This essay is what I feel is my best work of the quarter. It is my final essay and it is from the Tradition chapter. The assignment was to choose a form of pop culture and write an analysis of the effects of the trend on long-held traditions. This essay had a lot of meaning to me because my son plays video games on a daily basis, and has done so since he was 3 years old. The only exception is when he has been grounded, at which time he doesn't know how to entertain himself. The thesis for my essay was "Today's cultural obsession with video games is changing the way children play and interact with others."
As I researched for this paper I found it astounding that playing video games has been incorporated into the daily lives of 65% of all households, 85% of those with male children. While it has been a long time concern about the amount of hours our children are watching TV, the amount of time playing video games is no different. Either way, children today are sitting in front of the TV on average of 3 hours per day (“Video Game Culture: Leisure and Play references of B.C. Teens.” Simon Fraser University. Media Awareness Network. October 1998.
When I was a kid video games had been introduced, and we played them, but not to the extent that they are played today. Sure, the graphics far supersede that of 35 years ago, but we also had traditional values in what it was to play with each other, inside our outside, but one on one. We would use our imagination to come up with games to play or things to do. Today, children don't rush home to play outside or become involved in athletic activities with their friends, but to sit down and play video games. Instead of friendly competitions with friends today's children are involved in outbursts with one another over the video game they are playing. If they want to play with someone but don't have a friend to do it with they can go online. It is there that they can join in with others that want to play the same game, listen to or join in on trash talk that takes place, and hear words you wouldn't want your grandmother to hear.
I insist on staying involved with my son and the way he is acting towards others, making sure he doesn't treat someone like they are from "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" or "Doom". He is allowed to play these video games, but cannot portray these actions to anyone, anywhere. I take pride in teaching my son what is reality and what isn't, and how to separate the two. If I overhear him playing "Madden" with a friend, and trash talk begins I'm quick to stop it and remind him that he doesn't need to talk that way. Of course I cannot control or interfere with him while I'm not here, or while he is at school. But, my hope is that if I continue to remind him of what is right or wrong that he will keep that at the base of his decisions. I'm told that there is a difference between friendly trash talk and hostile trash talk, and he is no where near the hostile side. They are laughing a lot among themselves, so I try to give him the benefit of the doubt.
As I researched for this paper I found it astounding that playing video games has been incorporated into the daily lives of 65% of all households, 85% of those with male children. While it has been a long time concern about the amount of hours our children are watching TV, the amount of time playing video games is no different. Either way, children today are sitting in front of the TV on average of 3 hours per day (“Video Game Culture: Leisure and Play references of B.C. Teens.” Simon Fraser University. Media Awareness Network. October 1998.
When I was a kid video games had been introduced, and we played them, but not to the extent that they are played today. Sure, the graphics far supersede that of 35 years ago, but we also had traditional values in what it was to play with each other, inside our outside, but one on one. We would use our imagination to come up with games to play or things to do. Today, children don't rush home to play outside or become involved in athletic activities with their friends, but to sit down and play video games. Instead of friendly competitions with friends today's children are involved in outbursts with one another over the video game they are playing. If they want to play with someone but don't have a friend to do it with they can go online. It is there that they can join in with others that want to play the same game, listen to or join in on trash talk that takes place, and hear words you wouldn't want your grandmother to hear.
I insist on staying involved with my son and the way he is acting towards others, making sure he doesn't treat someone like they are from "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" or "Doom". He is allowed to play these video games, but cannot portray these actions to anyone, anywhere. I take pride in teaching my son what is reality and what isn't, and how to separate the two. If I overhear him playing "Madden" with a friend, and trash talk begins I'm quick to stop it and remind him that he doesn't need to talk that way. Of course I cannot control or interfere with him while I'm not here, or while he is at school. But, my hope is that if I continue to remind him of what is right or wrong that he will keep that at the base of his decisions. I'm told that there is a difference between friendly trash talk and hostile trash talk, and he is no where near the hostile side. They are laughing a lot among themselves, so I try to give him the benefit of the doubt.
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