Dev Log 1 - Cyber Violence and the Chain of Interests Behind It


The game is still in the very early stages and I haven't even come up with a proper name yet. However, I have already done quite a bit of research on the subject. I believe these surveys will help me understand and better bring to life the social issues that this serious game wants to express.

Social media contains an exceptional amount of topics that can be discussed. I chose cyber violence because I have seen various real-life cases. All of them have caused a lot of damage to the victims. Some of them have even gone to extremes, such as turning to violence in real life or committing suicide. As an ordinary person, I am too small to stop the abusers on the Internet, nor can I save the victims. What I can do is use my own research to bring these issues to the attention of gamers.

Another point on the topic of cyber violence is whether or not there are forces behind these behaviors. The power of social media nowadays has given it the ability to benefit some businesses or individuals as well. This may be through conventional and legal means, such as advertising, gift-giving, and online shopping. But it can also be through gray area or even illegal means such as scams, hacking and cyber violence. Cyber violence may not seem like a profit to many people. But if a celebrity who is the subject of cyber-violence is the face of a brand, could it be that the person who organized the cyber-violence, or the person who pushed for it, was intentionally orchestrated by a competing company of that brand? Or let's say a group member of an organization is subjected to cyber-violence because someone digs up some wrongdoings he did when he was young. Could that person who did the initial digging then be someone whose personal gain was affected by the activities carried out by this organization? These are just assumptions, and characterizing something requires sufficient evidence. But on the internet, the act of forensics will become very difficult. The person who started the cyberstorm or provoked the incident, their name may soon be drowned under the sound of people's mouths. Although it is difficult to find the real aggressor, I hope that through this game, you can find a direction. Whenever you encounter an incident of cyber violence, you can try to follow this direction to find the cause of the incident and the possible culprits behind it. This may help people to stop being used as a tool of speech and to avoid such bullying.

I hope that the environment on social networks will be more tolerant and understanding, and less hostile and hateful.

Comments

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Hi Theo! It's awesome that you're diving into this game project, even if it's just starting out and doesn't have a name yet. Your focus on cyber violence in the age of social media is super important because it's a real issue causing a lot of harm. It's tough to stop these abusers as an individual, but your research and game can bring awareness to the problem. You're right, social media can be a powerful tool for both good and shady stuff. Sometimes, even businesses or individuals benefit from these bad actions, and it's crucial to dig deeper to understand if there are hidden forces behind them. Your game could help players unravel these situations and find possible culprits, which might make social networks a more tolerant and friendly place. Keep pushing forward with your project – it's got a meaningful mission!

Hi Theo, with the rapid rise of being raised in an online environment, people tend to jump to conclusions and pick sides without the full context of the story. Studying misinformation spread with malice intent is a really interesting angle to cyberbullying . I also wish for more empathy in online spaces, goodluck with your pitch!

Hi!

The topic you chose was really fascinating to read about and I really do appreciate that you have a concern for individuals who are victims of abusers. I can't wait to hear what kind of idea you pitch to the class!