Pascaline Lorentz has her PhD in Sociology and is a Postdoctoral Researcher working on online gaming at the Institute for Research on Children, Youth and Family at Masaryk University. On Krakatoa – talk club she will show how a video game like The Sims can be used to project an ideal life and make it real! We did a short interview with Pascaline about her research, impact of video games on our life and how it affects society.
How would you briefly describe your research focus?
I research what makes life a richer and more enjoyable experience. Throughout my university education I studied many different topics and disciplines. It’s only recently that I understood what is behind this quest: the beauty of life. I studied video gaming in the past and I am now shifting to stories and their role in self-development. Hence, I’m writing my first book in English about my travels. Its working title is “The Nerdy Rolling Stone” ☺.
What surprised you during your research about video games and its impact on teenagers life?
The most surprising fact in my research on video gaming is the lack of trust of parents in their children. First, parents don’t spend much time with their children who therefore dedicate this time to what they love doing: playing games. As a result, parents demonize video games although they were the one refusing spending time with their offspring. Hopefully, parents do realize that playing games with their children is a wonderful opportunity to share time, to know them better and to pass on values when discussing the games played. Teenagers I interviewed proved how skillful they are in giving meaning to their in-game actions. When you trust people, they do amazing things.
How do you see video games, what it means to you?
Video games are an opportunity to explore the world with a playful and open mindset. They are a window that I enjoy looking through.
Are you a gamer? If yes, what are your favourite video games?
I’m a gamer in my heart. I played my first video game when I was 5 and the last one a few days ago. My favorite games are Age of Empires, Tetris, Sim City, Mario Kart, Arkanoid and The Sims and so many others!
Age of Empires 1.
How do you see future of video games in frame of society and culture?
I think that we already hit the peak time of video gaming as the average age of the video gamer today is around 33 years old depending on countries. This average age proves that video gaming is a mature activity. What I believe is that this success is the tip of the iceberg. The core of this big icy floating mountain is the reason why people play games. According to me, the real question is why people lost their ability to see the fun in their daily life and filled their need for fun with video gaming. Video gamers are joy seekers.
Could you pick some positive and negative aspect of digitalization as a socio-cultural phenomenon?
The most positive aspect of digitalization in my life is the possibility to travel with all resources being available. Books are heavy and hard to carry when you live with a suitcase. Additionally, I previously thought that the Internet helped people to connect to each other worldwide. Now, I observe that the more we embed the digitalization associated with the Internet to our daily life, the more we lose contact with what is essential: the Now and Here. When I see people checking their phones while having a social interaction, I feel sorry for these human beings missing what is happening in their life. This very instant only exists now and here.
This event is supported by Goethe-Institut Bratislava and will be a part of festival [fjúžn].
