JonTron, Game Streaming, and the Alt-Right

[White Walker Texas Ranger]

So apparently this popular Minecraft streamer (guy who makes videos of himself playing Minecraft, like from that episode of South Park) Jon Jafari, aka Jontron, has some right wing views on immigration. Such as “we don’t need immigrants from incompatible places”, or that welathy black americans commit more crimes than poor white Americans. It's not too far from what's espoused by our very own resident Tree-Man.

So why should you care?

Well, this comment made me think

Quote

I recently visited my girlfriend’s aunt, uncle and her nephews - the kids are the only ones who play video games in their whole family so I have a pretty good rapport with them. We’re sitting there chatting about stupid little kid stuff (they’re 9 and 11) and they start talking about bashing Jews and laughing about Hitler. I tell them no that’s obviously not something to joke about and do they know who Hitler was, and who did you hear this from, yadda yadda.

They’ve learned all this stupidity from these dumb fucking youtube minecraft streamers and repeat it mindlessly. They (edit: meaning the kids) obviously have no idea how offensive they were being. We talked about it and I think (hope?) they have a better idea, but think about how many children are out here learning all this horrible shit like it’s normal.

It’s just in this same stream of consciousness as John Cena jokes and fart noises and then suddenly you’re mocking jews and Christ this country really is going to fall apart in the next four years isn’t it?

edit: before you ask: No, they don’t do this around their parents. No, the parents don’t really pre-screen every single video these kids watch on youtube.. they’re blue collar trump people themselves who work all the time and see video games on screen so it isn’t a red flag. Yes I am trying to be the best influence I can be.

So I'm reminded of my fiance's little brother, who watches a lot of Let's Play videos, and how he matter-of-factly asserted that Trayvon Martin was carrying all the ingredients for Purple Drank (minus, you know, the codeine). Is it connected? I don't know. The kid isn't that young, and there's a lot of places he could have picked up that tidbit from.

But overall, I do think that these guys lead to the radicalization of young Americans. It's almost insidious, the way they can just talk for an hour about Minecraft, and drop an aside the Black Lives Matter is a terrorist group, or Hillary should be put in jail, or some joke about the Holocaust.

I mean, I suppose the right wing may have a similar complaint about how, deadspin for example, may spend most of their time talking about sports, but then make fun of Trump or Ted Cruz.

And is the stuff the say, Pewdiepie says, any better than what's been on South Park? I mean less funny, obviously, but is it any less offensive? Or what about Eminem? I grew up listening to Eminem and watching South Park, and I think I turned out relaitvely fine. So is all this stuff bad for kids, or is it just the newest moral panic?

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

"Treeman"?

Neither of my kids play video games.  I'm aware of how unusual that is.

[The Anti-Targ]

Kids have a very poor sarcasm and satire filter, so it's hard for them to distinguish between people engaging in hate speech because they mean it and people doing it in some lame attempt at sophisticated humour (Pewdiepie's claim).

Still, I believe the parental and family influence, and even school environment, is much much stronger than the social messaging from streamers and youtubers. If the parents teach their kids to embrace diversity and not buy in to whacky conspiracy theories, and if the school environment created by teachers is one of tolerance, then I don't see streamers and tubers having a bog influence. But if the family and school environment is intolerant and xenophobic, mixed in with conspiracy theory nonsense then the streamers and tubers will act as reinforcers. 

You might consider throwing Pewdiepie under a bus by dropping his alleged antisemitism into a conversation with the parents as a way to bring to their attention the fact that youtubers and streamers talk about controversial social issues. Or if you think they wouldn't care about that, then perhaps find an example that would involve a subject that would raise alarm bells. Sex might well be a subject that would get people to take notice that just because there's a game on the screen doesn't mean the topic of discussion is benign.