NinjaBee and Social Media

I’ve personally been looking at NinjaBee for a time, so specifically in this post I will elaborate on my perspective concerning NinjaBee’s use of Social Media.

Firstly, using the WayBack Machine.  It can be interesting to see how NinjaBee progressed through years.  The earliest instance that registered on the WayBack Machine is September 2004.  The only forms of contact is through an email and the forums.  Around mid 2010, NinjaBee implemented a variety of new social features to cater to some of the rising applications on the web.  These features in the 2010 version of the site included a Facebook Page, a Twitter Account, and a Blogger blog.  As it is now, it is mostly the same, only with the social buttons scaled down in button size.

Next, the strengths and weaknesses.

PROS

1. Various services used
2. Used frequently
3. Rich Content

CONS

1. Minimal tag usage, they could take advantage of hot and relevant topics
2. Incomplete and nearly unlisted Google+
3. That Google+ account actually links to a seemingly unrelated YouTube account
4. The lack of a link to its official YouTube channel is curious

I actually can’t find any other immediate weaknesses.  So, otherwise, NinjaBee seems to have a solid grasp on social media and how to maximize its potential.

When I say they know how to maximize it, I’ve been looking carefully through their activity on these web applications.  Their blogs are very consistent since 2009, posting handfuls of posts throughout each year.  Each time, filling a page or more with rich content on news, reviews, and any other thing that NinjaBee finds to be relative to their interests.  The NinjaBee Twitter feed is very healthy, often posting several times a day.  It may skip days at time, but it seems to satisfy its followers effectively, often replying to followers in loose, but still professional manner.  And its Facebook page seems to carry mostly strict news concerning the small business, providing media and interaction to its fans.  Redundancy is kept to a very minimum, only highlighting very specific concerns and important information, in which NinjaBee uses all channels to broadcast an identical message to ensure social media coverage.  Most of the linking refers to simple and mildly amusing pictures illustrating the lifestyle within NinjaBee.

As for how the social media is managed and who, it seems NinjaBee has a dedicated person to organize the PR and Marketing.  This is his personal account on Twitter.  I would assume since the NinjaBee team is relatively small, that this lone worker operates all of NinjaBee’s presence on these social media channels.  Again, since NinjaBee is small, and for the fact that they make games, they are relatively lighthearted and frequently take advantage of the features that promotes follower interaction.

On the website itself, the only implementation there is, is simply buttons to link to their social media channels.  It could benefit to implement, a like button, a twitter feed, a RSS widget listing their blog entries, and perhaps an embedded playlist from YouTube to showcase their work.

Overall, NinjaBee seems fairly adept at using Social Media to project its image on the web.  The way they use the web based applications, makes themselves very handy, entertaining, informative, and helpful.  A little refinement and a few more services attached to the website, and it would be awesome.

The Internet Cloud – A Brief Summary

The internet cloud services are becoming more prevalent in the age of information sharing. I’ve been using a couple for quite some time, but I will summarize my feelings and how I use a couple of my favorite cloud services.

Google drive is a very flexible service. Not only does it integrate Google Documents directly, it connects to nearly all facets of Google. I primarily use it to store documents and to collaborate on them. It is especially handy in document collaboration, as you can see the participating user’s cursor and see the document update live. I currently use it to set up design documents for games I collaborate with.

Dropbox is the first reliable service I had subscribed to. It is very handy, and it is easy to share files and to exchange and collaborate with other people. I love some of the promos where Dropbox awards storage for various activities; most recently the “Space Race”. I primarily use the Dropbox service as a file-hosting site for some of my games I made for UgLee Games.

Lifelong Wellness and Jogging

I learned a significant amount in this class. I liked how stretching after a workout relieves tension built up during the activity. And there was a considerable amount of info shared on different body measurements to help appropriate an effective workout using an understanding of muscle, fat and BMR. It was also pretty neat focusing on the different muscle groups and applying different stretches to get the most out of stretching.

I am going to apply what I learned from class and establish healthy habits. I am also going to make certain to change how I exercise as I improve to make the most from exercise. Additionally, I will apply what I learned about nutrition, and help build a diet that will maximize wellness. This way, it will compliment my abilities and it will help me achieve my goals all around.

I intend to help improve my body in a way that improves all other aspects of my life. As a sort of confidence builder, I aim to continue exercising to simply achieve goals and make myself stronger in body, mind, and spirit. Often, I find myself at my desk programming or drawing. Recently, through exercising, I notice my focus improving, my mood more optimistic, more energy to expend and a lot of other things.

Mitt Romney and Social Media

Mitt Romney’s presence on social media in no way trumps Barack Obama’s influence, but just enough to be proficient in its capabilities. Using the WaybackMachine, I discovered MittRomney.com’s earliest instance in 2002, as a very bland and static page. Searching through 2007/2008, it became much more appealing and offered far more information. It was in 2011 time frame, that I noticed the site started implementing social media into political purposes. Albeit, there was a small link on the 2002 website to Mitt’s Blogpost (http://web.archive.org/web/20021120010956/http://mittromney.blogspot.com/ ), the site now involves more channels such as Facebook likes, a Twitter follow button, and separate share buttons (facebook, twitter, google+) for the more specific stories and interests. Flickr is also included, though not as of big of a focus. The use of displaying the social media channels seemed appealing, and the layout serves well to help me understand where I should expect the information to be.

Now, if I were to compare the frequency that Mitt Romney’s campaign social media channels against Barack Obama’s, clearly Obama’s tweets are thrice that of Romney’s.  Instead of retweeting, as frequently Obama does, Romney’s Twitter stream uses mentions to draw attention to Obama’s account.  Social Media diversion seems to be the tactic on Twitter, but Obama seems to have already been proven popular on that site, so it is curious.  Additionally, much of the Twitter content are either quick quips on the topic at hand, or links to relating articles.

It is always difficult to see if the tweets come from an agency or from the person himself.  Though it is worded to sound as if it comes from Mitt Romney himself, you’d have to consider the stakes and reputation that comes with the convenience of micro-blogging.  There would have to be some measure of consultation and guidance to help communicate the best message under the name that many people are watching for.

By casual observation, I find there are a lot of interesting portions, or rather, focuses that come to mind going over the social media channels.  Much of the campaigning in social media directs attention to Barack Obama.  Granted that one should probably identify the current president’s blind spots and missteps, it becomes a bit more to share thoughts and pick apart the issues on the public and searchable web.  Whatever the use, if proves to be an effective, although minor, front on social media to identify directly to the faltering issues of Obama’s current term results.

Aside from Twitter, Romney has stake in various other social media sites.  Aside from the main content of the page, there are a summary of links on the bottom of the page.  Listing : Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Flickr, Spotify, Tumblr, and Youtube.

Overall, for being the Republican candidate of the 2012, the social media is adequately using to distributing news and ideas.  Yet, it pales in comparison to Obama’s seemingly warm approach to the wide audience that Twitter provides.  There is room and opportunities to improve Romney’s standing in social media, especially in the respects of personal connection, but it is just adequate to satisfy the minimum.

Companies and Wikis

Here’s an interesting article!

http://www.infoworld.com/d/developer-world/year-enterprise-wiki-305

Just goes to show how a wiki can be used by a company.

• They can be used to provide flexible help desk and customer support
• Depending on the software, rollbacks can be used to fix any “anarchist raids”
• They help establish discussions on particular topics/policies
• And they can gather a library of material related to the services and interests of the company

The Power of Games

Video games are everywhere. It believed that over 75 percent of American youth have video game consoles in their home, with 40 percent on a typical day where they play them (Glazer, CQ Researcher). Some dedicate more time than others, but overall the powerful influence of video games is very much real. Some games are focused on violent expression whereas others aim to educate and instruct the player or students through simple interaction. I think it is reasonable to discern, that games are neither good or bad on its own, rather, games are a tool for the developer to make something of their own design and vision. Video games can be engineered to be an outstanding benefit to people of all sorts.

Work Cited

Glazer, Sarah. “Video games.” CQ Researcher, 16, 937-960. (2006, November 10). Web. 13 Sep 2011.

Click below to read more!

The Power of Games

High-Score!

“A game is a pastime with formal and predefined set of rules for the progression of a game session, with built-in and quantitative definitions of success and failure” (Juul, 2000). Games are often a time to enjoy a time away from the work people have, and a way to momentarily escape reality for a while. In the subject of games, they have been evolving rapidly as technology introduces more and more mechanics to play games in new and fascinating ways. Such innovation brought the birth of video games…

Work Cited

Juul, J. “What computer games can and can’t do”. Jesper Juul. Aug 2000. Web. 27 Oct 2011.

Click below to read more!

HighScore

A Melting Pot or a Tossed Salad?

A Melting Pot or Tossed Salad

The great country of America is popularly known to be a nation that holds a plethora and variety of different cultures. Just about every country has a part in building the colorful image of the United States. “For centuries, the US has attracted people in search of a share of ‘the American dream’ from all corners of the world.”¹ Immigrants come from Mexico, China, Germany, the UK, Africa, and many more. Each ethnic group has their own stories, customs, beliefs, manner and culture. But, there is a couple of opposing ideas of how diverse the culture of America really is. Some would say that the culture of America is one huge ‘Melting Pot’. Whereas, others would express that it is more diverse and sports more individualism, labeling that notion as the ‘Tossed Salad’.

What is the “Melting Pot” and the “Tossed Salad”?

These are the two most popular terms for describing American Culture. The Melting Pot was coined by a immigrant by the name of Israel Zangwill.² In a quote from himself, he described his vision.

“…where a thousand mammoth feeders come from the ends of the world to pour in their human freight. Ah, what a stirring and a seething—Celt and Latin, Slav and Teuton, Greek and Syrian, black and yellow….” ~ Israel Zangwill

He encouraged immigrants to become assimilated and form a new American identity.

Another word that relates to the theory of the “Melting Pot” is assimilation. Through, assimilation, a group adopts the customs and manners of another. Usually, the majority party absorbs the party of the minority,

Through assimilation, we take in new information or experiences and incorporate them into our existing ideas. The process is somewhat subjective, because we tend to modify experience or information somewhat to fit in with our preexisting beliefs.³

So, in idea, the Melting Pot theory is based on having a shared culture having many facets of differing cultures into one single image or culture.

On the other hand, there is the Tossed Salad. What this implies, is that there are many diverse traits that make every place in America unique in culture and manner. Those who support this idea, think of the people as a people that refuses to be assimilated into “one homogenous social stew.”⁴ And this a fairly recent term that has become popular among conversations and discussions of social life.

Multiculturalism is the acceptance of multiple ethnic cultures at the organizational level. This is applied to the demographic make-up of a country, where people from different religious backgrounds, countries and tradition are given equitable status in schools, neighborhood, cities and nations.⁵

This is the technical term. This continues to be debated and used to set boundaries and to elaborate on the intent of what American culture is to be.

So, this is the argument, the cultural situation of America. It has drawn lines, caused contention, aroused many to violence and continues to stir the minds of those affected. And none is exempt, for this is a social issue.  Everyone is affected one way or another, through the behaviors and attitude of discontentment. The issue is volatile in some places and mild in others, but it must come to the understanding of all the people of the United States of America to see the perspectives of all groups, cultures, history and ideals to make more reasonable and peaceful discussions. So, briefly these words will be used to give aid in looking at this situation in a new light.

Are We a “Melting Pot”?

In the early history of culture recognition of different cultures, it was common to refer to the culture of America as the Melting Pot.

For many years the image of a”melting pot” was used to describe the experience of immigrants coming to America. The expectation was that as people from diverse backgrounds, cultures and religions make their way to our country, a sort of American cultural crucible would melt away all the differences…⁶

“And at some levels [this] has happened. [Additionally], technology has provided a nice blending together of cultures around common language and activities involving cell phones, the Internet and so on.”⁷

It is much more than evident with the Caucasians. Many people of European descent have been blended together and formed a single culture over time.

The melting pot theory…revolves around the analogy that “the ingredients in the pot (people of different cultures and religions) are combined so as to lose their discrete identities and yield a final product of uniform consistency and flavor…⁸

Surely, such an idea would unify and bring people together. Or some would think. There are many who oppose such an idea. In an effect there are many societies that separate themselves, rather outright, from the typical lifestyle of other Americans.

Could We be a “Tossed Salad”?

There have been recently some heated debate that the American culture is actually entirely varied and has no single unifying identity. There many reasons to prove why this is. For the most obvious reason, the people of America are extraordinary diverse in race, color and heritage. “Each culture provides its own special and irreplaceable contribution to our understanding of America today…”⁹

There is much that would provoke immigrants to feel that this analogy is more appropriate. It can even cause people to become defensive and somewhat hostile.

American culture remains a powerful force – for better or worse – that influences people both here and around the world in countless ways. But several factors have combined in recent years to allow immigrants to resist, if they choose, the Americanization that had once been considered irresistible.¹⁰

In a more bitter way, some would say that assimilation is merely a way to teach immigrants the way of all Americans. A few Sociologists described the “Melting Pot” theory as a means of “Anglo conformity.”¹¹

There are also some races and ethnic groups that have resisted the idea of surrendering their heritage in exchange for the common American’s. One such, was the Mexicans.

It’s important for our children not to be influenced too much by thegueros,” she said, using a term that means “blondies” but that she employs generally in reference to Americans. “I don’t want my children to be influenced by immoral things.”¹²

From this account, the “American” culture is viewed as an entity to avoid being in contact in respect to ideals and customs.

The Culture of America

But the culture of America isn’t something that anyone can avoid. It is constantly everywhere, and directs its influence through many channels of information. And to generally speak of it all as something horrible, simply speaks ignorant. They fail to see the promising nature of a shared culture. It is a culture comprised of different aspects, yet it also respects the identity of unique smaller cultures.

…if you push this notion[,the “Tossed Salad”] too far, you end up with a situation where there is no evolution of a culture. If cultures truly remain separate and distinct, there can be no evolution that occurs from the exposure and exchange with other different cultures. Instead, as time passes, all that you really have is a conglomeration of old cultures, with no blending or development.¹³

Truly, to think only that this idea of the “Tossed Salad” should exist in the extreme, nothing will develop and culture will remain stagnant and dead. There will always be a “Melting Pot”, somewhat. And the “Tossed Salad” isn’t likely to fade much anytime soon. The culture of America is something entirely different from the rest of the world.

So, what can we use to describe the overall culture of America? There are distinctions and there are also similarities. Yet, to simply call our culture either or would not be enough to fully describe the entirety of the American culture.

Our country is often described as a melting pot where immigrants from a variety of countries and cultures “melt” together to become Americans. Today, some people prefer the idea of America as a “stew” or “tossed salad.” Like the ingredients of a salad, people from diverse backgrounds mix and blend together but never lose their distinct, individual qualities.¹⁴

To really describe the American culture, one cannot satisfy the understanding of it through the analogies of a “Melting Pot” or a “Tossed Salad” for it is really something of a mix of these. Perhaps, comparable to and “Ethnic Stew.”¹⁵

We must, who are citizens of a nation full of various immigrants, contemplate that we too can coexist with our neighbors of various cultural backgrounds, who may be speaking different languages.¹⁶

It can be somewhat mixed, yet in other parts completely unique. For instance, consider this. There are two Chinese restaurants, both serve rice, various chicken plates, egg rolls and soups. Yet, one serves a custom variation that would be accepted by those of the unfamiliar majority, and the other serves more closely to the traditions of the country of origin. All the while they are only a few minutes drive apart from another.

Although there will be many who see assimilation to be a complete evil, there is some sense to the conformity and submissiveness to the change of culture.

In America…assimilation has not meant repudiating immigrant culture. Assimilation, American style has always been much more flexible and accommodating and, consequently, much more effective in achieving its purpose–to allow the United States to preserve its “national unity in the face of the influx of hordes of persons of scores of different nationalities,”¹⁷

This describes that assimilation is actually a stabilizing force and can help others to an equal understanding.

Just as important, is the value of the heritage of immigrants of each unique origin. These cultures can enrich our perspectives and give light to unique ideas.

Diversity in America not only presents a host of intimate snapshots of culture and heritage, but documents the struggles of nationalities to integrate…¹⁸

In fact, the United States of America has never been more diverse than ever before. Approximately a tenth of the citizens of America are foreign-born.¹⁹

The culture of America is always changing, never settling long and always seeking to bring diversity and intrigue to the common people. This makes the United States a country with a bounty of influential and rich ideas, inspiring others to create something that hasn’t existed before. “Bagels and pizzas and spaghetti were new things at one time… immigrants come and change America and are changed by America.”²⁰ These influences nurtures the ability to create, and with such creativity, the culture and dream of America becomes that more real. But, to sit on the stagnant and narrow-mindedness of being either a “Melting Pot” or “Tossed Salad” will only bring conflict and will cease to bring out the creative nature of man. So, dare to forget the ‘salad’ and ‘pot’, and ponder on the variety and colorful landscape of The Great American Culture.

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Footnotes

<sub>1,2. BBC News. “’Melting pot’ America” 12 May 2006.

3. Cherry, Kendra. “What is Assimilation?” About.com

4. Evans, Jim. “America as Melting Pot? We’re Really More of a Tossed Salad” EthicsDaily. 26 June 2009.

5. Sengupta, Saptakee. “Multiculturalism in America” Buzzle. 5 June 2010.

6,7. Evans, Jim. “America as Melting Pot? We’re Really More of a Tossed Salad” EthicsDaily. 26 June 2009.

8. Gloor, Leana B. “From the melting pot to the tossed salad metaphor: Why Coerc” Hohonu. 2006, Volume 4, Number 1.

9. World and I School. “Diversity in America”

10,11,12. Branigin, William. “Immigrants Shunning Idea of Assimilation” Washington Post. 25 May 1998.

13. Lubuguin, Fernand, Ph.D. “Beyond Melting Pot and Tossed Salad” The Society for Descriptive Psychology. 24-27 September 1998.

14. Atkins, Holly. “An American ‘tossed salad’” St. Petersburg Times. 17 December 2001.

15. Gloor, Leana B. “From the melting pot to the tossed salad metaphor: Why Coerc” Hohonu. 2006, Volume 4, Number 1.

16. Dahler, Al. “At its best, diversity strengthens; never divides” News Leader. 26 July 2011.

17. Salins, Peter D. “Assimilation, America Style” Reason. February 1997.

18. World and I School. “Diversity in America”. Retrieved 26 July 2011.

19. Williams, Juan. “The Changing Face of America” Talk of the Nation. 25 January 2001.

20. BBC News. “’Melting pot’ America” 12 May 2006.</sub>

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Bibliography

Atkins, Holly. “An American ‘tossed salad’” St. Petersburg Times. 17 December 2001. Retrieved 20 July 2011. [Online Journal]; http://www.sptimes.com/News/121701/NIE/An_American__tossed_s.shtml

BBC News. “’Melting pot’ America” 12 May 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2011. [Online]; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4931534.stm

Branigin, William. “Immigrants Shunning Idea of Assimilation” Washington Post. 25 May 1998. Retrieved 26 July 2011. [Online]; http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- srv/national/longterm/meltingpot/melt0525a.htm

Cherry, Kendra. “What is Assimilation?” About.com. Retrieved 26 July 2011. [Online]; http://psychology.about.com/od/aindex/g/assimilation.htm

Dahler, Al. “At its best, diversity strengthens; never divides” News Leader. 26 July 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2011. [Online]; http://www.newsleader.com/article/20110726/OPINION02/107260309

Evans, Jim. “America as Melting Pot? We’re Really More of a Tossed Salad” EthicsDaily. 26 June 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2011. [Online Journal]; http://www.ethicsdaily.com/america-as- melting-pot-were-really-more-of-a-tossed-salad-cms-14446

Gloor, Leana B. “FROM THE MELTING POT TO THE TOSSED SALAD METAPHOR: WHY COERC” Hohonu. 2006, Volume 4, Number 1. Retrieved 20 July 2011. [Online Journal]; http://hilo.hawaii.edu/academics/hohonu/writing.php?id=91

Lubuguin, Fernand, Ph.D. “Beyond Melting Pot and Tossed Salad” The Society for Descriptive Psychology. 24-27 September 1998. Retrieved 20 July 2011. [Online]; http://www.sdp.org/sdp/papers/lubuguin.html

Salins, Peter D. “Assimilation, America Style” Reason. February 1997. Retrieved 26 July 2011. [Online]; http://reason.com/archives/1997/02/01/assimilation-american-style

Sengupta, Saptakee. “Multiculturalism in America” Buzzle. 5 June 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2011. [Online]; http://www.buzzle.com/articles/multiculturalism-in-america.html

Williams, Juan. “The Changing Face of America” Talk of the Nation. 25 January 2001. Retrieved 30 July 2011. [Online]; http://www.npr.org/programs/totn/features/2001/jan/010125.cfoa.html

World and I School. “Diversity in America”. Retrieved 26 July 2011. [Online]; http://www.worldandischool.com/specialcollection/special-collection-diversity.asp

The Benefits of Video Games

“A game is a pastime with formal and predefined set of rules for the progression of a game session, with built-in and quantitative definitions of success and failure” (Juul, 2000). Games are often a time to enjoy a time away from the work people have, and a way to momentarily escape reality for a while. In the subject of games, they have been evolving rapidly as technology introduces more and more mechanics to play games in new and fascinating ways. Such innovation brought the birth of video games.

William Higinbotham created the first video game ever in 1958. His game, called “Tennis for Two,” was created and played on a Brookhaven National Laboratory oscilloscope. In 1962, Steve Russell invented SpaceWar!. Spacewar! was the first game intended for computer use. Russell used a MIT PDP-1 mainframe computer to design his game (Bellis, 2011).

The most prominent maker of video games would have be Nintendo. They are responsible for the creation of the iconic character of all video games, Mario. Super Mario Bros. was released in 1985 and is one of the finest games in that era that introduced video games to the world in an incredibly influential way.

People credited with making games like these are popularly termed as game developers. These video games often have complex programs to instruct how the game should react and operate. Major components or parts used to craft this intricate medium include music, art, programming, design and many miscellaneous and minute aspects. The industry of video games are built on the hard work of these game developers, resulting in eventually to the its worth of approximately 100 billion dollars (Goldman, 2010). The success of the industry is attributed to wide accessibility and highly entertaining value of the games. Video games continue to bolster and cause the industry to thrive and grow, garnering new investors and inspiring many to make games.

Video games have evolved in many ways. In each generation of video game consoles, the graphics are considerably better than its predecessors. Also, the expanse of genres grows as innovation utilizes different concepts and ideas. The interface between player and game has also been evolving, as it allows users to play these games in new and interesting ways. Such innovations include the analog stick, trigger buttons, touch screen, and motion control. These innovations continue to progress as new technology emerges.

However, many consider this form of entertainment to be extremely negative and have a detrimental impact on health and attitude. This seems evident as violent games emerges, and the potential for strain and injury arises. Regardless of these ideas, however plausible, there are many beneficial attributes to video games.

One such benefit to video games is the development of spatial ability and hand-eye coordination. In one case, video games may have the ability to train the brain to process visual information faster than without (Dingfelder, 2007). Additionally, video games have the potential to “train” the brain sharpening its perception and focus.

“We know that video games can increase perceptual abilities and short-term memory,” [Perez] said. They allow the player to focus longer and expand the player’s field of vision compared to people who don’t play video games, [Perez] added (Freeman, 2010).

A review published in Current Directions in Psychological Science also elaborates on the effect that video games actually can improve cognitive processing and accuracy (O’Callaghan, 2010).

Problem-solving is another critical skill that video games can teach players. In one way that players use problem-solving is in using strategies in decision-based circumstances (Bainbridge, 2011). Additionally, video games can used to reflect on life from a different perspective. Though many believe video games to be a way to “escape” reality, some think otherwise.

Those who continue to dismiss games as merely escapist entertainment will find themselves at a major disadvantage in the years ahead, as more gamers start to harness this power for real good. [McGonigal’s] research over the past decade at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Institute for the Future has shown that games consistently provide us with the four ingredients that make for a happy and meaningful life: satisfying work, real hope for success, strong social connections and the chance to become a part of something bigger than ourselves (McGonigal, 2011).

So, in essence, video games can positively enrich the lives of people to aspire for the better, by living out a perspective displayed through a fictional and interactive medium. Some may even say that video games teach players a variation of the scientific method, by causing the player to experiment and attempt to decipher a challenge (Thompson, 2008). As life inspires art, art may also inspire the lives of the player (Rudon, 2011).

There is also the consideration that video games are beginning to have a role in therapy and as a tool for mental health. Many people in attendance at hospitals as patients are likely to experience pain and depression. As of recently, video games have been gaining popularity as a medical intervention for suffering patients (Vedantam, 2009).

Video games also have the potential as a channel to release stress. Some would have people believe that violent video games have a tendency to cause children to be aggressive after playing them.

Cooper and Mackie (1986) found fifth grade girls to be more aggressive in one of two measures when playing a violent game versus a non-violent game. This data however conflicted with Graybill’s (1987) study of second though sixth graders in which he found no greater aggression when playing a violent versus non-violent game. Once again, due to the conflicting results, no conclusive evidence could be drawn to help support that aggression and videogame play are related (Kooijmans, 2004).

The results contrast each other, even as the conditions are identical. At a point of view, it would seem that the effect can vary from person to person. One explanation that may be of consideration, is that participants choose whether to let the material presented effect their thinking or not depending on attitude, morals and conscience understanding. Regardless, the nature of this medium also allows to expressively exhaust negative emotions through playing a game. Though, there is consideration to the excessive use of violence in games or in using repetitive violent actions, which may teach players improper behavior (Norcia, 2011). In such case, it is important to observe and use moderation in content such as this.

There are some who have noted other various negative effects. Some of which include various disorders, somatic complaints, attention problems, declining school performance, and the risk of aggressive behavior (Top 10, 2009). Though, much of this can be maintained and circumscribed by moderating what games are played and for how long. On the other hand, there are also a variety of good benefits present when playing all sorts of video games. Some of these benefits include, understanding concepts, teamwork, collaboration, passive education, critical analyzing and in some cases, economics, reading skills, social skills, and the concept to meet and exceed challenges placed before them (Schlimme, 2002).

Most games involve a huge number of mental tasks, and playing can boost any one of them. Fast-paced, action-packed video games have been shown, in separate studies, to boost visual acuity, spatial perception, and the ability to pick out objects in a scene. Complex, strategy- based games can improve other cognitive skills, including working memory and reasoning (Anthes, 2009).

Surely, the benefits outweigh the negative possibilities.

“Games are a medium. They’re not inherently good or bad.’’ (Anthes, 2009). This particularly true, for as a medium, they can be molded to be used as tools to either educate and improve a person’s abilities, or to corrupt with violent thoughts and vulgar messages. “The very structure of video games makes them ideal tools for brain training.” (Anthes, 2009). New findings continue to support the potential benefits and also of its negative possibilities. All in all, moderation is the key. If people can realize the great potential of video games, people can use it to improve the community. Regardless of what may be popularly perceived, there is a lot of incredible benefits that video games are able to provide.

Those who understand this power will be the people who invent our future. We can create rewarding, transformative games for ourselves and our families; for our schools, businesses and neighborhoods; for an entire industry or an entirely new movement. We can play any games we want. We can create any future we can imagine. Let the games begin (McGonigal, 2011).

References

Anthes, E. (2009, October 12). How video games are good for the brain. Retrieved April 16, 2011, from the Boston Web site: http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2009/10/12/

how_video_games_are_good_for_the_brain/

Bainbridge, C. (2011, April 16). Benefits of Video Games for Gifted Children. Retrieved April 16, 2011, from the About Web site: http://giftedkids.about.com/od/booksandtoys/qt/videogames_tip.htm

Bellis, M. (2011, April 16). Computer and Video Game History. Retrieved April 16, 2011, from the About Web site: http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcomputer_videogames.htm

Dingfelder, S. (2007, February). Your brain on video games. Retrieved April 16, 2011, from the American Psychological Association Web site: http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb07/yourbrain.aspx

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Born This Way

Nurture and nature — Two things that shape how people are. Nature affects individuals regardless of the decisions that they make. Whereas, nurture may or may not affect people depending on whether they choose to be influenced or not. Some notions or thoughts are difficult to escape their influence. Also, much of what people are born with can be bothersome. Just as these two words sound similar when spoken, people tend to also confuse the concepts and the intended meaning of these words. To clarify, it is undeniable that children acquire many physical traits from their parents. This is nature accomplishing its intent at birth. On the other hand, what people invest their time in and where their interests lie often depend on the influence that they choose to be affected by. This is where nurture is able to shape lives without being ingrained in genes. Even still, there are certain circumstances where an action is difficult to determine what causes such to exist. One such circumstance would be whether or not an individual becomes attracted to the same gender.

Now, to reflect on the potential that genes and nature have to bring about such behavior. Naturally, people feel attracted in a lot of ways. This feeling is incredibly powerful. So, it appears that that nature steers a course to seek out company in the interest of love. Love is universal, just as people love their parents, people may also feel this way towards any other individual. So, it seems natural to allow this feeling to reach just about any person willing to embrace this affection. Some would have society believe that genes have a role in the potential of an intimate attraction towards either opposite or same gender. But, this idea is not quite popular and not accepted in many places.

With just as much potential, nurture can also determine where people stand. Through nurture language, manners, and the beliefs become “second-nature.” It may be plausible that same-sex attraction is attributed through an exposure of ideas and thoughts from other individuals or groups. Some people take notice that it may not be dependent on genetics and stress the fact of little evidence leading people to believe that people are born with a certain orientation. However, it can go the other way as it cannot yet be disproved if this behavior is the result of genetics.

Both nurture and nature are powerful forces guiding how people live their lives. Potentially, nature can be a plausible cause for the feelings and behavior of universal attraction. And with so many ideas and notions about, nurture as well has a large impact on how lives are. So, both nature and nurture drives how lives are spent, but only one can explain the same-sex attraction. Though the idea that the intimate attraction towards another of the same sex is thought to be an aspect of nature by many, it flies into the face of logic and reason. No one is simply born gay.

There is the debate that genetics actually have a role in a person’s sexual orientation. There is little to nothing supporting this theory. And it is true that the ability to disprove this theory does not exist. But, that is irrelevant. By nature, creatures must reproduce to preserve the continuity of a species. This idea of same-sex attraction implies that humans are becoming a self-destructing species, making the notion completely illogical. Also, it should be stressed that it makes more sense that people and their thoughts and feelings are influenced by the ideas of others. It is much more logical to say that society has influenced others to invest into the idea of being attracted to another of the same sex.

By definition, attraction means that one object attracts another, bringing it closer. It does not necessarily mean to be exclusively interpreted to the attraction by way of intimacy. People seem to confuse the idea of attraction and narrow it to a more intimate way, by excusing that the feelings should drive who people become. In no way is this right. If this piece of advice is followed, it will disturb the peace, shaping the world with a plethora of diverse feelings. There are both clean and unclean feelings. By merely being guided by feelings, chaos would erupt, greed would squander the weak, and lust and anger would jeopardize the continuity of humanity. So, to simply be driven by feelings alone is not at all ideal. Feelings are merely a reaction to anything people experience. The only thing that keeps this chaos at bay is morals. In short, morals are designed to hold back harmful feelings and promote more appropriate behavior. Lately, it seems, that people are more than ready to trade morals and dignity just to fit in.

Relating to that matter, there is reason to believe that this idea is becoming a dangerous trend. And with most trends, people don’t want to feel like they are left out. Trends are essentially the sociological engine for a growing culture promoting unity. However, they are not all healthy. And sometimes, these trends can be difficult to stop as they tend to introduce more interesting and “refreshing” ideas. This does not justify the means to become sexually attracted to another of the same sex. This idea is simply a dangerous and a cancerous sociological disease.

Another reason that this idea is nothing to encourage, is that is disrupts the elemental structure of the family unit. Oftentimes, the head of a family consists of a husband and wife being of legal marriage between a man and woman. Religion has a large part in this, as marriage was instituted by religion. But, people often innovate this idea to expand to their wishes, even if it goes against what churches had previously designed it to be. Also, it is common knowledge among mature adults that procreation or reproduction can only happen between a male and female. The idea that same-sex attraction is acceptable destroys the purpose of the intimate love reserved for between husband and wife. Some would even call the idea of same-sex attraction most abominable above all else.

With all that goes on, it is really something to let this idea penetrate society this deeply. And it is difficult to see how far this will go, as this idea is becoming more aggressive, pervasive, and disconcerting as ever. It should be taken notice that this decision to be attracted to another is fully reliant on how people react to their environment, situation, and morals. Morals are extremely important as they help maintain dignity and civility throughout society. And they should not be yielded in favor of trends, as that will likely only lead to corrosive attitudes and cancerous ideas. Strictly speaking, this kind of attraction should only be reserved for between a man and a woman.