@ColleenBurke85
Samuel Johnson famously once said, “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” Well the internet is the last refuge of a racist. It is the one place, where people feel comfortable using, language they would never use in real life. The jokes that people are afraid to tell out in public, are given platforms and praised as funny by other online users. It is true that if you look hard enough every group is demonized online, yet if you are a different color, religion, or even the other gender there is a likely hood you will face more abuse. Google play had an app called make me asian, where you took take a photo of yourself and add crude asian characters to it, the same company also had a make me Irish app, both are equally offensive, yet both stereotypes often get a pass today in America. This app is rather tame compared to other racist apps and games. Years ago sangent games released an incredibly racist game called “Border Patrol” where your only object was to shoot and kill Mexicans crossing the border they were either a breeder, drug dealer, or a Mexican Nationalist, you got extra points for killing the breeder. While “Border Patrol” is an example of overt racist imagery, many mainstream games use racial stereotypes. Almost any game can consist of racial stereotypes, and while we shouldn’t necessarily get offended by every single one we see, we must be aware of them. Often we become desensitised to the stereotypes that surrounds us in the gaming world and in the online world, this translates to us being oblivious to racism in the real world. If you don’t believe me, think of your favorite video game from childhood and critically list all stereotypes within them. You would be surprised by how many there are. To combat racial stereotypes, one needs a critical mind, as well as insight from others.