iPhones

This is the video I made for my assignment on new communication technologies. It's about all the different ways I like to use my iPhone Dave.

The Video Gaming Debate

Over the past 30 years, video games have emerged and captured the minds and imaginations of today’s youth (Funk 2005, p. 395). As technology continues to grow and develop, and video game enthusiasts dive further and further into the simulating world of gaming, concerns have arisen regarding the effect this poses to young people. This essay will argue that extensive use of video gaming impacts the health of the young generation in both a positive and negative way. It benefits kids by providing innovative and effective learning development, enhancing creativity and can encourage pro-social behaviour. However, video gaming also triggers aggressive behaviour and desensitization towards violence, negatively affects school performance, and is linked as a cause for obesity and many other physical problems. With both arguments taken into account, a recommendation will be proposed as a solution for concerned parents and young people.

Video games possess many different objectives such as entertainment, problem solving, and education, and the educational aspect of video gaming has proven to be very effective for young children (Gentile 2005, p. 10). The appealing visualizations and interactive nature of games provide an engaging platform, which Professor James Gee asserts, "trigger deep learning that is itself part and parcel of the fun" (cited in Funk 2005, p. 396). Video games naturally teach children many high-level thinking skills such as problem solving and logic, hand-eye coordination, fine motor and spatial skills, multitasking, quicker decision making, developing reading and mathematical skills, memory, and strategizing (Tumbokon 2011). Interestingly, research indicates that children who engage in educational video games have fewer attention problems, and a higher school GPA than children who do not (Hastings, Karas, Winsler, Way, Madigan & Tyler 2009, p. 646). Research suggests that video games also help to enhance creativity, by stimulating a positive mood and high arousal levels (Hutten & Sundar 2010, p. 294). This leads to young people excelling in the areas of arts and other creative activities. Although video games are often criticised for inducing anti-social behaviour, research conducted by Tobias Greitemeyer and Silvia Osswald suggests that games can promote either anti or pro-social behaviour, and children who engage in pro-social video games are more likely to socialise and help others (2011, p. 121). Likewise, Manali Oak suggests that children who suffer from a lack of self-confidence and social skills benefit from playing games because it gives children a sense of participation and achievement, thus building their self-esteem (2011).

On the other side of the argument, extensive video gaming has proven to be detrimental to the health of young people. Firstly, violent video games cause an increase in aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviour (Funk 2005, p. 405). Exposure to violence in video games causes long-term aggressive behaviour as a result of the changes in cognitive processing, and also relates to a decrease in empathy and stronger pro-violence attitudes, which is a huge concern considering that 90% of video games contain some form of violence (Funk 2005, p. 405). Retired Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, former tactical trainer and Army Ranger, states that violent video games are “actively training children to kill”, and kids learn to use weapons and shoot sharply in simulated games the same way soldiers improve their precision through simulation (Hoerrner & Hoerrner 2006, p. 13). Desensitisation to violence is another by-product of constant exposure, which can be defined as “the reduction or eradication of cognitive, emotional, and ultimately, behavioral responses to a violent stimulus” (Funk 2005, p. 406). The behavioral outcome to this is decreased conviction and failure to stop violence, and an increase in aggressive responses (Funk 2005, p. 406). Although pro-social video games can help education, addiction and the excessive use of any type of video game also has a negative effect on the academic performance of children, adolescence and adults (Prot, McDonald, Anderson & Gentile 2012, p. 651). The displacement hypothesis can be used to explain this relationship, where time spent video gaming replaces the time that should be spent studying, which ultimately effects academic performance. Statistics that support this theory is clearly demonstrated in a study that showed that gamers spend 34% less time doing homework in comparison with non-gamers (Prot, McDonald, Anderson & Gentile 2012, p. 651). Simply put, time spent gaming has a negative correlation with school performance (Gentile 2005, p. 11). Lastly, the excessive use of video gaming has been linked with obesity and many other physical health conditions such as musculoskeletal disorders, video-induced seizures, cardiovascular problems and carpel tunnel syndrome (Gentile 2005, p. 11). Obesity is particularly evident, seeing as though children are replacing time spent outdoors exercising for time spent gaming. A study by Stattler and colleagues in 2004 showed that there is nearly a two-fold risk of obesity per hour per day spent on video games (cited in Brown 2006, p. 188). This should spark major concern considering that the average child spends 37 hours in front of an electronic screen every week, whilst the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children should spend no more than 1 – 2 hours per day, or 7 – 14 hours per week, playing video games (Gentile 2005, p. 11).

In conclusion, video games themselves are not the issue; it is however the amount of time spent and the content of the games that cause adverse health impacts on young people such as aggressive behaviour, desensitisation, decreased academic performance, and physical conditions such as obesity. If parents actively moderate the video gaming habits of their children, and encourage the use of educational and pro-social video games, children will reap the benefits of greater learning development, enhanced creativity and pro-social behaviour. It is therefore recommended that parents should restrict violent video games, encourage educational and pro-social games, and moderate the amount of time their children spend on video games down to 1 – 2 hours per day, whilst encouraging them to get active and enjoy the great outdoors.

Reference List

Brown, D 2006, ‘Playing to Win: Video Games and the Fight Against Obesity’, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, vol. 106, no. 2, pp. 188-189, viewed 21 September 2012, via MD Consult Australia database

Funk, JB 2005, ‘Video Games’, Adolescent Medicine Clinics, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 395-411, viewed 21 September 2012, via ProQuest Central database

Gentile, DA 2005, ‘The Effects of Video Games on Children: What Parents Need to Know’, Pediatrics for Parents, vol. 21, no. 6, pp. 10-11, viewed 21 September 2012, via ProQuest Central database

Greitemeyer, T & Osswald, S 2011, ‘Playing Prosocial Video Games Increases the Accessibility of Prosocial Thoughts’, The Journal of Social Psychology, vol. 151, no. 2, pp. 121-128, viewed 21 September 2012, via Taylor & Francis Online database, DOI 10.1080/00224540903365588

Hastings, E, Karas, T, Winsler, A, Way, E, Madigan, A & Tyler, S 2009, ‘Young Children's Video/Computer Game Use: Relations with School Performance and Behavior’, Issues in Mental Health Nursing, vol. 30, no. 10, pp. 638-649, viewed 21 September 2012, via Informa Healthcare database, DOI 10.1080/01612840903050414

Hoerrner, M & Hoerrner, K 2006, ‘Video Game Violence’, Children’s Voice, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 12-14, viewed 21 September 2012, via ProQuest Central database

Hutten, E & Sundar, S 2010, ‘Can Video Games Enhance Creativity? Effects of Emotion Generated by Dance Dance Revolution’, Creativity Research Journal, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 294-303, viewed 21 September 2012, via Taylor & Francis Online database, DOI 10.1080/10400419.2010.503540

Oak, M 2011, Positive Effects of Video Games, viewed 21 September 2012, <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/positive-effects-of-video-games.html>

Prot, S, McDonald, K, Anderson, C & Gentile, D 2012, ‘Video Games’, Pediatric Clinics of North America, vol. 59, no. 3, pp. 647-658, viewed 21 September 2012, via MD Consult Australia database

Tumbokon, C 2011, The Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games, viewed 21 September 2012, <http://www.raisesmartkid.com/3-to-6-years-old/4-articles/34-the-good-and-bad-effects-of-video-games>

Video Games - Good or Bad?

As I have been researching this topic, I have been overwhelmed by the vast range of both positive and negative impacts that video games have on young people. I used Bubbl to assist me with mapping out the arguments that I am going to focus on, which I have found are the most relevant of the many arguments I have come across. This is the overall map of my arguments;

Positive impacts of video gaming include a range of benefits such as development in learning skills including memory, cognitive skills, and quicker decision making (Prot, McDonald, Anderson & Gentile 2012, p. 652). It also enhances creativity in children (Hutten & Sundar 2010, p. 294), and opens a gateway for future opportunities through the skills gained through understanding technology and the huge market demand for video gaming (Tumbokon 2011).

Negative impacts of video gaming include an increase in aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviour (Funk 2005, p. 402) to the point where video games are "training children to kill" (Hoerrner & Hoerrner 2006, p. 13), and causing desensitization and a decrease in social empathy (Funk 2005, p. 400). Video games can be detrimental to school performance because kids spend time playing rather than doing homework (Hastings, Karas, Winsler, Way, Madigan & Tyler 2009, p. 638). Lastly, video gaming is also linked to obesity because kids spend more time indoors on technology than outdoors excercising (Gentile 2005, p. 11).

There is so much more that I have found, and I am full of ideas for this essay, so stay tuned for a riveting essay on the controversial and intricate topic of video games and health!



Reference List:

Funk, JB 2005, ‘Video Games’, Adolescent Medicine Clinics, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 395-411, viewed 21 September 2012, via ProQuest Central database

Gentile, DA 2005, ‘The Effects of Video Games on Children: What Parents Need to Know’, Pediatrics for Parents, vol. 21, no. 6, pp. 10-11, viewed 21 September 2012, via ProQuest Central database

Hastings, E, Karas, T, Winsler, A, Way, E, Madigan, A & Tyler, S 2009, ‘Young Children's Video/Computer Game Use: Relations with School Performance and Behavior’, Issues in Mental Health Nursing, vol. 30, no. 10, pp. 638-649, viewed 21 September 2012, via Informa Healthcare database, DOI 10.1080/01612840903050414

Hoerrner, M & Hoerrner, K 2006, ‘Video Game Violence’, Children’s Voice, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 12-14, viewed 21 September 2012, via ProQuest Central database

Hutten, E & Sundar, S 2010, ‘Can Video Games Enhance Creativity? Effects of Emotion Generated by Dance Dance Revolution’, Creativity Research Journal, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 294-303, viewed 21 September 2012, via Taylor & Francis Online database, DOI 10.1080/10400419.2010.503540

Prot, S, McDonald, K, Anderson, C & Gentile, D 2012, ‘Video Games’, Pediatric Clinics of North America, vol. 59, no. 3, pp. 647-658, viewed 21 September 2012, via MD Consult Australia database

Tumbokon, C 2011, The Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games, viewed 21 September 2012, <http://www.raisesmartkid.com/3-to-6-years-old/4-articles/34-the-good-and-bad-effects-of-video-games>

Upcoming Essay...

For this course, I am required to write an essay on an approved topic. I have chosen: "Does the extensive use of computer/video games have an adverse impact on the health of young people. What are the most recent papers? Clarify what all sides of the argument claim and only then offer your reasoned opinion based on facts".

The reason I have chosen this topic is because after seeing family and friends become obsessed with video games, I have watched first-hand the negative affects that it has such as anti-social behavior and less outdoor activity. Being the health freak that I am, I find it distressing when people replace the goodness of exercising and being outdoors for television, computing and gaming. Therefore, I am choosing this topic because I would like to delve more into the facts and broaden my knowledge of the health impacts of video gaming so I can nag my family and friend a little more with some hard-hitting facts.

'Clean-Feed'?

The federal government's decision to implement internet censorship has been met with much controversy throughout the Australian public. The idea is to 'clean up' the internet in order to make cyberspace safer for children, by requiring Internet Service Providers to block all material that is deemed prohibited by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, such as pornography and other inappropriate websites (Travaglione 2009). Although the idea of making the internet a safer place for children sounds like a good idea, it is drawing criticism from the public who believe that this form of censorship is on par with the regimes of China and North Korea, because it may curtail the internet activity of adults on websites that contain information regarding other controversial and politically sensitive topics such as euthanasia and abortion (Fell 2008).

This 'clean-feed' is also a very costly project that will interfere with internet speed, slowing it down by up to 86%, and critics argue that it will not solve the problem that it has supposedly set out to do of eliminating child pornography. ISP providers will not be able to stop peer-to-peer networks, which is one of the main distributors of offensive material, and websites such as youtube and facebook that contain the most common form of child abuse will not be able to be filtered out, so it hardly seems like there is any point at all (Travaglione 2009).

Personally, I think that the millions of tax-payers dollars would be better spent educating children on internet safety, and also shutting down abusive material at it's source. I do not agree with a system that imposes on the freedom of adults to learn about topics such as abortion and euthanasia, especially when we live in a democratic country, where citizens are supposed to have the freedom to decide what affects their lives, and where citizen's rights to free speech are accused of being violated by such a system.

References

Fell, N 2008, Internet 'Clean Feed' met with stern opposition, viewed 7 September 2012, <http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2404848.htm>

Travaglione, K 2009, Internet Censorship in Australia - a 'clean feed'?, viewed 7 September 2012, <http://www.mannkal.org/downloads/scholars/internet-censorship-in-australia.pdf>

E-Petition

I have just signed a petition that protects marriage in it's traditional form. Just to clarify, I don't actually have an opinion when it comes to gay-marriage; I think gay couples should be allowed to do as they wish, the act of them marrying does not affect anybody. I just signed this particular petition because it's the only one I know anything about.

That aside, I think it's fascinating that individuals and communities can advertise and raise awareness of what issues are happening in Australia over an online petition. The amount of people that can have their input is far greater than traditional ways of signing petitions, and it was also extremely easy! It took me all of 1 minute! So if I ever have a bone to pick with the government, I will surely consider making a petition for whatever it may be!

Week 5: Social Media

After reading Paul Sheehan's article, 'Internet giants can earn with ease, it's the churn they must fear', it got me thinking about how quickly society swings between social media platforms. I remember it only being 5 years ago that I thought myspace and MSN were the coolest things ever, but now I do not know one person who still actively uses either. And now facebook, my current social media addiction, which I use to communicate with most of my friends, is being predicted to fall within the next 5 to 8 years... Personally, I could never imagine this happening! I rely on facebook for countless things, and I know most of my friends do too. But professional analysts are quick to support their argument with hard-hitting proof: on May 17 this year, facebook became a public company, and at that point in time their market value was US$104 billion. It had only been 3 weeks after this date that facebook market value halved to US$55 billion, and analysts are finding this comparable to the destruction of Yahoo Inc. - still a profitable company today, but only 9% of the value compared to its peak in the year 2000.

The internet giants are now faced with a constant battle: to keep up with the ever-evolving trends of technology, communication and social media. 'Adapt or die'. Google is fighting to get it's claws into people through Google+, another social media site, as it's share price has stagnated for four years.

And that is the key - adapting, or treading the water. It's like high school really; if you don't conform, you get left behind. So now as we are entering the 'mobile' generation, where applications such as Instagram will take the spotlight for social media, expect to see the web giants attempting to infiltrate their way into your smartphone. They will find a way - they have to, or they will become history.