Video Games and Children
Video games have become a major form of entertainment for both children and adults. Ironically, obesity and increased violence in schools have become more apparent during this trend. The recent epidemic of childhood obesity may be due in part to the millions of hours children spent moving nothing more than their thumbs. We have to ask ourselves, what implications result from overplaying video games. Video games, when overplayed, damage our children’s brain development, keep them indoors and inactive, and are often used as babysitters. When not overplayed, video games have benefits for both children and adults.
Study after study shows the underdevelopment of children’s frontal lobes due to overplaying video games, so why are video gaming trends constantly going up. In today’s society, many see video games as a status symbol. Video games are viewed to improve children’s’ social lives. Being the owner of a “cool” video game can be a ticket to popularity and group acceptance, usually more so for boys than girls. Kids who don’t have the latest games, or at least know about it, are in danger of being left out. Peer pressure is enormous when children are faced with the choice to play a video game or play outside. What we need to do is regulate overplaying of video games. Offer other, more stimulating, activities: playing outside, family board games, legos, coloring, or reading.
To achieve the benefits of playing video games, some ground rules have to be laid out and followed to prevent overplaying. Limit time in front of the TV, computer, and video games to two to three hours per day. Ensure the games your child plays are appropriate for his/her maturity level. Sit down with your child and explain why you have made these rules and provide some alternatives that include family and friends. Create family game and/or movie nights. Get input from your child on their thoughts of entertainment. Communication is one of the most important skills needed in parent-child relationships: in any relationship.
Identity
According to Webster's Dictionary, identity is the distinguishing character or personality of an individual. That is, identity is the means for the individual. Identity is how we want to be portrayed to ourselves and others. I believe that identity starts very young with your family and eventually friends. Identity is learned and made, not just given to us. Race, gender, and sexuality are all ingredients that go into creating an identity. It is up to the individual how each of these factors are involved in identity. I can say that race, gender, and sexuality do effect identity due to stereotypes of the different groups. Others looking in view a person of a given race, gender, or sexuality in a stereotypical manner until proven otherwise. Stereotyping, or how we stereotype, is another factor of identity.
Artificial Life
Artificial life (ALife) is giving a computer or machine the ability to behave in a manner that a human may react in a given situation. That is, the choice of reactions in under certain circumstances. These behaviors give the machine the ability to have emotions. These emotions can be sadness, love, anticipation, anger, and any of the emotions that we as humans go through.
ALife relates to artificial intelligence (AI) in that AI is the thinking and learning process used in the ALife. AI is the, so called, "brain power" or processor portion of the ALife. Given this definition, AI is a part of the ALife. ALife goes above and beyond AI to allow feelings and decision making skills in the ALife.
ALife was created in the 1980s by computer scientist Christopher Langton.
The "game of life" works by the used selecting the user selecting certain actions and allowing the computer to generate the results based on the actions picked and the rules of the game. The outcomes of the game are death, survival, and birth.
Midterm Paper
My thesis is that diversity online is a necessary tool to have and utilize. It provides us with the means to research and communicate at an affordable cost.
My argument is that without diversity we would not see the picture as a whole, but as pieces of the picture. This causes us not to see all of the possibilities of a given topic. People involved in the Sikh faith are not going to want to visit a site that introduces them to Sikhism and people just learning what Sikhism is wont understand a site intended for those actively involved in Sikhism. This doesn't mean that one site is better than the other, it just means that they serve a different purpose.
The evidence I used was two web sites, of thousands, on Sikhism. The web addresses are: http://www.sikhnet.com/sikh and http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/sikh/blfag_sikh_index.htm.
One site was intended for people who have never heard of this religion and want to explore it. The other site was intended for people currently practicing the Sikh faith. These sites provides two different pieces of the whole Sikh pie. They are different, but provide relevant information for their intended audiences.
Possible refutations of my argument could be ignorance or reluctance to view or learn the another side of an argument. Others may argue that the internet spreads hatred. Another words, the consequences of diversity outweigh the consequences.
My conclusion is that the positives of diversity online far outweighs the negative. Some of these benefits include sharing information worldwide, visiting family around the world, email, limitless amounts of information, and almost anything one can think of.
Whiteness, Invisibility, and Dominant Culture
Online, when do you feel invisible?
When do you feel like you are normal?
What criteria do you think the diverse audience of the web site uses to decide whether you belong or not?
These are questions that I have not thought about until today. It never occurred to me that the so called "typical American" was being catered to while on-line. This most likely is the reason I never thought of these questions.
Online, I feel invisible almost all of the time. Not in the sense of privilege, but in the sense of others not knowing who I am or what my beliefs are. I have a sense of comfort and security t I am anonymous while performing a task online.
I feel normal when online most of the time. An example of when I do not feel normal occurred in class when we had to look up a religion we never heard of. This caused me to fell not normal due to the fact that the web site I chose to look at did not cater to me or my beliefs.
I believe that the criteria that an audience of a web site uses to judge who is normal or who is not is based on the thoughts and beliefs written by individuals participating in the discussion. If a topic is brought up that is not in the interest of the web site or group involved in the discussion, than the author will be seen as an outsider. Another way to say who belongs or not can be written in the web site itself. For example, a white supremacist site will exclude blacks by the use of "nigger".
Brasher vs Hate.com
Do you think that Brasher's ideas work in the light of Hate.com? Are they still valid?
These questions made me think of the intended audiences of Brasher's book and the Hate.com documentary. Clearly, they are intended for different audiences.
Brasher approached on-line religion as an all inclusive positive and necessary thing for the education of different religions throughout the world. She failed to mention the other side of the argument in which hate.com throughly covered. Hate.com showed numerous accounts of on-line interactions of various hate groups and the tactics they used to recuit new members. The recutement had no limits or boundries. The hate.com documentary showed many examples of hate sites made to attract children and young teens along with the adults.
The most abrasive point that Brasher mentioned in her book was the fact that most religions have an apocalypse in which the history of the world comes to an end. She did not go into depth the power of many of the apocalyptic thoughts which are written in hate sites encourageing a variety of devilish acts. These acts include killing jews, blacks, mixed couples, and many other related things.
Brasher's ideas and arguments work for the intended audience of the book. Her book was intended for those who have no desire to act upon or participate in hate sites and or crimes. Writing about religion on line is an enormous topic. As a class, we got the opportunity to see both ends of the spectrum. Both Brasher's book and hate.com are valid arguments, but are intended for completely different audiences.
Trekker Power
I found the section about the trekkers in chapter 6 interesting. It is amazing to me that after only seventy-nine episodes that so manny people became "trekkies" as they used to be called. They now go by "trekkers".
The show was cancelled after the spring of 1969. Even after the cancelliation, trekkers supported the Star Trek Series. They held conferences, donated personal money, and bought elaborate costumes that were sometimes worn in weedings. Through their support, they were able to bring back Star Trek after Hollywood deemed the show a failure. Through their actions they were able to bring Star Trek back to life. This is the only cancelled show that I know of that has been brought back by fans of the show. If there are others shows that were brought back by fans, then trekkers, by far, have the most influence of the reincarnated shows.
I find it amazing that three years of a show being on thte air can provide such a fan following even though Holloywood deemed the show a failure. Obviously, the director or others involved were not on the "trekker" bandwagon.
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What do religions do?
Religion provides a basis of hope in life and death, morales to live by, and provides a sence of belonging.
Religion in life provides a guideline or morales for people to live by. In addition to these guidelines, A community is created both inside and outside the church. This community is the support group for the individuals of the group. This support group is one of the main benifits of religion. They help each other to focus on the mission and goals of the given religion. The outside community is reached through any means specified by the religion. Some religions have door-to-door tactics. Others provide community activities and programs. The world wide wed is also used to teach religion. There are a pluthera of ways that religion is provided in the community, surrounding areas, and across the globe.
Religion also provides hope for life after death. That is, a sence of peace and understanding surrounding death. Religion also aids in the mourning process and healing of death. This is not to say that religion will stop the mourning and healing process. In fact, religion may not help at all. Religion provides a support structure to try to aid in the process.
As humans, we strive to be part of a group. This need leads us to join a group that shares our same beliefs and values. Religion provides the need for belonging to many people. Being part of a religious community can be at any level. By level I mean involvement in the group. This involvemnent can be from almost non existent to all encompassing. The level of involvement depends on the needs of individual and the group. If these needs do not match, then the relationship to the group will most likely not last.
Without religion, there would be alot of lost hope, different morales, and a lost sence of security.
