Summary Of Spectacular Interventions Of Second Life

Video games have become as pervasive an aspect of our society as television, with many people spending more time playing video games than watching television. There are many perspectives with which to gauge videos games’ effect on society, from a functionalist, conflict or interactionist perspective. (Schaefer, 2011) Each of these sociological theories can provide a different view of video games, how they affect society and the subcultures that develop around them.

The ideas of video games and computer entertainment are often met with a concern for children or society. The belief that a violent computer or video game could have negative everlasting effects on individuals has coexisted since their creation. All across the globe many forms of computer entertainment have been blamed for the alleged increase in aggressiveness, violence, and addiction in both children and adults. While those who are in closely related fields may see the benefits from such technology many still forgo the positive applications of this so-called entertainment. Since the mainstream appearance of computer entertainment multiple organizations have devised beneficial methods in order to help educate parents and end-users on the material

Video games are progressively becoming a crucial medium today, despite the light connotation of its initial categorization. Today they are a business that produces billions of dollars and employs engineers and artists alike in an art form connecting interactive games, to virtual societies where millions of people dwell. However, like all human products, our same emotion, flaws and injustice show in the games, with the impression of hatred, racism and stereotypes that are our everyday background. What are the creators of these video games real intentions in the desire they produce in the human?

As video games become more and more popular, we will inevitably see an increase in amount of video games being produced. The growth in popularity of video games is facilitated by the creation of a website known as Twitch.com. This website allows gamers and content creators to stream themselves playing video games online and interact directly with a live audience via chat. This new platform makes gaming both more accessible and more acceptable. The social stigmas that accompany video games are diminishing; in fact there has been an increase in competitive electronic sports as well. Logically, the growing interest in video games encourages programmers to make more and more games. Melinda Burgess et al presents an interesting perspective about video games. She explores the prevalence of racial stereotypes and how their effects are detrimental to society as a whole. In Burgess’s essay, “Playing with Prejudice: The Prevalence and Consequences of Racial Stereotypes in Video Games”, she provides fantastic commentary on how top selling video games show “overt racial stereotyping” (Lunsford et al 551) and negatively affect how we think. By providing statistics and data about the videogames that she is critiquing, she effectively shows that there is may be a correlation between video games and how we think and interact with the world around us.

Though gaming has its drawbacks, it also has many benefits to cover them. If controlled, gaming is extremely useful and with the amount of gamers in the world today, it proves that it is not just for children or for teenagers. There are millions of adult gamers that understand the importance of gaming in the under the existing circumstances of the world. Individuals that have studied gamers believe that gaming in today’s

Author A.B. Harris declares a call to action in his article “Average Gamers Please Step Forward” published in 2012 as he talks about the how gamers shouldn’t settle for how the Entertainment Software Association put the average gamer into a box, Harris (2017) declares that the average gamers are far more credible and intelligent than the perceived demographics suggest (pg.503). He starts to build a bond between himself and the reader by connecting himself with the audience and asserting himself as one of them who all want the same thing, to “change the mainstream” (Harris, 2012, p.506) and show non-gamers they are more than over-sexed male adolescents with a penchant for violence (Harris, 2012, p.504). Harris uses his personal values and experiences

Video games; a pastime for many people across the world, a form of entertainment, and, of course, a way to destress yourself from the outside world. Video games have been around since October 18, 1958 and have been evolving rapidly through the years. “ More than fifty years ago, before either arcades or home video games, visitors waited in line at Brookhaven National Laboratory to play “Tennis for Two,” an electronic tennis game that is unquestionably a forerunner of the modern video game” (“The First Video Game” 1). Since then, you can play video games at a local arcade or buy a copy of a game you like at a store like Gamestop! There are several companies and millions of titles of games to play from and, definitely, a wide variety of platforms to play on. Video games have a plethora of genres and types of games to play. For example, one could embark on a new journey in a role-playing game like Fallout 3 to playing an american football game in the Madden series. The options do not just end right there! Since video games are advancing so if there content! Specifically, in their action and shooter genre. In a modern action/ shooting games, one can see the blood and even characters get their head blown off. Some video game titles have mass murder scenes and even sexual themes. “As the level of violence in video games has increased, so has concern for the effects on those who play - especially those who play a lot” (“Video Game

I decided to approach the topic of gendered spaces online by focusing on video game culture, the “gamer” identity, and the Gamergate controversy, using videos of Anita Sarkeesian, an online harassment victim, to support it.

Unless you plan on moving to Antarctica or some other desolate and culturally barren wasteland such as Gainesville, escaping the influence of media represents a complete impossibility. Manifesting as everything from the songs on your smartphone to the books in your backpack, media represents a holistically encompassing force that influences individuals’ personality, values, and behaviors in profound ways. In my life, I have interacted with many different types and forms of media, making the process of selecting the subject matter of my media history narrative a difficult one. Ultimately, I decided to write about a single mode of media, videogames, for the simple reason that no other class has ever afforded me the opportunity to discuss the significant but rarely formally acknowledged cultural presence that soaks up so much of my free time. This paper will discuss the place of specific video games in my life and analyze the unique values, issues, and themes connected with each one.

The documentary, Digital Nation, directed by Rachel Dretzin in 2010 addresses the topic of technology changing global culture as well as the effect it’s having on the youngest generation. Digital Nation showcases the change as both positive and negative. The negative side being the “Dumbest Generation” viewpoint, as well as the “dangers” of videogames. Furthermore, the documentary glorifies the previous generation by looking at the past with a nostalgic view, suggesting that we were better off before. On the other hand, the documentary show the positive impact of videogames in education, showcasing its use as a tool for learning to further engage students and create a more interesting classroom. During the film, Rushkoff traveled to South Korea and discusses how that nation is trying to deal with the now present problem addiction among youth with gaming and the internet. Rushkoff remarks that these kids “Causalities of the digital revolution,” as he visits rehabilitation camps and clinics for children that specialize in re-connecting such kids with the outside world and the simple life. The documentary praises the rehab center, playing more “happy” music during the footage of the children working together, and almost exclusively captures the kids smiling when they are building a tent as a camp activity. Then, the internet cafés are shown as darker, focusing only on the blank expressions of those that were gaming to show the negative side of the gaming craze.

Thus, we can observed that the ‘gamer identity’ has greatly evolved according to these mentioned factors. The influences of social categorisation, social identification and social comparison can be seen at play as well. As far as being described, the core notion of being a gamer is relatively unchanged. Though, the exclusivity of the straight male gamer has been lost. With the ever incremental progress of technology and increased liberal social views associated with time. We cannot deny that the notion of being ‘a gamer’ will always stay the way it

In the past few years, we can notice a certain type of story regarding gaming culture which reduces to the idea that computer game aren’t actually a complete waste of time. This story points to

Ever since the release of the Atari 2600 in 1977, home video gaming consoles have become so much more popular. In the past forty years, home gaming has grown exponentially in the youth of America. This growth has caused both negative and positive influences on the future generation of America. Some games may improve attention and motor skills, whereas some games can be a platform for children to be abusive to others. Due to the availability of mature video games, many children under the age of seventeen can play games meant for an audience of seventeen or older. This can cause toxicity in the gaming community and opens a new avenue of abusive behavior.

According to DFC Intelligence, a marketing research firm, by the year 2015 the video game industry will be valued at $70.1 billion dollars (Takhashi). This statistic shows that gaming is rising and being introduced in more households every year. The industry alone is currently one of the fastest growing forms of media, to take note of how this industry impacts other people’s lives is important in today’s culture. To also understand how these games are marketed as well as how others incorporated this medium into their life is key to fully understand how this industry is growing. Video games have been significantly marketed through online websites and advertising. Many of these websites have provided to be a promotional outlet for game studios to promote their products to consumers. It has enables consumers to be more knowledgeable about games and consoles that are in the market, by providing reviews for these products as well as opinion columns on upcoming products based on their features and mechanics. These online platforms can also be used to provide to serve as a meeting place for other like-minded individuals who may be interested in gaming and would like to give commentary on aspects of the games and subculture that accompany it, as well as provide satirical or entertaining content to other users. Websites for reviews, news, forum and entertainment that center on video games provide to be a marketing base for them; as well as creating a user-based community centering on

In this article the author says that some men who play video games online make sexually harassing comments to women who also enjoy playing games online. The author describes these young men as “bizarrely embittered.” He takes issue with research that claims men harass women online because they are poorly skilled. His conclusion and his idea for a solution are quite simple.