Really, thats all?

     I read an article by Carol Phillips in the Journal of Adolescence pertaining to the topic of video game addiction. Phillips conducted a survey that examined 11- 16-year-old students (429 males and 387 females) and their video game playing habits. The results portrayed that there were more males playing video games than females. Phillips suggested that the reason more males play video games than females is that video games are targeted more for the male audience. The remainder of the article goes on about discovering if there is in fact an addictive nature to video games.

     I believe that there is a risk of video game addiction among adolescence more so now than ever. Now days, everything is becoming virtual, and even the younger generations are being consumed by technology. I remember when I was only six years old playing Mario on the original Nintendo all the way up until now playing First-person shooters on 3rd generation consoles. I think that playing as much as I did had an impact on my life. I do not remember a Christmas or birthday without asking for at least one video game. It was just a part of our family nature. I had many cousins my age that played for hours along with me. According to this article, it said that only 14% admitted to playing longer than 2 hours. In reality, I imagine that they play much longer than they realize, and they are either lying or just unaware of how much time they actually spend in front of the TV. The only way to acquire truly accurate results would be to either spy on each individual or ask their parents and hope they give accurate approximations.

~~Link to Article~~

Brainshark Presentation

Wow Grow Up

I found an article online about a video game addiction case pertaining to World of War Craft. Within the article, it talks about how a 15 year old boy spends 10-12 hours a day playing world of war craft in order to distract himself from his depression and make himself happier. I personally don’t believe this is the case in his situation. I think the article is just making it out to be bigger than it actually is by calling it a psychiatric condition. He is more likely to be playing so many hours because he has nothing else to do, or has no other interests in other areas such as sports or having real life responsibilities. Another reason could be that he feels that the virtual world treats him better, and as a result, he spends more time engaged in it. Spending  10-12 hours a day playing world of war craft is not what I consider a video game obsession, but more of a W.o.W. addiction. The difference is that I enjoy playing many different types of video games, but I know there are other things I have to do such as school work, my two jobs, and spend time with my girlfriend. I have to schedule times for myself which is almost little to none, and use it doing the things that I enjoy, such as playing a game of Mw2. However, the boy in the article chooses to ignore his schoolwork and spend the majority of his time on the computer. I feel that once the boy has matured, he will grow out of his addiction. Link To Article

Miracles Do Happen

                

It was November 12, three days after the release of C.O.D. Black Ops. I was sitting in the bedroom, sipping on my third Monster while playing online. The game was so addicting that within a matter of hours, I couldn’t walk away from my ps3. I was determined to master the online levels by memorizing the landscapes of each map. Before I knew it, I fell asleep and passed out on the bed.

            The morning came and I’m all relaxed and comfortable right. Then I wake up and all of a sudden, before I even look at the clock, I just had this feeling in my chestal section that I was late for my 12 o’clock work. As I looked over, I noticed that it was 1:30, and I lied there, starring at the clock in disbelief, hoping I was still dreaming. Once I realized that the clock wasn’t about to sprout a pair of legs, I quickly got dressed and went to work in disappointment. Upon my arrival, the parking lot was empty and the restaurant had no customers. I saw Mark the manager over by the register. “Didn’t anybody call you?” Mark said. “The store is closed because of the gas leak.” “The oven is out for a week.” 

Words couldn’t even describe how happily surprised I was when I heard this.  I never even realized how dangerous a video game obsession could be. This time I was lucky, but it might cost me my job one day.

Oh what I wouldn't do without my ps3

Oh what I wouldn't do without my ps3. Each and every day she blows warm air into the room giving warmth and satisfaction to anybody in the vicinity. Its sleek black appearence is stylish and addicting such as a gleaming new car. Its obedience and loyalty for me is unmatched and she is determined to satisify my every need. The plastic aroma of unboxing a new video game is enchanting and each layer of plastic I remove is like discovering a new phenomenon. Even though I enjoy video games so much, I know that I will be unable to live in a fanstasy world forever, because real life gets in the way and makes me stray from what I love so much. But when the time comes, she is always there for me like a caring mother for her son. In a way, she is like my personal time machine. Spending hours in the virtual world feels like minutes. And when I replay a game from the past, memories from my younger days rush through my mind. I feel as if I don't want to grow up, and my ps3 provides me with an escape from life. I can do whatever I want in the virtual world because in here im not required to adapt to the social norms of real life. Unlike the real world, everyone is equal, and everybody has the opportunity to be the best that they can be. When those lights flip on and flicker, the world changes around me, and I am free.