D&D: Lessons from a Media Panic
In a time when high fantasy rules entertainment it’s hard to imagine D&D having this reaction…
RetroReport examines the headlines of the past through a modern lens – they’ve won several Murrow Awards for their efforts. Producer Bonnie Bertram recently took on the panic surrounding Dungeons & Dragons in the early 1980s…
“Dungeons and Dragons was once accused of leading children to Satanism, but today the game looks more like a solution to a problem plaguing modern parenting.
Dungeons & Dragons debuted in 1974 and had moved from a cult classic to a mainstream hit by the early 1980s. Millions of kids around the world were gathering around tables and going on imaginary adventures set by the Dungeon Master as part of this role playing game. But a string of murder-suicides that involved kids who played the game brought a new focus, and critics, many of them conservative Christians, thought the game was an invitation to devil worship and violence.
Today, the game is still a popular pastime and instead of it triggering a moral panic, it’s considered by many parents and sociologists to be the kind of activity that encourages kids to gather in real time, and use their imagination. In short, proponents say that D&D playing is the kind of activity that encourages positive social engagement and a preferable alternative to screen time.”
For those that played during this time: what were your experiences surrounding the game? Did anyone you know fall in to the media panic?
