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This is insane. I felt compelled by the need to post this up. Last week, my entry was more on something solemn and on a macro level. This week, i shall do something on a smaller scale, something that is within our control. This shows the apparent addiction to computer games in society today. Maybe you might get defensive- generalization you say? I think now, with technology so easily accessible and internet comes in cheap and free, we find ourselves hook onto it for hours at a time, not realising so often, we neglect other stuff. I admit that i can stay up in my room up till 4 hours using the internet and my parents and sister would be in the living room outside catching a movie together. Have we sacrificed and minimized what was important to us?
I got this video of Facebook. Immedietly i started laughing at his meltdown, i had to admit it was hilarious that one freaks out. I couldn’t stop laughing at his misfortune and shared this video with two of my close guy friends who gamed as a past time. I just found gaming such a horrible addiction that it can cause such behavior. I know that i am not a gamer, i never found such interest in it, and my ex boyfriend would spend hours on it, often causing small disputes which was something i could not understand. Thus, i was rather repulsed by the idea.
There was one night however, i was over at his house and he introduced me to the computer game, Left 4 Dead. I was pretty hesitant about it, but he was patient enough to go through it with me and teach me and when i saw his eyes glimmer with excitement and for once that murky black eyes become all focused. Somehow, all we need is to allow that person that at least we tried to share what they love.
Apart from the video, i believe is all about understanding. Even in a social context, we come from different backgrounds and cultures and only through understanding our difference are we likely to accept it. I have a close girl friend that is an amazing DOTA gamer, and yet she is always there for me. The game was indeed fun, and i enjoyed it, and it changed my perspective in a good way. But this video also allowed me to see that we must also understand our priorities, where we must value what comes first. Gaming can be a passion to some, hence the meltdown due to the lack of understanding from his mother. In my last communication class, we discussed language, interpretation and non-verbal communication.In this video and my personal experience, it is whether we allow ourselves to interpret the situation differently, to see in the eyes of the other, and well, when a guy is having such a meltdown (non-verbal communication), just stay away!
Have a good week ahead!
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Hello hello !
I must admit that I am/was a WoW player and a quite an addict at that . I used to play at least 4 hours a day and if I didn’t get my fix I would keep thinking about it . So basically , WoW kinda took over my life and that of my friends . When we went out we would talk almost about nothing else except WoW . And that is definitely unhealthly , yes sir it is .
So what is it that is so addictive about online gaming . Is it the informal ways of communication over the net . The ability to hide behind a persona , an avatar . The relationships that one builds with people half way across the world . I guess it’s a combination of many many factors .
As for Elaine and your ex-boyfriend . I totally understand as I was once in your position . Pity though that it had to turn out the way it did with the disputes and all . =)
Marv
Comment by Marvin Kyle September 21, 2009 @ 8:24 amFor starter is am no gamer myself but growing up amongst those who considered them to be their religion, i realized that it was more than a time passer but more of an imaginary world where they are able to live as their desired self. This could possibly be the reason for his reaction.
Its intriguing how you are able to marry priorities passion, language, and social psychology all into the essence of this video.
Well stranger you are doing a good job with your post so far. Keep it up
In the worlds of a video gamer ” DOUBLE KILL”
Comment by Visa September 21, 2009 @ 8:27 amYeah.. i can totally see how with the advancements in technology, we’re increasingly sucked into the internet much to our oblivion. That dude’s behaviour shocked me… I couldn’t even LAUGH! I was horrified and at the same time disgusted with what these gaming stuffs can do to mess us up. Based on understanding? I would never be able to understand how people can become addicted to this point. Eyebrow raising. I’m totally skeptical about that one.
Comment by rachrachrach September 21, 2009 @ 8:30 amHey!
I agree with your point on priorities. In the end I’ve got to say gaming really takes us nowhere, which is why our main focus should still be on other things of greater value. Relationships for example would probably be a better investment don’t you think?
Benjamin
Comment by Benjamin September 21, 2009 @ 8:53 amTell me bout it. Hey woman, im sorry to say but i find that hooked gamers are sucha turn off. They set the wrong priorities, but i do have gamer friends who of course know how to set aside only a few hours to game and for their outside life. (: nice.
Comment by Zhang Jingyi September 22, 2009 @ 5:04 amOkay, I am on the NO-WAY-TO-GAMING-ADDICTS bench sister! HAHA
I think placing material, and in this case playing computer games all day long to the extent of losing human connection is a seriously TRAGIC thing. So, no biasedness to computer gamers but addicts: as long as one has gotten caught up in this cycle/blackhole/vacuum of cyberworld. You either pull yourself out and safe your soul, or alienate yourself from the world.
Connect cyberworld, disconnect world.
Theres only one socket, so choose one!
100111011 <3
Comment by Audrey J Low September 22, 2009 @ 1:42 pmClose girl friend DOTA player? awww. yea, I think its impt that a couple learn to share the things that they love, so that the other party would be able to at the very least understand. And yes, again I agree that because technology has become so easily accessible that at times we take for granted the traditional ways of communicating.
Comment by lynlynlyn September 24, 2009 @ 12:41 pmit is pretty heartwrenching, though, how the boy mourns over the loss of what probably transpires to be hundreds of hours of leveling and doing the stuff people do in WoW. i mean, his level 70 undead knight was his baby, man, an extension of his mortal being into the cybernetic realm. like how most of us put virtual priority on our facebook and twitter accounts, this boy just dedicated his cyber-lovin’ a different way. imagine facebook going bust and forever crippling our ability to cyber-stalk people, or blackberry users losing their blackberries. probably not a cause for exaggerated freak-outing, but really, we’d probably all bitch about it
Comment by M October 4, 2009 @ 10:54 am‘This is insane’ reminds me of my TA. But anyway, I will not encourage anyone to play computer games! There’s a cartoon called Southwest something. It shows how the kids got all bloated up because they are trying to level up by playing WOW every single hour (except sleeping). Now that’s insane.
A quote from that show: how do you that which has no life?
Comment by huiying November 1, 2009 @ 1:51 pmpersonally, WOW isnt a game but a lifestyle because it is extremely addictive. playing computer games needs one to have good self discipline. it is not easy to get off it once you get started. hence, discipline in this aspect should be thought well from young to prevent this from happening
Comment by Bryan November 1, 2009 @ 5:01 pmI still find this effing funny!
But it’s also quite sad. One can imagine how he must feel, to have all those hours of hard gaming go to waste just like that. People who invest a heavy amount of time in gaming and don’t do it professionally usually do it because they are unhappy with their outside lives, and find a greater sense of fulfillment online. To these people, cancelling their WoW account is like getting fired, evicted, divorced, your car repossessed and your dog dying all at once, but even so, jamming a remote up your unspeakable region doesn’t seem like a healthy way to deal with it.
Comment by Chander November 6, 2009 @ 9:45 amYo,
Yeah, i used to be a game addict. Literally gaming for hours every day. I agree on the point that people are at times so absorbed in the world that they playing that it becomes their life literally. Games like the Sims emulate life and allow people to take up their dream life with none of the major ramifications. Similarly, my parents could not understand my gaming life and would constantly try to dissuade me from playing, thinking that it would be hindering my studies per se.
However, i agree on the point that people ought to take a step back and see look into the reason and the passion that people have in this. this is like people who are absorbed in sports and academics. Just another part of life as a whole.
Having said this, gamers should also be aware of their actions and th effects in their lives. Are they dependent on the games? Are they hindering them from everyday life and experiencing life as a whole? Gamers should balance up both virtual life and reality and experience both to the max. =)
Comment by Bunjamin Aw November 9, 2009 @ 1:37 am