characters illegal or unethical choices. Rather it glamorised them by the character gaining more money which they could buy material things such as houses and clothing with. This could portray to certain audiences such as passive ones that you will be successful if you are a criminal, Consequently potentially leading them to a life of crime due to this belief. It also showed that even extreme offences such as murder were easily avoidable by simply killing police offers or escaping.

Desensitisation 

What I have got into yet is how violent video games have the potential to desensitise players. I feel that the torture scene in Grand Theft Auto V is a perfect way to explain this. 

GTA V with it's realistic graphics puts the player in the shoes of a man working with the FBI to torture somebody. This brutal scene allows players to choice there torture device of choice and punish them as they see fit. This option of being able to choose what weapon to use forces the player to make a conscious decision of what they will do to him. Although, there is no option of helping the victim or letting him free. Rather, you are forced to do it in order to progress. This could potentially be ore damaging to an audience than say a movie as he or she is making the decisions therefore it feel more realistic as if they are actually doing it. On the other hand it could be argued that it raises awareness of issues such as torture by making the play feel guilt towards the victim. Leaving them no option means they have to torture him irregardless of how they feel. Therefore, it could be argued that this is conditioning people towards being violent.

As you can see from the video above the scene is very bloody and graphic. If you showed this to somebody 30 years ago chances are they would be more horrified than people are today. I believe this is due to the increasing realisticness and violence in the general media we have in the modern times. Nowadays, people are so used to seeing accurate depictions of violence that it doesn't phase them. This raises issues in effects debate as audiences growing up with this sort of violence may not perceive it as wrong or sickening. Therefore, when there are murders in the real world it is often debated whether the media which the consumed affected their actions.

As I have stated earlier, passive audiences such as young children are much more susceptible to the media influence and message that active audiences. After playing the game a six year old stole his parents car and drove 10 miles due to missing the bus. He claimed he learnt this from playing the game. As you can see the hypodermic needle theory can come into play when we are dealing with more vulnerable audience. As seen earlier, with incidents such as the sandy hook murders. Sometime the medias messages are injected directly into the audiences brain if they are in a vulnerable position such as mental illness or being a young child.

Uses and gratifications of Grand Theft Auto

People mainly seek this game for entertainment purposes and escapism. The open sandbox style of gaming means the player can do things which would be inappropriate in the real world with out facing real life consequences. It could be argued that this is a good thing as it lets people blow of some steam without taking actions in reality. Therefore, letting them live out their fantasies in a simulation rather than causing tragedies such as the Sandy hook murders. However, as I have stated I believe that somebody who is more vulnerable to the messages may take it a step further and the game can act as a catalyst in taking there ideologies into real life.

Minecraft

Although the public opinion on the negative affects of video games seems pretty bleak, it's not all doom and gloom. Some games have been proven to provide positive effects to people and the action which they influence them to take. A quite recent example is Minecraft.

Minecraft is an open world sandbox game in which the world is randomly generated by a series of blocks. The player mines these blocks which are made up of different material to create anything they want from tools to house and castles. The creative freedom of the game i what made gain so much praise in the media. This is due to the fact there is no real aim to it. Rather it is up to the player to make what they want to out of their gaming experience.

Educational Benefits 

Minecraft has quite recently began being implemented in school worldwide to teach children various different subjects such as maths and psychics. Due to the fact that you can mould the world within the game however you want it is very beneficial in being able to illustrate theories and concepts visually. Outside of school the game could make children interested in other topics such a electrics. With Minecrafts "redstone" system it make it possible for anybody to create simple to highly complex electrical circuits.

Therefore, in terms of effects debate you could say that the effects caused by this game could be beneficial especially to a more susceptible audience. This is because it allows people to explore their creativity and create things which they do not have the resources to build in the real world. Therefore it can inspire people to pursue things that they want as they can do it withing the game.

Due to the multiplayer aspects of the game it can help people develop communication skills along with teamwork skills. This is because you have to work together in order to build your creation therefore it could be beneficial for people who have issues communicating with other in real life and help them build social skills. In fact the game has been shown to be very effective in treating people with autism such as aspergers. This is because the logic and order of the game world makes sense to them and allows them to creatively express them selves freely which they would find difficult otherwise. However, you could argue that these social aspects of minecraft are negative. It could possible make somebody comfortable with staying inside for interaction and not seek any form of social interaction or enjoyment outside of the game due to it''s addictive and potentially obsessive style.

Conclusions

In terms of uses and gratifications, the main reasons people use minecraft are for creative freedom and entertainment The vastness and freedom of the game allows people to become immersed and sometimes obsessed with it therefore it is an efficient source of entertainment or escape. The possibilities are endless therefore people have the means of expressing themselves and being creative through a world with resources already set out for them. Minecraft is about exploring and discovering new things. This can in subtle ways, inspire people to take more risks in their life and be more curious. The quote shown at the end of the game reinforces this idea.