Gendered Internet use: reading response for March 30 and April 1

Hi As a woman on the Internet, I agree that I use the Internet and video games for different purposes than my male counterparts.

If I am playing a game, I am less likely to enjoy games with the strong male protagonist in favor of more female oriented media.

When online, I tend to gravitate towards a variety of different things whereas my boyfriend, for example, uses it for more niche oriented exploration. Not to say that what I focus on isn't niche as well, it is just that I look at a broader picture of the media I wish to deal with than my brother or my boyfriend. But, Uses and Gratification says that we each use media to satisfy our desires and therefore gratify ourselves in our using of the technology.

I love games like League of Legends, Skyrim, Laura Croft, and other games that allow me to play as a character that resonates better with who I am and what I want to get out of a game. I love to feel empowered by my game play. If my heart is racing, I did something right or very, very wrong and am cursing my stupidity.

I grew up playing video games and there is even a picture of my brother and myself playing the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in our diapers somewhere in a photo album.

In fact, my dream job would be to work for Riot Games, the owners of League of Legends, and do communications work for them. While league often portrays the female characters as hyper-sexualized, it also makes me feel empowered to be able to play so many female characters that also extend beyond a human persuasion. There are many different races and creatures in Demacia, the realm in which the game is set. And, there are many different skins for players to choose from, though most are still highly stylized to be on the "sexy"  end of the spectrum.

But the fact is that I am very aware of the sexual depiction of women in games, if they are portrayed at all. But, a rising number of games are allowing women more options by including female characters or the option to change the gender of your character.

I feel that most game companies are motivated by the bottom line and nothing more. We have seen time and time again that game developers are putting out unfinished products that are highly glitchy and sometimes outright broken. The newest Assassin's Creed game was like this straight from Ubisoft.

As more female gamers come into the forefront of gaming, we will see a continued increase in female protagonists and fewer portrayals as the damsel in distress.

As the I am Laura Croft video shows, everyone can become a strong protagonist, even if they are female.