American children have been brainwashed by a culture that is every bit as pagan as ancient Rome; our technology is better – but the moral sensibilities are the same. Hence, when life becomes difficult young people today, rather than repent, they seek escape through games, sensual experience of everything from booze, drugs, music to sex and the ultimate escape they believe they might find in suicide. Although Neil Postman in his book Amusing Ourselves to Death, [1] accurately portrayed America’s obsession with amusement – always remember that the devil is in the details, and in this case the gaming world.
It's Just a Game…?
As parents and teachers, how many times have you asked your children and/or students – “why do you waste time on social media thinking and talking about stuff that’s not even real, and never will be?” Or, “why spend all your time buried in video games in a world that does not exist in the reality around you?”
Response: “it’s just a game!” Or “Geez! We’re just having fun!!!!”
But is it just a game or just fun?...
Another problem to consider with the video game world beyond the permanent loss of time, is the reality that all computer games are based, knowingly or not, upon the concept of a Mandala. [2] This is a Hindu word for designs symbolizing the universe, usually circular but other geometric shapes are possible also. [3] Generally, the drawing, painting or sketch will be of the Buddhist, Hindu or Tibetan Wheel of Life motif which may or may not have figures on it. Or it may merely be circles or squares that recede smaller and smaller toward the middle of the picture. The purpose of the Mandala design is to pull the viewer away from the world without, to the center point of the image and focus your mind.
Both Buddhist and Hindu monks use the Mandala to focus their minds deeper and deeper within themselves in an attempt to detach themselves from the world around them, which is the cause of suffering and disappointment with the hope of reaching ‘enlightenment.’ By spending hours, and perhaps days on end focused upon these images the monks lose a sense of proportion in context of the world around them and seek to escape the veil of tears. [4]
Likewise, when children spend hours, perhaps days on end focused upon images flickering across a screen with God knows what type of throbbing soundtrack strobing through their minds – the psychological effect is similar to the Mandala. The children are drawn away from the real world and go deeper and deeper into a scenario – as the gaming world calls the various settings/locations within the game that have challenges the player must overcome in order to win. To play for a few hours on a weekend basis is not a big deal. But what of those who play for hours on end, day after day? Is it any wonder young people are socially detached and irresponsible?
The psychological damage becomes more apparent as our young men and women become detached from reality, unable to focus, and even worse yet – become dark, brooding, and angry. [5] Why do we wonder why young people do not want to act or communicate like human beings?
Even with video games that in and of themselves have nothing terrible within them (extreme violence, sexuality, etc) the problem of social detachment and extreme focus remains a concern. As school administrator Alfred J. Popp pointedly noted in a questionnaire I had sent him:
I think video games do the same thing a lot of addictive substances and behaviors do. I guess scientists say they cause "dopamine hits," which I believe is true. They are a cheap, socially accepted addiction. They're legal. You're not putting something dangerous in your body. You can indulge alone. Anyway, I think those elements are true of a lot of addictions - watching soap operas, viewing pornography, golfing, overeating...is the playing of a video game sinful in itself, or is the lack of self-control the sin? I would contend it's the lack of self-control. (Though there are some video games, like the Grand Theft Auto series that I think are sinful by their nature). [6]
Ironically, there are now games that build upon the Mandala affect and even a card game titled “Mandala” that is designed to pull you in and make you want to play more and more. [7] Who knew? [8]
Brains or Empty Rooms
But what if parents and teachers do not say anything at all? What about households that do not do family devotions, home school, or Christian school? What of families that never encourage their kids to memorize the creeds and catechisms as well as listen to Handel or Mozart? What of schools that do not attempt to curtail endless foolishness, much less have teachers talk to their students about “the real world” as opposed to trying to weaponize their students into humanistic, Marxist activists?
What of households who allow unrestricted game play within the Mandala of video world, and all that fueled by lots of caffeine at best, or alcohol and drugs at the worst? What is it that dominates the thoughts of these young men and quite frankly, even young women whom God has brought before us? Why do these young people find our world – so-called “reality” by us – so very boring?
Is it because in comparison to the modern media that sets forth alternative realities with super-charged sound systems and fantastic graphics so real in some movies and video games that our world, the “real world” given by God for us to have dominion over is boring, predictable, controlling, and difficult to master in comparison to games that promise unlimited power, endless life? That, and movies that are designed to fuel the imagination with gratuitous amounts of sex, fantastic special effects, and violence.
The effect within the mind, body and souls is crippling making youth incapable of managing their daily lives as they hunger after whatever is “precious” to them and offers what can be compared to as a “timeless reverie in which one is playing and doesn’t notice the passage of time.” [9] Said “timeless reverie” is exactly what the Mandala offers to those who are willing to endless focus on it (or in the gaming world, endlessly play).
All these entertainment options form the matrix of unreality; the alternative world that our children have had opened to them by mass marketing and so-called friends (I Cor.15:33). All of this feeds the desire for escape rather than life in all directions as God intended us to live our lives as an individual: physical, mental, family, worship, community, work, and recreation. It certainly ignores what St. Paul admonished the church at Philippi long ago and far away:
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
Taking a Stand
Our answer to this problem will not be found in the endless cacophony of intellectual blather put out by educators and all their alphabet soup labels, theories and caveats but rather in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Truly, the only cure is God’s grace, and we must pray for this grace daily for our children and students. Although we can be an interruption to their inner world with the world we have in our homes, and school classrooms – we will only go so deep into their psyche because their pretend world is an idol that only God’s grace can penetrate. God does not bless rebellion but rather curses it (Deut.28; Gal.6:7).
Our job as parents within the chaos that is offered by the world, is to keep our heads and strive to remain faithful, and as Alfred J. Popp noted at the end of his comments, “vet games your kids play, control screen time, be sure to schedule real-life "adventures" and service activities.” [10] In other words, be responsible parents and manage your children’s free time and what they do during said “free time.” It will be deep plowing until then, but that is what we are called to do I Peter 3:15-16). That, and pull the plug!
For an education that upholds Christian principles and runs against the grain of the public school system, the pop culture gaming world and television, go to:www.homeschools.org
[1] Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, (New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1995).
[2] According to Wikipedia: “A mandala is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space and as an aid to meditation and trance induction.”
Or, see:https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/37802
[4] All life is suffering; to remove suffering, remove desire. See: 4 Noble Truths of Buddhism.
[5]https://psychcentral.com/depression/can-video-games-cause-depression#video-games-and-mental-health
[6] Mr. Popp is the Head of Upper School at Grace Academy; a Classical Christian School located in Georgetown, Texas:https://www.gracetx.org/ Questionnaire was responded to on January 4, 2023.
[8]https://www.wanderweird.com/sacred-mythologies-pop-mandalas.html
[9] Alfred J. Popp comment in response to a question comparing the Mandala effect with that of endless game play in darkened rooms.
[10] Alfred J. Popp; response to questionnaire.