Study: Video Game Physiques Give Guys Body Image Issues, Too

[wraggster]

Playing as super buffed up hunky dudes can make men insecure, according to a Kansas State study. But read on, if these stories are correct, this piece of scholarship has some serious problems.

The study's investigators themselves say other factors may contribute to one's perception of body-image. But, after watching groups of men and women play video game characters with "extreme" male and female body types, respectively. In as little as 15 minutes, both genders showed negative body-image behavior.

Two things: 1) It doesn't take 15 minutes of a video game to make a dude conscious of his spare tire. Any reasonably attractive woman strolling into the room produces a response called "gut-suck-in-itis," which is believed to be vestigial mating behavior from our days as savage eohippus-slayers and monolith-touchers.

Secondly, I did some searching around, and an AP story vows up and down the male study's game was — record scratching sound — "WWF Wrestlemania 2000." That's right, a ****ing Nintendo 64 game. And if that is enough to give a guy a complex, then our self-esteem is far, far more brittle than that of any girl gamer facing down the jiggly queens of Soulcalibur.

Oh, the AP story said the womenfolk played a volleyball game. Please, please, please let it be Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball.

Anyway, I am not a psychologist or a scientist of any kind of training, but as presently described, these findings aren't worth much. Sure, I don't make a super-realistic avatar when given the opportunity, but I'm not sent into depression just because I don't look like Kratos. Come to think of it, it would be depressing if I looked like the Roid Dealer to the Gods.

http://kotaku.com/5119122/study-vide...age-issues-too

[Gene]

Oh damn. If they feel insecure, then they can go to the gym. It could be motivation for people to achieve their goals. Whether it be to bulk up, study harder, or become a gangbanger. The older we get, the worse off our society becomes.

Either that or I'm having a very negative day.

[apex05]

I remember in the 80's being very jealous of Pacman... I mean eating all those pills and still staying 2d. If i eat that many pills i'd be reaching the 4th dimension

[mcdougall57]

I remember in the 80's being very jealous of Pacman... I mean eating all those pills and still staying 2d. If i eat that many pills i'd be reaching the 4th dimension

I think if you took that many pills you would definitely be tripping in the 4th dimension.