Last semester I took a class called Broadcast Advertising and Sales. A lot of what is discussed in the Lasn text and in Second Skin was incorporated in a really interesting documentary called Digital Nation. Digital Nation touched upon the online gaming addiction and craze, which directed links to Second Skin. I found Second Skin to be a harsh reality. In Second Skin it really emphasizes how people becoming addicted to virtual reality games. I have nothing against those who game—personally I have never even really played a video game. Those that I have played, I am terrible at! But when gaming becomes such an addiction that it interferes with your real life, there is some sort of line that is crossed. For instance, in the film some of the peoples gaming habits has negatively affected their lives (ie. losing their job, lose of sleep..etc).
However, there are those who play the game to step out of their real lives and allows them to create a whole different life, one in which they are not judged by the exterior. The judgment aspect relates to the Lasn text. The one chapter in the book talks about the obsession of appearance. “Nine out of ten North American women feel bad about some aspect of their bodies, and men are not far behind" (Lasn, pg. 75). This is an absurdly high number of individuals. People are so crazed over how they appear to others. But in the virtual worlds, none of that matters. These virtual worlds also allow people to do things they cannot do in real life. I thought it was really cool how they showed those with disabilities and what the game means to them and allows them to feel “normal.” Another positive attribute of the gaming industry is it allows people to meet others. People are able to meet a bunch of people and some even find their significant other. Not only do they just play this game with one another, but they also develop relationships and are able to get to know one another.
All in all, my feelings toward gaming are mixed. I think gaming in free time is absolutely fine, but once it starts to take over your life and you find yourself “gaming” for hours on end, there is some sort of addiction. This film really opened my eyes and the statistics really shocked me.
Thanks for providing the link! On Thursday we'll actually be discussing "The Dumbest Generation." The other segments were really thought-provoking as well!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I thought that it was great that the documentary took into account how the online game, World of Warcraft, can be a very positive thing for those with disabilities like Andrew Monkelban. I just clicked on the link that you provided and just reading the caption beside it makes it seem like a really interesting video. I definitely want to watch it when I get the chance!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about gaming. I mean I like to play video games every once in awhile, but some people play 24/7. I had a geography of east Asia class last semester, where we discussed video gaming in Japan, China and South Korea. The cultures of these countries have been over taken by gaming. In some restuarants in South Korea you acutally play video games while eating and arcades are probably even more popular than McDonald's here. It's a shame because this will probably be the case everywhere soon enough.
ReplyDeleteJustin-- In the link that I posted in the blog post, a section of the video is about the gaming addiction in South Korea specifically. They even have centers where anyone can go and play video games 24/7 and how it is turning into a health problem for many of the gamers! It is insane!
ReplyDeleteEverything you say here I agree with. I know that sounds a little extreme but i really do. I play video games but I have that self-control factor that keeps me from ruining my life. All people need in their lives is something to look forward to outside their virtual lives. I know gaming makes a whole lot of money off these people that are addicted but isn't there something they can do to try and slow down this decline.
ReplyDeleteThe whole disabilities thing was definitely understandable because they can't always get out of the house. I don't mind that at all but there are no excuses for the other people.
It is crazy how many ads are shown during an episode of any TV show or movie. Most of them are to persuade us to consume more things! I agree that both the Lasn text and the clip is a "harsh reality". It's so sad how most of the things said are true. It's also shocking to see how much gaming does affect people's lives as far as them not being able to leave there chairs for days because they are so involved. Its true that many people care about how they look that they have to escape into a virtual world. It may make them happier, but I don't think they realize how bad it controls them and runs their lives. The addiction is so strong, they can't ever get off the game. It is neat, however, that the guy with the disabilities felt "free" from his situation.
ReplyDeleteI find product placement to be very interesting. I think it's kind of sad that companies do everything they can to push their product, but I guess it works for them. I am watching an episode of The League as I am writing this, and in five minutes I have already seen four product placements. This reminds me of a segment Stephen Colbert did on his nightly show, The Colbert Report. He is a mock news pundit who makes fun of things in the news and media. In a clip from The Days of Our Lives, an actress obviously plugs Chex Mix, and he makes fun of it saying how much they don't even try to hide product placement anymore.
ReplyDelete