Esports Clubs and Olympic Shooting Clubs: Dispelling Myths and Recognizing Shared Values
As the world celebrates the 2024 Olympics in Paris, a groundbreaking decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ushered esports into the 2025 Olympics after seven years of advocacy. This historic vote marks a pivotal moment for the recognition of digital competitions as legitimate sports. In this context, it is crucial to address the stigmas surrounding school esports clubs, especially in comparison to school Olympic shooting clubs, both of which provide substantial benefits to participants despite facing unique challenges.
Credit: International Olympic Committee - June 23rd, 2024
The Olympics spotlight offers an opportune moment to debunk the persistent myths that plague school esports clubs and to draw parallels with the well-established Olympic shooting clubs. Both school activities require rigorous training, discipline, and teamwork, yet they are often judged by different standards. This article aims to highlight the physical and mental demands of esports clubs and shooting clubs in schools, challenge the stereotypes of violence associated with gaming, and emphasize the shared values of camaraderie, personal development, and academic achievement that both clubs foster.
The Stigma Surrounding Esports Clubs and Shooting Clubs: A Critical Comparison
In recent years, esports has emerged as a global phenomenon, captivating millions and transforming the landscape of competitive sports. Despite its popularity and growing acceptance, esports still grapples with persistent stigmas, particularly the perception that video games lack physical activity and promote violence. This stigma is largely unfounded and fails to recognize the rigorous physical and mental training that esports athletes undergo. The misconception that esports promote violence is similarly misguided.
Esports World Cup - Credit: Arab News July 17th, 2024
Conversely, Olympic shooting clubs, which involve handling firearms, face relatively little scrutiny concerning their physical activity levels and potential for promoting violence. This disparity is particularly striking given the high rates of gun violence in countries like the United States. The rigorous safety protocols and ethical training in shooting sports are often highlighted to justify their place in the Olympics. However, the same level of scrutiny should be applied to guns and violent crime in the U.S. as is often unfairly directed at video games.
Physical Activity: More Than Meets the Eye
Critics often dismiss esports as mere "button-mashing," arguing that it does not provide the physical benefits associated with traditional sports. This perception overlooks the rigorous training and discipline that professional esports athletes undergo. Similar to traditional athletes, esports players engage in strength training, maintain healthy diets, and follow strict routines to ensure peak mental and physical performance. Reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and strategic thinking are honed to a level comparable to athletes in any other sport.
South Korean 2024 Olympic Silver Medalist Kim Ye-ji - Credit: The Tab / Digitalbox Publishing Limited 2024
In contrast, Olympic shooting is widely recognized as a legitimate sport despite its apparent lack of physical exertion. Shooting requires exceptional precision, control, and mental fortitude. Athletes must maintain a steady hand, sharp focus, and calm under pressure. Like esports athletes, shooters undergo physical training to enhance their stability and endurance. The emphasis on physical conditioning in both fields highlights the narrowness of the argument against esports as a legitimate sport.
According to Guinness World Records, a pro gamer will be looking to maintain around 180 APM (actions per minute), though they can reach peaks of over 1,000 APM during battles in-game. This is the equivalent of clicking a mouse or pushing a button up to 17 times every second! In Olympic shooting, competitors will fire anywhere from 40-150 rounds per event, either kneeling, prone, or standing with 3 to 20 shots taken per minute.
Violence and Media Portrayal
One of the most damaging stigmas against esports is the alleged link between video games and violent behavior. This misconception is fueled by sensationalist media coverage that often blames video games for violent crimes, despite substantial evidence to the contrary. Rachel Kowert, Ph.D a research psychologist, and host of Psychgeist, frequently shares about the psychological impact of violent video games on aggression and violence, emphasizing that there is no conclusive evidence linking video games to real-world aggression or violence. Numerous studies have debunked the myth that video games incite real-world violence, showing no significant correlation between gaming and aggressive behavior. In fact, most gamers exhibit no violent tendencies and use gaming as a means of relaxation and socialization.
Credit: VOX / by Alvin Chang Aug 7th, 2019
This image, sourced from Vox, presents a comparative analysis of video game revenue per person in 2019 and violent gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2017 across various countries. Japan, South Korea, and the United States top the list in video game revenue, yet the United States far exceeds other countries in terms of violent gun deaths. Despite the USA being third in video game revenue, its gun death rate is disproportionately high, contrasting with countries like Japan and South Korea, which have high video game revenues but low gun violence rates. This suggests factors other than video games influence gun violence rates.
Credit: Statista / Niall McCarthy, Oct 14th, 2020
A deeper dive into the data reveals a potential factor contributing to the high rates of gun violence in the U.S.: firearm ownership. According to a survey from Statista, the United States had approximately 393.3 million civilian-held firearms in 2017. This figure dwarfs those of other countries, with India and China trailing far behind at 71.1 million and 49.7 million, respectively. The sheer number of firearms in civilian hands in the U.S. suggests a correlation between gun availability and gun violence.
Misguided Blame: The Role of Video Games
Many politicians and influencers have attributed mass shootings to adverse mental health behaviors engendered by video games, citing vague research. For example, Republican former Speaker for the House Kevin McCarthy previously cited video games as a driver behind gun violence: “But the idea of these video games that dehumanize individuals to have a game of shooting individuals and others—I’ve always felt that is a problem for future generations and others. We’ve watched from studies shown before of what it does to individuals.”
However, recent research from the Stanford Brainstorm Lab, which reviewed 82 medical research articles, found no causal link between playing video games and real-life gun violence. Dr. Rachel Kowert’s findings echo this, indicating that while some studies suggest a short-term increase in aggression, there is no evidence that these effects translate into real-world violence. Instead, factors such as the availability of firearms and the nature of gun deaths play a more substantial role.
Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games Is Wrong
Chris Ferguson, Professor of Psychology at Stetson University and co-author of Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games Is Wrong, highlights several flaws in the literature linking video games to aggression. He notes that studies often use games that differ in competitiveness or difficulty, not just violence, making effects vanish when properly matched (Adachi & Willoughby, 2011; Przybylski et al., 2010). Ferguson criticizes unstandardized aggression measures like the ‘noise blast’ test, which vary with data extraction methods (Elson, 2011). This inconsistency led the US Supreme Court in *Brown v. EMA* (2011) to dismiss such measures as inconsequential to public health. Ferguson warns against using 'little v' (laboratory aggression) data to answer 'Big V' (societal violence) questions, risking the field's credibility. In the Christopher Harris trial, a non-clinician researcher linked violent games to aggression without proper evidence, illustrating the misuse of media violence research. This researcher had to admit a lack of proper risk assessment and evidence linking violent games to homicides, even suggesting Pac-Man could be violent (Rushton, 2013). Such cases risk misinforming about violent crime and have severe consequences. Read more from Chris Ferguson about the “Grand Theft Fallacy” on the US Department of Education’s website.
The True Drivers of Gun Violence
The data collectively point to a conclusion: the high rate of gun violence in the United States cannot be attributed to video games. Instead, the availability of firearms and the nature of gun deaths play a more substantial role.
Availability of Firearms: The U.S. stands out for its high number of civilian-held firearms. Easy access to guns increases the likelihood of both homicides and suicides. This access is less prevalent in other high video game revenue countries, which have stricter gun control measures.
Mental Health: The significant proportion of gun deaths due to suicide at 54% in 2021 highlights the need for better mental health support. Addressing mental health issues could potentially reduce gun deaths more effectively than targeting video game consumption.
Cultural and Socioeconomic Factors: The U.S. has unique cultural and socioeconomic conditions that contribute to its gun violence problem. Factors such as poverty, lack of social support, and historical gun culture must be considered in crafting effective interventions.
Benefits of Camaraderie and Team Building
Both esports and shooting clubs offer tremendous benefits in terms of camaraderie, team building, and personal development. In esports, players work closely with their teammates, developing communication skills, strategic planning, and mutual support. These clubs foster a sense of belonging and community, providing a safe space for students to connect and grow.
Credit: Alex Haney - Revo Esports, Spring Hill, United States January 28th, 2019
Shooting clubs also emphasize teamwork and discipline. Athletes support each other through rigorous training sessions and competitions, building strong bonds and mutual respect. The structured environment of shooting sports instills a sense of responsibility and ethical conduct, mirroring the positive social outcomes observed in esports clubs.
Academic and Personal Development
Participation in both esports and shooting clubs can positively impact academic performance and personal growth. Esports programs, particularly those integrated into school curricula, have been shown to improve students' GPA, attendance, and social-emotional skills. The curriculum developed by Generation Esports called Gaming Concepts emphasizes these benefits, demonstrating that esports can be a valuable educational tool.
Similarly, students involved in shooting sports must maintain good grades to stay on their teams. The discipline and focus required in shooting translate to better academic performance and time management skills. Both types of clubs encourage a holistic approach to student development, integrating physical, mental, and academic growth.
Challenging the Double Standard
The double standard in how society perceives esports and Olympic shooting is evident. Esports is often dismissed as non-athletic and violent, despite evidence to the contrary, while shooting is celebrated as a prestigious Olympic sport. This disparity reflects broader societal attitudes and biases that need to be addressed.
Recognizing esports as a legitimate sport requires a shift in perspective. The physical and mental demands of esports, coupled with its social and academic benefits, make it as valuable as any traditional sport. Similarly, the positive attributes of shooting sports should be acknowledged, but not at the expense of ignoring the responsible gaming efforts within the esports community.
In conclusion, both esports and Olympic shooting clubs offer unique and significant benefits to students. They promote camaraderie, team building, and personal development, while also requiring physical and mental discipline. The stigmas surrounding video games, particularly concerning physical activity and violence, are unfounded and perpetuate a narrow view of what constitutes a sport. By recognizing the value of both esports clubs and shooting clubs, we can foster more inclusive and supportive environments for all students.
Blaming video games for gun violence is a simplistic and misguided approach. The data clearly show that the United States' gun violence epidemic is more closely tied to the availability of firearms and underlying mental health issues.
My opinion on how to reduce gun violence in America:
Implementing comprehensive gun control measures in all states, so cities like Chicago with a high murder rate have more than 60% of those guns coming from out of state.
Improving mental health support systems and training our public servants to have more proactive positions of care than reactive positions of authority.
Spending our current tax dollars on paying educators more in areas with socioeconomic disparities and providing opportunities for disenfranchised students to belong to extracurricular activities that keep them engaged, safe, and prepared for college and careers.
Lastly, and mostly, by not allowing organizations like the NRA to pour money into politics to then use media and politicians to blame video games for mass shootings.
