The Y Generation and Virtual Conflict

The Straits Times

21 July 2015

Farish A. Noor

It makes sense to consult the young on how best to wage the communications war against radical groups such as ISIS

“Become a King: Defeat your enemies; conquer kingdoms and rule an empire.” Such a slogan would be familiar to anyone who plays video games – which I admittedly do – and would have an appeal among many people, particularly those of the so-called Y Generation.

That war games abound on the Internet, and that they appeal to our latent subdued ambitions seem clear enough: After all, there are video games that have become multi-million-dollar earners and are played by millions of people across the globe on a daily basis.

But what is interesting about the times we live in today is how the thin line between objective, material reality and the virtual world of the Internet has become so blurred, and how virtual reality often spills over into the real world. Already there are video games that replicate actual combat situations in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan, but even more interesting is how the modalities of real-life combat have come to assume forms that are similar to the virtual wars fought by geeks the world over.

… The writer is associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University.

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