I really hope no one over the age of 50 is reading this because I do have to admit; I play a lot of video games. Frankly, I must disclose this information and ensure that my brain is not corrupted by most of my elderly family. For some reason, the notion of children playing video games is shunned by the baby boomer generation. Honestly, it is quite humorous that most of this generation blames video games for any problem gen z or gen alpha has. I distinctly remember blaming any headache-based illness I had on my love for video games. My theory is that the older generation is jealous that they did not have the opportunity to comprehend technology at an early age. Video games allow users to have creative, social, and logical thinking. I passionately believe that action base video games have helped my coordination and reflexes over the years as well as allowed me to think creatively due to the beautiful graphics, and stories these games tell. I think that the only illogical part about video games is the creators charging so much money. A quarter does not seem like a lot of money, but it adds up when you must spend a quarter every time you lose. That method of spending was transferred over to modern games, where you must buy expansions, DLC, etc. to make your gameplay better. Even before video games or the internet existed, people spent this type of money on comic books. I strongly believe that comics helped inspire modern-day video games.
Personally, I have really never read a comic book; I only look at the drawings inside. It may spark from my uninterest in reading or just my short attention span. However, I have always been attracted to the comic style and just comic artists in general. The style of the majority of American comics is very pop art which is shown in Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein’s work. Comics are quite similar to video games in the sense that older generations criticize them. My dad for example was a comic book collector all throughout his teen years. His grandfather (my great grandfather) ridiculed him and claimed that comics were just glorified children’s picture books. A lot of my dad’s friends at the time got criticized by their parents about comics as well.
Is there a reason why older generations tend to criticize media that caters to children?
Mass Media & American Life 
Great commentary on pop art and the role of visual narratives in culture.
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I sometimes have the same thought on generations being older than us being jealous that they were not as fortunate as we were with technology. I say that video games nowadays are really expensive but as a gamer i say its worth the experience and memories that you make while playing the game. Comic books were never my thing either as a kid i used to only look at the pictures aswell, but i have read a total of two comics my whole life and it is cool to see the things you do not see in movies. Great blog vey relatable.
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The baby boomer generation’s collective stigma that they place on current video games is ironic. The generation that started the problem shames the generation to make the problem more intriguing
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This was an amazing write up! It really is so true how the different generations judge and take in media. I also have never really read any comic, graphic novels are a different story. Yet so many times i’ve been having a conversation with an older person about video games, art, movies, anything entertainment related. Comics come up. Talks of Batman, and superman, and the beginning of the “new marvel movies” It’s funny to thing about how far media has come and the level at which we consume it now. Grandparents can recite the whole batman story line and every character, while i’ll watch a movie and forget the plot a month later.
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