What is the US military's propaganda campaign to recruit teenagers into the military in the world of games?
The US military is reportedly using computer games and e-sports to recruit teenagers, with the Navy alone spending $4.3 million a year on this. The Guardian reported on these military recruitment efforts and the resulting public backlash.
The US military is embedded in the gaming world. Its target: teen recruits | US military | The Guardian
According to The Guardian, since 2018, when the US military faced its worst recruitment crunch since moving to a volunteer system, efforts focused on 'games' have become more active in an effort to recruit more people.
Specifically, the military is sponsoring esports tournaments to promote its activities, hosting esports tournaments, and even forming esports teams within the military to promote a sense of familiarity. According to a Navy Recruiting Command spokesperson, the U.S. Navy alone is allocating 3% to 5% of its marketing budget to esports initiatives each year, amounting to up to $4.3 million between October 2022 and September 2023 alone.
While these activities are taking place, some military personnel argue that 'promoting the military through games is unethical.'
The biggest concern is the age of gamers. Online games are popular among children, many of whom are not yet 13 years old. The Guardian points out that if these children are recruited through games, the skills they may have acquired through games they enjoy could be applied to killing people, which could have a significant impact on their mental health.
However, once children reach a certain age, they are more likely to go on to college or vocational school than to join the military. This has been a consideration for decades; when the US military released its own video game in the late 1990s, the project leader was recorded as saying, 'We can't wait until they're 17, because by then they'll have decided on their educational path.' The game,
Caught between public criticism and a manpower shortage, the US military has steadily maintained its recruitment efforts, and since the rise of the video game industry in the 21st century, it has increasingly been using streaming platforms like Twitch to recruit. While the military officially cannot recruit anyone under the age of 17, video games remain an effective way to build a foundation for recruits until they reach the age of legal recruitment.
As recruitment efforts become more aggressive, groups opposed to gaming recruitment are also gaining momentum. One such group is Gamers for Peace, an anti-gaming recruitment movement run by veterans.
Most of the members of Gamers for Peace are veterans in their 30s and 40s, many of whom are gamers themselves. As former military and gamers, they understand the impact that games have on young people and what military service is really like, and they feel aversion to activities that use games to recruit naive children.
'I have a 13-year-old brother, and I would be concerned if he saw the military's broadcasts and recruitment ads,' said Caitlin Considine, one of the group's members. 'I understand that the military needs to promote itself, but in any way it ends up supporting the military in committing murder.' She expressed concern about recruitment activities that feed on young people's curiosity.
While there are voices of opposition to linking games with the military, there are also reports that gamers are able to excel in the military. According to The Guardian, some submarines and combat vehicles are equipped with control sticks similar to 'game controllers,' making them easier for gamers to operate.
There are also studies showing that gaming can improve perception and cognitive function, so some believe that gaming can help develop military qualities. However, real war is not a game, and it is impossible to completely avoid the mental and physical damage caused by combat.
In addition to using games for recruitment activities, games are also becoming increasingly popular as a means of mental recovery, and the relationship between the military and games is becoming inseparable.
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