http://io9.com/5055863/british-gamer-killed-over-gaming-grudge
Welcome to the dark side, and I don't mean the evil side. I 'm talking about the side that includes the people who live in the dark in their mom's basement in front of a computer screen at the age when they should have a job and should maybe be thinking about getting married and settling down (away from home) sometime soon. This is the dark side of teens who get home from school every day and proceed to step away from reality and into a video game and will remain there for hours at a time, glued to the screen.
Over all, I don't think that these worlds that exist on the internet are a bad thing for people who have some self control, but some people who play these games too much become immersed in these alternate realities that they create for themselves. This article from September of last year is an example of a man who did step away from his computer screen, but forgot to take the crucial step back into reality.
It's a problem that is slowly but surely becoming more prominent. The fact of the matter is that the worlds created in games like W.O.W. and Runescape are much more interesting and fun to many than the world in which we actually live, and some people have trouble choosing these fantasy realms over reality. Reality sucks, and some would rather not have to face it.
This isn't a huge problem yet, but it is a problem that will need to be addressed in some way or another at some point. It will just get worse until someone does something about it.
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Reading all the statistics, information and eye opening facts about our ever-growing internet, I was kind of shocked at what I saw. The ways we use the internet and computers in general, the communicative advantages, our expanded intellectual horizons and variety of material. I was just astounded. The charts used broke it down by age, race, gender, over periods of time and in certain settings. It also broke down what we actually do: go on facebook maybe? play games? dating sites? google? research? make your own website? the possibilities truly our endless, just as our world wide web is limitless. There are countless ways that the beloved internet is helping us as individuals and as a whole. But you're right, it may be hurting as well. Some of us may find ourselves whiling away our friday night checking status updates and friend requests on facebook instead of hanging out with said friends. We may look things up about our health, diet, history, etc. instead of going to the library, reading an actual book or talking to those around us. Maybe we become so consumed in the game SECOND LIFE that we forget our actual life entirely. Just like anything else, there is a line. We all have to decide what it means for us personally to cross that line. And like anything else, the internet will always have the power to help and to hurt. So we must reap its benefits and beware its dangers.
ReplyDeleteIn my family, internet usage and gaming systems are definitely a problem. My youngest brother gets home from school and immediately either gets on Facebook or he goes straight to the XBOX. He does not realize how much time he spends playing games, and he doesn't always get his homework done because of it. He does not yet understand that his addiction to gaming could become destructive of his bright future. He is amazingly smart, but if he neglects his schoolwork because of the games, he won't get anywhere.
ReplyDeleteI think that internet gaming can be a huge problem if it is not monitored by parents. It could even be a problem for adults if they do not keep track of how much time they are spending on the internet. It can be a great thing if used in small amounts. We can't spend all our time staring at a computer screen. If we did that, we wouldn't ever get anything done and we wouldn't have a social life. We need to use the internet in moderation or we will be consumed by it.
This weekend I was at a retreat with a bunch of ladies from my church. I was talking to a group of them and one of the ladies was listing off the electronics to which her kids have access. Her boys are 11 and 9. The eleven year old had a laptop, TV, X Box 360 and Nintendo DS in his room. The younger one has a TV and desk top computer. In their family room they also have a Wii, X Box, and some other gaming system I don't remember as well as another laptop and desk top. She was saying they have to force their boys to play sports so that they get some sort of physical activity.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, this is not an uncommon thing in American life today. Kids today are completely overwhelmed with electronics. Even the difference between now and when we were all around 8-13 is tremendous. I don't remember using a computer until I was twelve and even then it was not a daily thing. When it became a daily thing, we were limited to one hour of computer a day. Riding bikes and roller skating and playing tag or kick ball was way more fun that sitting in front of a computer all day. Schools are having to require a certain amount of physical activity to try and manage the problem of obesity that is becoming more and more prevalent in today's society. Kids are behind physically as well as socially due to the insane amount of time spent in front of a screen. I believe the answer lies within the parents. They have to be willing to limit the kids and to allow them to participate in physical activities. Like anything, if you teach your child good habits while they're growing up, they are less likely to struggle with in when they get older so there won' be college kids who have this same obsession with electronics. Parents have to be the answer here or this will only get worse.