video game...hiatus

Although I am thoroughly enjoying writing about video games and my experiences with them, I am going to take a short break and instead talk about collaborative writing. I've been thinking on the concept for a few weeks now, and there are some things I'd like to flesh out regarding the matter. Don't worry - this is partly to myself - I will continue on video games and the positive outcomes soon.

I've always been a storyteller, although perhaps not openly; I think we all have an ability to create and tell stories - just think of little kids with their toys... do they just sit there and move them around, or do they come up with some imaginary tale explaining the movements? For me, it's been more than that. I started to really create stories while playing barbies - yes, barbies - with my best friends. It was fantastic, and I could visualize the story as it took place. I'm embarrased to admit that I "played" with my barbies far longer than I thought was normal (I'm not positive on the age at which I stopped, but it was around 11 to 13); however, only a year or two into barbies, I'd changed my focus in the play.

Barbies became my outlet for creating and telling stories - also done with animals and mega bloks dragons which used to be so much cooler than they are now - usually to music because that made it more theatrical (I get this from my father who makes movies, see http://ourdangerouselife.blogspot.com/2012/09/to-future.html) Ever since that time - and yes, I did leave the toys behind as they just became too cumbersome because I had to actually MOVE them (: - I've had at least three stories going in my head at once. No, they never get mixed up or twisted together, but they are all separate and distinct stories to which I can turn at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, I've developed this fear of sharing those stories.

What is so fantastic about the idea of collaborative fiction is that stories like mine from all over can become part of something bigger. It is no longer about how silly your story is - in any stage - but about how others can help to make it a better, stronger story. Now, give me a situation and I'll create a story, but ask me to share one of my own patented stories, and I'll cringe. With collaboration, there's a chance to share with other authors who may feel the same way or who just want to reach out. What better opportunity could there be?

"Great minds think alike," and if those great minds can each contribute to one work - combining their interests and talents - that work could be fantastic. Just imagine how many more people it could reach. You have more than one perspective, more than one focus, but a plethora. Each mind brings with it a group of people with similar interests and values, thus increasing the reader population. Could this concept tie in with the long tail, in that a group publishing a work together instead of through a publication firm could amass more revenue by selling not at regular book rates, but at minimal cost? Could a profit be made? For the group or each individual? So many questions, so few answers.

I guess we'll need to discover that ourselves.

Stereotypes

I previously mentioned common stereotypes regarding video games (see http://ourdangerouselife.blogspot.com/2012/09/video-game-stereotypes.html), and I'd like to continue on that thread, perhaps focusing more on the positive aspects of gaming.

When I left off, I was mentioning how the "problem" varies in intensity depending on how much experience one has with video games. Those who've never played see little problem, unless they have someone close to them who plays; those who play just a little can see the addictive nature, and those who play heavily - 3+ hours per day - see no problem.

What non-gamers fail to understand is the games themselves. For instance, when my sister accused me of violent behavior as a child due to Warcraft, she had no idea what appeal video games could have. She still avoids video games like the plague because she sees no point to the games and has no enjoyment in them - even the social games. Non-gamers, like my sister, do not see the appeal, and thus cannot see the way that games can "suck you in." They tend to see games as some silly waste of time, and thus see no real benefit or danger unless they are close to someone who spends time playing instead of interacting with them. It then becomes something foreign and dangerous because it is misunderstood and threatening.

Games, like many things, can effect people differently depending on how susceptible they are to that particular addiction. The reason I worry so much about it is because I seem to be one of the more susceptible people towards these games. If I allow myself, I'll play for hours. My brothers, like most boys, have all played video games, but none have been "addicted." When I purchased the first Zelda Wii game, one told me that he was so jealous, but he knew that if he purchased it, he'd spend so much time on it that he'd lose his job. Now, most people would not get so sucked into a game that they would forsake such things, but the potential is there.

Those who I would consider addicted see no harm - much like any addiction. According to Wikipedia, "Classic hallmarks of addiction include: impaired control over substances/behavior, preoccupation with substance/behavior, continued use despite consequences, and denial." Those addicted cannot see the addiction because it has become something so important to them that it seemingly merits the attention they give to it.

Now, despite all of this, video games are NOT all bad. there are wonderful things with video games. Brandon Healy did a post regarding the positive outcomes of video games, such as cognitive development or the improvement of social skills. Although gaming receives such a terrible rap for addiction and taking away from home and family, there is plenty of research to support it instead. See his post, http://digitaltrailer.blogspot.com/2012/09/cognitive-benefits-of-video-games.html, for more details. I will also include some of his research in future posts.

Next time: how video games have helped me and others, despite the drawbacks. To view some of my sources, see my "sites regarding video games" page on the right.

Video Game Stereotypes

There are different views of video games, from a wonderful stress-reliever to an addictive moral wrong, but most people seem to push towards the middle. Most researchers go into the dangers of addiction to these interactive platforms, making most of what you hear on the news or in scholarly circles negative. Most video game enthusiasts think it's a wonderful way to unwind. Many people who've never played video games on their own don't understand why people do it and either don't understand the "addiction" or think it's no big deal. I'd like to address all of these with a little spin from my own experience.

I last posted with an inclusion of an article from a website that is entirely devoted to video game addition (see intro to MY gaming)  This article mentioned a study done by Brigham Young University regarding gaming and how it can effect families and individuals, but the website houses many other tools, such as how to spot addiction and how to aid it. One feature is a list of the most addictive video games: http://www.video-game-addiction.org/most-addictive-video-games.html

Although I personally see video game addiction as a real problem, many do not agree. For me, video games were an escape - still are sometimes - and I would play them for hours during the summer when I had few obligations. It wasn't necessarily a problem until it started affecting my behavior (again, see my previous post regarding Warcraft). It has also caused problems recently for me in the form of the newer Zelda games - for the wii. I would play those games even with family in town that I'd desperately missed because I just had to continue in the game. Remember, I was never severe enough to be addicted, and I only did it for fun, but it severely detracts from my life when I allow it.

When I've talked to friends about video game addictions, I've received different answers based on their video game history. Those who argued that video games are no problem are the heaviest video game users of the bunch, while those who don't really play them much see that it could be a problem. My first responder told me just months ago - when trying to stop his "addiction" to video games, going so far as to ask friends and family to hide and/or destroy his console - that it really did mess him us and suck the life out of him. He now plays regularly.

This all brought me to believe that because video games are not inherently evil, gamers cannot see the dangers when deeply involved. When we take a step back, however, the situation is telling.

to be continued...

Intro to MY Gaming

Although I've been looking more into how similar the internet is to regular life, I don't feel as if I have much to go on. On the other hand, I'm very interested in problems that arise emotionally and socially, especially in regards to internet use and video games. This topic actually has a place in my heart, as I have had some serious interaction with these ideas through my own experiences and what I have observed in others. However, the idea of the real affect of digital interaction didn't truly hit home until a SFL class at Brigham Young University. I have taken a few of these, as the home is something that primarily interests me, and one in particular focused on the effects of digital culture on the home and family.

Growing up, I played video games to no end. One of the coolest days of my childhood was when my brother purchased a N64 with me so that we could both play Zelda: ocarina of Time. Let me just say, that game is absolutely fantastic. I stray from my focus, however. In addition to Zelda, I came to love WarCraft II, Roller Coaster Tycoon, and other computer games. One day, however, I apparently threw a stool at my sister for some silly thing. She deduced that my time on WarCraft - granted, I did love the game, but I was by no means addicted - had made me more violent somehow. I thought it was crazy then, and for a long time after, but I think more and more that she had a point.

I struggled with "gaming" for a long time, but it never seemed to cause major issues. I have an xbox - the old version with classic Halo - the old N64, and a wii, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed, but increasingly came to realize, over the course of years, that they simply were not worth my time no matter how much fun they are. I still play occasionally, but it's become more of a waste of time than anything else. You know what? I've noticed dramatic differences. I can't really explain it, but just ceasing that time glued to a screen changed how I viewed the world.

I look at friends of mine who have "gamed" far more than I and I see the same trend in every one. There is a disconnect between them and society. It is often subtle, but for one who was once among their ranks, it's easy to see. I have one friend, though we hardly talk now, who had ceased playing xbox for a few months. We had so much fun together and he was really a great guy, but then he broke out his xbox. For months - and it still continues, hence the hardly talking - I could tell every time he played xbox. He'd be moody or sullen. He couldn't reach out to others the same way. He tried to stop...didn't happen.

Why would I argue that video games cause emotional problems? Some people don't see the harm. Meghan Vivo wrote an article on addiction to video games which discusses this an also mentions a study by Brigham young University which I was vaguely aware of:

http://www.video-game-addiction.org/video-game-addiction-articles/game-over-video-games-strain-relationships-with-friends-and-family.htm

It is difficult to see the emotional and social issues brought on by gaming, but when we look for it, it's obvious. I hope to delve deeper into this in further posts, including the whys and hows. I also see value in our digital age, and can see why people see no harm in gaming, especially when it brings people together. This is something else I want to flesh out. Is it good that I can play Mario Kart with my nephews and nieces across the country? yes. Is skype a wonderful tool to connect people? Yes. Can certain video games improve brain function and athleticism? I hope to find out.

Basically, although I can see how damaging video games and online influences can be, I am also a firm believer in the good it can do. I do not see any real harm in playing a few games, but I've seen what a few games can quickly lead to, and it's not all fun and games.

Thoughts on Northanger Abbey

Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey isn't among the more well-known of Austen's works, and it focuses on different aspects than I feel any of her other books, although I'm nowhere near an Austen scholar since I have only read a few of her books. Her other books seem to focus more on social class and how ridiculous society can be, but Northanger Abbey goes into other dilemmas.

The rise of the gothic novel - although I'm not positive where gothic novels came into play in relation to Austen's romantic novels - seemed to worry scholars and gentry alike. Young people would spend their time absorbed in books that were not really indicative of real life, and Austen played on that. I'd assume that some of the same people reading gothic novels also ventured to Austen's books. They may not portray the same ideas or type and level of excitement, but it may have been the same age group.

Austen *lightly* mocks gothic novels and the ridiculousness around them. Catherine, Northanger Abbey's heroine who "No one who had ever seen . . . in her infancy would have supposed her born to be an heroine" (opening line), falls prey to her imaginations because she has become too absorbed in gothic novels. Her reading material is openly ridiculed by others and by the author herself because it can lead young people to err.

I liken this to the internet. There are a few different ways one could go with this, but here are a few thoughts. We could see gothic novels as social networking sites where we create imaginary realities of communities etc. which can distort our reality - remember that Catherine was an ordinary girl with nothing "special" about her, yet she imagined great scenarios for herself because of what she was reading; gothic novels could be the internet in general, the way it sucks up your time because you become absorbed in it without question; the culture of today could be compared to the culture of the era regarding suitable behavior and unsuitable behavior as we are discovering together new culture online the same as Catherine discovered the existing culture she had yet to experience.

This has further merit in the idea I've been considering that the internet and digital age have made no big changes to us or our way of life, but simply given us new means to do the same things. Thus, Catherine discovers her society's mores just as we change ours.

What other ways does this text reflect our time and culture?

online collaboration

It seems that online collaboration has become a big deal in our modern society. There are numerous sites devoted to collaboration in different capacities. We talked about a few of these in class, such as Kompoz.com for music, but as discussion continued on googleplus, other students suggested some sites for writing collaboration - the only kind of sites where I feel I could be a useful contributor. Alexandra Crafton suggested "Wattpad" and Sarah Talley suggested "webook."

Now, with all these forms of online collaboration available, the question must be asked of who receives the credit for the idea? The finished product? Can credit rightfully be given to one individual or the group as a whole? Adding to this dilemma is the debate over copyright. Many people feel that copyrighting is becoming outdated, especially since there are ways to work around the system with the millions of sites online that allow one to move around without the typical rules in the digital world.

Another question I feel should be raised is the issue of cost. It seems that many of these online collaborations become free for public consumption, as the rights do no belong to one specific person and the contributors did so for the pure enjoyment instead of the monetary gain. What is the true cost of such goods? Could these be worth more since more minds went into them and more devoted minds. I don't know about you, but I think anyone who does something for fun instead of for pay is more devoted and more invested. Yes, money is a great motivator, but if you are doing it because you love it, that just adds something more.

Has this shift opened up the gate for more free goods of greater worth than those which cost? Perhaps not yet; however, I feel that the internet is quickly bringing us to that possibility. "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" - attributed to multiple people - is an excellent example: when there is a monetary value associated with a good that one produces, their work can become corrupted, degrading it and eventually leading to poor quality, no matter the excellence in the beginning. Many contracted authors face the dilemma of a new book by a certain date, and when writing becomes a chore in this way, the quality deteriorates and everyone is left with a bitter taste.

Personal Connections in the Digital Age, by Nancy Baym

The internet has allowed for a blurring and changing of social interaction and human communication. It has not only allowed people to communicate across oceans when it was once impossible, but it allows instant communication all over the world.

This change creates a dichotomy between public and private: copyrighted and shared content, mass and interpersonal, fascinating and mundane,  and physical and digital - for instance, if someone really is a part of a "real life" conversation if he or she is focused on a cell phone or computer. People refer to their real life and their virtual identity as if they were two completely separate lives instead of one wrapped up inside the other, or their physical life revolves around their virtual one.

Phones and the internet allow for interaction without physical interaction. People build friendships entirely based on online profiles, which may or may not be accurate. The important aspects of face to face interaction are often forgotten in preference to text which is less personal and easier to use when dealing with emotional issues.

This book also goes through the shift from personal communication on a physical level to that of a digital level. The shift is gradual, but it changes the way we interact at a ever faster rate as the internet becomes ever more accessible through phones and other mediums.

This book is a well written and interesting read which emphasizes key issues regarding the digital age. This phenomenon allows for great progression and greater communication and connection while also pushing for fewer real life connections as people put their digital life before their regular interactions - this is easily seen in the use of a cell phone when other people are present.

Insightful and enjoyable. I'd love to see what the author has to say on the topic in a few years when we have moved further in this digital direction.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/408225456

to the future

Our world is progressing at a rapid pace. Where once computers were cutting edge technology, it's now strange to find a home without one, or an apartment for that matter. Cell phones are no longer a device for the extravagant businessman or woman, but a commodity that even young children enjoy. For example, my Nephew, who is 10 years old, has had a cell phone - with internet - since Christmas and will periodically text me.

Even physical spaces are being redefined by technology. It is no longer necessary to be in the same room with someone in order to talk, or even see each other. Entire classes occur online where students can interact with their teacher and other students. More and more regular classes are requiring interaction online for a large part of their participation grade - a grade that is primarily associated with attending class.

One exciting faction of the digitized world is video. I remember being a kid and wishing we could watch movies in the car on road trips. I could just envision that the dashboard where the clock shone to have a screen and the CD port to take DVDs instead. My family thought it was silly and cute. Now, it seems, every van comes already equipped with a DVD player etc. and many new cars have GPS systems included in the vehicle.

My father works in the film industry and is currently working with a company that allows end-users to choose what they watch. Not just channel surfing, but they can change what they are looking at during a sports game independently of other end-users. This amazing technology even allows you to watch in 3D, rewind and watch from a different angle etc. all with the click of a button.

How much further will technology take us? I often wonder what will come of the future. We cannot even now dream of all the possibilities that await. Will we have teleportation like Star Trek? Robots capable of human thought? Will cash or even credit cards be necessary in the coming decades? Will we ever look back on NOW and wonder how we lived in such a primitive society?

Us, remade

As a child, I was never really one for the "classics." I definitely read a few compound classics in elementary school, and loved the stories, but I stuck to wolf books, primarily; awkward, I know. :) I never even considered English as a major until my Junior year in college when I panicked about taking a mammalogy class (I would have to memorize all the mammals, including their prints and colorings). But really, how could I not have decided earlier? The only thing I've been truly passionate about (except perhaps dogs and my family) is reading.

Now, don't get me wrong. Novels were the bane of my existence until my best friends, Emily Heiss and Hannah Morse, practically forced me to read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Suddenly, there was a world beyond my own, one I could live in while still physically living in this world. The classics didn't even appear on my radar until high school, however. What sparked a change, you might ask?

Pride and Prejudice...the adaptations and multiple BBC reproductions got me excited about a different age, a time when values were different and good writing could span the centuries.

Here's the thing, without our modern, digitized, world, I would have never made it this far. The Jane Austen movies have sparked my interest far more than the books could ever do alone, especially when they have a modern spin. We have the LDS Pride and Prejudice, Clueless; then there are the Shakespeare adaptations: 10 Things I hate about you, She's the Man, West Side Story, and more.

I know many young children, and plenty of adults, who wont find an interest in a book unless it's a movie first, or someone gives it a good review on Goodreads.com or some other media form. Our modern, digital, world has led to greater art and experience. It has showed people a richer, more vibrant part of our past. What has it done for you, and what will it do in the future?