For those familiar with the tragic case of 15-year old Brandon Crisp, the idea of mainstream media intervening on the behalf of concerned parents might elicit a host of conflicting emotions. An altercation with his parents over what they felt had become his gaming "addiction" led them to finally confiscate his Xbox 360, with the teenager running away from home in retaliation.
A massive search was conducted and attracted considerable media attention, with the local community and even Microsoft (after some coaxing) pitching in funds to help find the lost boy. His body was found three weeks later, the cause of death attributed to injuries consistent will falling from a tree.
The popular CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Centre) program "the fifth estate" and its host Gillian Findlay offer a glimpse into the growing concern of gaming addiction, explored from the perspective of Brandon and what many feel was a social and cognitive freefall resulting from his overexposure to first-person shooters. The program suggets Brandon's retreat from the real-world of athletic sports and socialzing began shifting towards their digital counterparts, perhaps encouraged by the mechanisms and collective blind eyes of an industry machine determined to transform interactive play into competitive sports.
To see the full 40-minute "Top Gun" program for yourselves, please visit the official site RIGHT HERE.
Keep reading for more commentary and a mini-review of the program, and how proper discussion is needed to address the growing concern of many parents and gamer s alike.
Having watched the piece in full, I found it among the more balanced and non-exploitive treatments on the subject yet, giving those involved (both old and young) the opportunity to comment on the events that led to Brandon fleeing his home and the myriad of influences that may have encouraged his behavior. While its sure to startle some and infuriate others, the piece largely avoids the usual demagoguery and sabre rattling often associated with shock-journalism that would rather typecast the industry (and its participants) than look for the root causes and enablers common to all forms of addictive activities.
That said, a simple blog post or news referral simply isn't the proper forum to accurately give this complex subject the time and space it so desperately deserves. Unfortunately, this discussion is often conducted by disingenuous or ignorant parties, most beholden to their respective institutions and uncomfortly comfortable in exploiting the latest tragedy.
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