Virtual Saviours: Digital games and anti-trafficking awareness-raising
In recent years, digital games have emerged as a new tool in human trafficking awareness-raising. These games reflect a trend towards ‘virtual humanitarianism’, utilising digital technologies to convey narratives of suffering with the aim of raising awareness about humanitarian issues. The creation...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women
2019-09-01
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| Series: | Anti-Trafficking Review |
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| Online Access: | https://www.antitraffickingreview.org/index.php/atrjournal/article/view/408/344 |
| _version_ | 1818230781039869952 |
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| author | Erin O'Brien Helen Berents |
| author_facet | Erin O'Brien Helen Berents |
| author_sort | Erin O'Brien |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In recent years, digital games have emerged as a new tool in human trafficking awareness-raising. These games reflect a trend towards ‘virtual humanitarianism’, utilising digital technologies to convey narratives of suffering with the aim of raising awareness about humanitarian issues. The creation of these games raises questions about whether new technologies will depict humanitarian problems in new ways, or simply perpetuate problematic stereotypes. This article examines three online games released in the last five years for the purpose of raising awareness about human trafficking. In analysing these games, we argue that the persistent tropes of ideal victims lacking in agency continue to dominate the narrative, with a focus on individualised problems rather than structural causes of human trafficking. However, the differing approaches taken by the games demonstrate the potential for complexity and nuance in storytelling through digital games. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T10:39:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f164d62eaefc4740899fe257c633cfcd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2286-7511 2287-0113 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T10:39:57Z |
| publishDate | 2019-09-01 |
| publisher | Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Anti-Trafficking Review |
| spelling | doaj.art-f164d62eaefc4740899fe257c633cfcd2022-12-22T00:27:06ZengGlobal Alliance Against Traffic in WomenAnti-Trafficking Review2286-75112287-01132019-09-0113829910.14197/atr.201219136Virtual Saviours: Digital games and anti-trafficking awareness-raisingErin O'Brien0Helen Berents1Queensland University of TechnologyQueensland University of TechnologyIn recent years, digital games have emerged as a new tool in human trafficking awareness-raising. These games reflect a trend towards ‘virtual humanitarianism’, utilising digital technologies to convey narratives of suffering with the aim of raising awareness about humanitarian issues. The creation of these games raises questions about whether new technologies will depict humanitarian problems in new ways, or simply perpetuate problematic stereotypes. This article examines three online games released in the last five years for the purpose of raising awareness about human trafficking. In analysing these games, we argue that the persistent tropes of ideal victims lacking in agency continue to dominate the narrative, with a focus on individualised problems rather than structural causes of human trafficking. However, the differing approaches taken by the games demonstrate the potential for complexity and nuance in storytelling through digital games.https://www.antitraffickingreview.org/index.php/atrjournal/article/view/408/344human traffickinggamesadvocacyawareness-raisingvirtualnarrative |
| spellingShingle | Erin O'Brien Helen Berents Virtual Saviours: Digital games and anti-trafficking awareness-raising Anti-Trafficking Review human trafficking games advocacy awareness-raising virtual narrative |
| title | Virtual Saviours: Digital games and anti-trafficking awareness-raising |
| title_full | Virtual Saviours: Digital games and anti-trafficking awareness-raising |
| title_fullStr | Virtual Saviours: Digital games and anti-trafficking awareness-raising |
| title_full_unstemmed | Virtual Saviours: Digital games and anti-trafficking awareness-raising |
| title_short | Virtual Saviours: Digital games and anti-trafficking awareness-raising |
| title_sort | virtual saviours digital games and anti trafficking awareness raising |
| topic | human trafficking games advocacy awareness-raising virtual narrative |
| url | https://www.antitraffickingreview.org/index.php/atrjournal/article/view/408/344 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT erinobrien virtualsavioursdigitalgamesandantitraffickingawarenessraising AT helenberents virtualsavioursdigitalgamesandantitraffickingawarenessraising |