Video games used as war preparation?

Today we talked about Stahl’s article which mentions the use of video games to recruit and train people for the military. We then watched the video about the Army Experience Center. It makes me very nervous to think that young people are deciding that they know/have what it takes to go out and fight for our country, all because they can play a video game. I understand completely why the Army would use the tactic of video game simulation to attract young people, but it’s scary that people think that by playing these games they are ready for war. The Army Experience Center is a lifestyle marketing tool to create virtual citizen-soldiers (key word: VIRTUAL). This is not reality!

Just because someone can control a game controller to shoot, cover, etc., does not mean that they have the ability to actually do those things in real life when surrounded by the noises and reality of war. It creates a sense of false qualification of being a soldier. It makes me wonder what kind of new recruits the military is getting, and if these people are really suitable for war and all that comes with it? (I don’t it from video game experience) They have no reality of the situation, only a virtual world.

I kept thinking about the scene from Forrest Gump, when he is able to assemble and load the gun faster than the others. However, when he goes out and loud noises are set off and he is being yelled at, he crumbles under the pressure. I really think the same thing would happen to these young kids when they go from their video game world to the reality of the warfront. They cannot be prepared from a video game.

It also worries me that they are basing a major life decision off of a video game. People need to stop living like they are in a video game, and actually live in a real world!