Study: Video Games 'Unhealthy' for Girls

S A N   F R A N C I S C O, Dec. 14 -- Almost half of the top-selling U.S. console video games contain “unhealthy” messages for girls, including unrealistic body images, provocative sexuality and violent behavior, according to a study released on Tuesday.

“It’s not a pretty picture of women. It’s a very distortedpicture,” said Lois Salisbury, president of Children Now, anOakland, Calif-based child advocacy organization whichcommissioned the study.

“Children in America are consuming an hour-and-a-half per day,on average, of online activity or video games. That’s a steadydiet, and it’s an increasing proportion of their media diet,”Salisbury said.

The Children Now study surveyed the top 10 selling gamesfor each of three popular console systems — Sony Corp.’sPlayStation, Sega Corp. Dreamcast and Nintendo Co. Ltd’sNintendo 64.

Fifty-four percent of the games surveyed contained femalelead characters while 92 percent had male lead characters.

Those games which do feature female characters tend todisplay women in an exaggerated and stereotypical manner, with38 percent displaying significant body exposure, includingcleavage, thighs and midriffs.

“In addition, 38 percent of female game characters had large breasts and 46 percent had unusually small waists,” thegroup said in a news release announcing its findings.

Altogether, 54 percent of the female characters weredepicted as fighting or being violent, while many alsoexhibited stereotypical female behavior and characteristics.

“The unhealthy messages that both girls and boys absorbfrom these new media impact the way they think girls aresupposed to look and act,” Salisbury said.

Male Characters Don’t Giggle

“For example, in certain games the females emitted ahigh-pitched giggle or sigh in reaction to different actions bythe player,” the study said. “Their male counterparts, incontrast, had no such response to the same actions.”