Analysis 5: Gaming and Hacking

Elizabeth Novotny

April 23, 2010

Media 280

Analysis 5:

Gaming and Hacking

In today’s world, we see different levels of access and understanding playing a large role in how technology is shaped and used.  Our relationship with gaming and hacking, for instance, says a lot about our modern-day connection with technology.  The relationship a user has with a technical functionality can result in many problems; however, in other cases, it can also be beneficial to society at large.

In the gaming culture, users are always finding ways to hack into systems and cheat.  I don’t believe this to be a big deal, but then again I don’t consider myself to be a gamer.  If I were a gamer then perhaps I would think differently.  Nonetheless, when I used to play video games I would often come across levels that I would find particularly difficult to beat.  When this would happen, I would look up cheats online in order to beat it.  I never thought it was a big deal because, after all, I knew I was only cheating myself.

I think it would be ridiculous if certain game services would go as far as banning players like me in order to eliminate this type of cheating.  Even with online games I still don’t think it’s that big a deal.  I think a lot of times (at least in my case) hacking into games is appealing to users because it is something that is against the rules of the game.  It’s like when someone tells you not to do something you always want to do it anyway.  Hacking into games also gives a person a feeling of empowerment and fulfils the concept of “beating the system.”  No one really benefits from cheating, and as long as no one is suffering either, I don’t think hacking into games is a big deal.  But again, I am not a gamer.

When users have little understanding of a technical functionality many problems can arise.  If a person does not know much about the technology he/she is using, than a person who does know about it can take advantage of the system.  This is where the idea of hacking into computer systems becomes an issue.  In the movie War Games, for instance, a teenager is able to change his grades after hacking into the school database.  Also, in the movie The Net, a computer hacker is able to erase a person’s entire identify.  Nonetheless, hacking into computer systems has also proved to be beneficial in some cases.  There have been times, for instance, where the government has used computer hacking as a means of finding out information in order to prevent events that could have perhaps been disastrous for the nation.

I think it is safe to say that the relationship people have with gaming and hacking says a lot about our cultural connection to technology.  In general, people are interested in technology and we aim to learn more about the technology we use.  That is why there are different levels of access and understanding that play a large role in how technology is shaped and used today.