Internet, video games, iPod, Game Boy… the war of gadgets is declared. Consumerism is tinged with addiction. Devotees are diving into a virtual world that is costly.
“My son and I were victims of an accident. His eyes were wide open, he saw a real dead body!” Thierry is relieved. No need to lay down the law anymore. Tom, his 13-year-old son, decides to abandon his game console. The real world has overtaken the virtual world… until he gets home and connects to the Internet. Tom has been playing since he was 7. It’s a chance to hang out with school friends over a Smirnoff Ice. “If you don’t play, you’re friends with no one,” Tom explains. This lively boy isn’t very articulate. Nervous, tense, mocking, he communicates little with his family. In a blended family, with parents never reconciled, he asked to live with his father. “That way, I can play in peace.”
For the past five years, the teenager has asked for the same thing for Christmas. A new game! For a special occasion, a special price. You don’t enter the virtual world with empty pockets. The range is between 60 and 100 euros for a mainstream game. Yet, Tom’s parents are not Mr. and Mrs. Rothschild, and each new piece of equipment requires a new investment. “It’s a vicious cycle,” confides Aude, the boy’s mother, “but since it’s the only way to please him, we give in.” The virtual industry feeds on parental love, drawing its roots from addiction. A winning and cost-effective recipe for producers.
A virtual vertigo in 3D
The teenager has virtual friends. No need to travel. With them, he plays online, through the magic of the Internet. The teen also loves to chat on MSN, a digital messaging software. “I can send pictures, share files, and even have voice conversations. And if I connect a webcam, I can see anyone on the other end of the world!” When Tom talks about his passion, he transforms. He hops, gestures, tousles his hair, blushes, turns pale, all at once. He is in his element, his matrix.
In the past, children read fairy tales to escape. Suddenly, the image, fascinating, striking, irresistible… dangerous, came to invade the imagination. Further, stronger, the three-dimensional image erased the limits. “Later, I want to be a drug dealer in New York,” Tom confides.
- Small digital camera for computer use
