Monday, December 6, 2010
Video Games
So video games in my life have been one of the main distractions that gets in the way of my responsibilities. So I decided to make it apart of my assignment to be more productive. Typically I play video games whenever I am stressed, bored, or just flat out not wanting to address my responsibilities. I have enjoy getting outside of myself for awhile and relieve some stress and a lot of times video games is what I do to accomplish that. In the Rediscovering Reality article we read last week I think pertains to this idea of a gaming culture but on the opposite end of the spectrum. I think that in ways in the gaming community we tend to not want to have anything to do with reality or rather create a reality. If reality is "as is" or "just as they are". There are plenty of people that don't want that. Gamers go about reality in different ways than others do. We are able to make a spectacle out of false reality as much as other people make a spectacle of reality tv shows. However, instead of participating in someone else's reality they create a brand new reality. As gamers we tend to want to avoid all the drama so we retreat into our reality.
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Jason, I know so many people who are like this, and/or who have just became like this. I feel like video games is an outlet for a lot of things, including procrastination like you have mentioned. The thing is, that you're not the only one who using video games like you described.. which means that it's easy to find friends who are willing to play video games with you.. meaning the more in the group together who are willing to procrastinate, if more people do so the more okay it seems.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a great post. Like some of the other posts it shows how we can get sort of "addicted" to media. Video games, as well as TV, have become a big part of our culture and often we find ourselves using these forms of media and ignoring other things, like homework. I thought your point that related back to reality was really interesting. The false reality in video games again gets addicting and allows us an outlet for procrastination, etc.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything that has been said about video games. If you think about it, video games also take away from the social interactions a gamer could be having. I have come across people who are completely obsessed with video games and lack social skills. They spend all of the free time playing video games instead of getting out and socializing! Just like procrastination, gamers tend to avoid important parts of life.
ReplyDeleteThis was a really good reflection on video games! The part about 'creating your own reality' is completely true--the reality inside a video game is WAY better than the reality of studying for exams and writing papers (especially now!) I don't play video games myself but I have plenty of other ways to procrastinate and escape the reality of homework, and it seems like I always do this when I have the most actual work to do. I always find myself wondering 'why am I wasting my time when I have SO much to do?' but somehow I justify it. Sometimes my justification will be 'I've been working so hard I just need a break' when, in reality, I've done nothing. The psychology of this would be really interesting to read about!
ReplyDeleteYou should just suck it up and do your work. Life would be more fulfilling. At least in my experience.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some very good points, especially about the distractions video games can bring about as well as the new "reality" it creates. I believe it is not just video games that do this, but also laptops and occasionally cell phones. It is interesting to reflect on how this whole different reality actually comes about. I think it starts the same way as any other addiction starts (eg: smoking, drinking). One plays a video game for the first time and obtains a "high" from it (which in this case, is a "new reality"). Eventually, one notices that this new reality he/she has discovered is often better than the "real reality" so he/she continues to play video games for the "high" it gives you. This is common enough today that there are actually psychological diagnoses of addictions to these things. However, I think these "addictions" to media technology is almost a NORM, which reflects on our generation's dependency on media technology.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree also, though I am not a gamer myself my brother are crazy over video games. They have a PS 3, The Wii, DSi, PSP and even games on the computer like World or Warcraft etc. I can see that they themselves withdraw from reality and make this gaming world theirs. For a lot of people they see this as a way of isolating themselves from reality and not wanting to take on their responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteVideo games, like the internet and facebook, are definitely demonstrative of our generation and the attatchment we have created towards both technology and the media. I limit myself to the amount of video games I play because i know how addicting they can be, but whenever I start playing super smash bros at my friends' houses, all productivity goes down the drain!! Like you mentioned, there are many aspects of real-world life that are impacted by the use and content of video games, and I feel that we can understand alot about identities and interactions in our society due to the playing of these games. Also, the community and culture formed between gamers is an important realm of reassurance and relation that these people would have difficulty finding without the games. I agree with your post, as well as the comments stated above, and think that there should be more understanding about the function that video games have on lives and realities for those who play them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Debbie, video games definitely have become more prevalent in our generation than ever before. My brothers love to play video games. I think people sometime can get wrapped up in the amount of time they play video games. I think like everything, playing video games is fine in moderation. If it becomes distracting from other things in a person's life I think it isn't a good thing to do. It's important for us all to have a place where we can escape for a little bit. Now more than ever though, younger generations are using technology to do that, and it's mostly not the most stimulating thing you can do for yourself.
ReplyDeleteI know several people who have began to experience video games like you described, even since their coming to the U. It is definitely acting as a virtual portal to another world. I think it is interesting how it is an entirely different culture-via LIVE and games that contain interactions with other players where they can communicate with one another using headsets. I think it is a very interesting blog post, and arises an interesting point in that they create their own reality instead of having to deal with the other reality. Sort of like the joe briefcase issue.
ReplyDeleteVideo games are really popular nowadays all of my roommates combined have every game system. But i definitely agree with molly. Moderation is key. People can be consumed by video games and to a point where their virtual world becomes their real world which is bad. My roommate have been sucked into it and shut themselves in their rooms just playing for hours. It can be really fun but also a danger.
ReplyDeleteI see what you're getting at with this. Video games along with lots of other technology has distracted us from doing lots of productive things. Lots of them now are consider social networking devices and I can see that the perspective of reality is change in that sense!
ReplyDelete