A friend of mine recently passed along a request wondering if I would like to write an article about the dangers to our society of kids spending so much time playing virtual reality games. The following was my response.
Dear XXX
When I read the request, my first thought was that I could write an article on the benefits of playing/living in a virtual world. I find that most people I interact with in the virtual world are helpful and considerate - why - because the operators of the game closely monitor game play and will boot those people who are chronically a 'pain-in-the-butt'. I often wonder what our 'real' society would be like if we had enough police to constantly monitor the behaviour of people in our 'real' society and had the right to 'boot' them from our society if they deem them to be annoying. By 'boot' I don't mean giving them a suspended sentence and letting them back into game play after 2 months - I mean permanently 'booting' them.
Case in point - I have a assigned a key on my keyboard with the phrase 'Must my fantasy world be filled with idiots as well'. By simply pushing one key that phrase will immediately 'pop-up' on my screen. I have only used the key twice in the past year. If I had a similar 'pop-up' phrase for my real world I would use it three to four times a day - and that is just while driving to and from work.
Another feature of the virtual world is the ability to 'block' a person from ever interacting with you. Again - how lovely would that feature be in the real world. Imagine never again having to deal with that idiot boss, that old boyfriend or girlfriend, the idiot who cut you off in traffic.
As to the mind set of the youth today with respect to body image, etc., I have known several 'Barbie' types during my years on this planet and they all, as well as the non-Barbie types, suffer from poor body image. Where this originates from I'm not sure but I do know it was in existence long before the advent of computer generated virtual worlds. Besides, boys and girls have been playing in virtual worlds for as long as I can recall. When I was 12 years old playing 'Cowboys and Indians', in my mind I was a hero and I was killing the Indians. Computers only allow me to play a 'better - more realistic' game. It is no different then when I was finally given a plastic gun at Christmas instead of using my tired and worn out finger as a gun.
Is playing a game in a virtual world really any different then spending hours and hours, mainly by yourself, working on a jig-saw puzzle? Is it really any different, with respect to the social implications, than reading a good fictional book? Imagine playing in a virtual world, interacting with others, without having the negative stereotypes associated with weight, wearing glasses, pimples, etc., getting in the way of communicating with that person.
Yes, there are negative aspects to the virtual world but in some cases people seek the virtual world because it is a world much closer to what God promised. Instead of dealing with the frustrations to trying change the 'so-called' real world - which is filled with a wide variety of idiots not worthy of our efforts - we have chosen to enjoy our down time. Perhaps it is akin to creating a new world as opposed to trying to fix the old one. I'm not sure that ignoring reality in favour of building a nice place to play is a bad thing.
You are correct - it would be a challenge for me to write an article supporting the evils of computer games. Unfortunately I am unwilling to devote the time since I have to deal with the real world frustrations of marking tests, teaching students subjects that they have no interest in learning, and generally dealing with parents who think their off-spring are the sweetest, smartest, kindest kid to hit the face of this earth since the sweet baby Jesus went to school. After all - it does cost money to play in a virtual world and I need the paycheque.
Time now to watch Football.
Was off to Kingston this past weekend to take in Beowulf with three of my English Literature students from years gone by. It's a long story (and I don't mean Beowulf although that is long as well) but these three ladies were in my class when we studied Beowulf and went to see the cinematic version that was released 2 years ago. The movie, by the way, was terrible (I think it was Canadian).
I'm not sure when we made the pact but we agreed that we would get together whenever the new version was released - which was this past weekend. Off to Kingston to fulfill the pact since two of them are attending Queens University. I collected the third on the way. Had a great time seeing them but the weekend left me with mixed emotions. It is hard watching people whom you were close to grow and move on in their lives knowing that you will never have the closeness nor impact with them that you once had. They are all becoming adults in their own way.
In short I see them as three beautiful flowers - one which is currently shaking in fear (because of Calculus), one is blossoming and the third is withering away. On one hand they really haven't changed but on the other you can see the process of change is upon them. I guess I have to learn to let go - but that doesn't make the process any easier.
When I read the request, my first thought was that I could write an article on the benefits of playing/living in a virtual world. I find that most people I interact with in the virtual world are helpful and considerate - why - because the operators of the game closely monitor game play and will boot those people who are chronically a 'pain-in-the-butt'. I often wonder what our 'real' society would be like if we had enough police to constantly monitor the behaviour of people in our 'real' society and had the right to 'boot' them from our society if they deem them to be annoying. By 'boot' I don't mean giving them a suspended sentence and letting them back into game play after 2 months - I mean permanently 'booting' them.
Case in point - I have a assigned a key on my keyboard with the phrase 'Must my fantasy world be filled with idiots as well'. By simply pushing one key that phrase will immediately 'pop-up' on my screen. I have only used the key twice in the past year. If I had a similar 'pop-up' phrase for my real world I would use it three to four times a day - and that is just while driving to and from work.
Another feature of the virtual world is the ability to 'block' a person from ever interacting with you. Again - how lovely would that feature be in the real world. Imagine never again having to deal with that idiot boss, that old boyfriend or girlfriend, the idiot who cut you off in traffic.
As to the mind set of the youth today with respect to body image, etc., I have known several 'Barbie' types during my years on this planet and they all, as well as the non-Barbie types, suffer from poor body image. Where this originates from I'm not sure but I do know it was in existence long before the advent of computer generated virtual worlds. Besides, boys and girls have been playing in virtual worlds for as long as I can recall. When I was 12 years old playing 'Cowboys and Indians', in my mind I was a hero and I was killing the Indians. Computers only allow me to play a 'better - more realistic' game. It is no different then when I was finally given a plastic gun at Christmas instead of using my tired and worn out finger as a gun.
Is playing a game in a virtual world really any different then spending hours and hours, mainly by yourself, working on a jig-saw puzzle? Is it really any different, with respect to the social implications, than reading a good fictional book? Imagine playing in a virtual world, interacting with others, without having the negative stereotypes associated with weight, wearing glasses, pimples, etc., getting in the way of communicating with that person.
Yes, there are negative aspects to the virtual world but in some cases people seek the virtual world because it is a world much closer to what God promised. Instead of dealing with the frustrations to trying change the 'so-called' real world - which is filled with a wide variety of idiots not worthy of our efforts - we have chosen to enjoy our down time. Perhaps it is akin to creating a new world as opposed to trying to fix the old one. I'm not sure that ignoring reality in favour of building a nice place to play is a bad thing.
You are correct - it would be a challenge for me to write an article supporting the evils of computer games. Unfortunately I am unwilling to devote the time since I have to deal with the real world frustrations of marking tests, teaching students subjects that they have no interest in learning, and generally dealing with parents who think their off-spring are the sweetest, smartest, kindest kid to hit the face of this earth since the sweet baby Jesus went to school. After all - it does cost money to play in a virtual world and I need the paycheque.
Well the first part of my two part goal was completed today as I got my main character to level 60. This is about 3 weeks earlier than I had originally set as my goal. It takes about 200,000 points to gain a level which equates to about 20 plus hours if all goes well. I got a nasty surprise though at level 60 - it now takes 500,000 points to level! I can see why people take an entire year to get from level 60 to level 70.
The second part of my goal is to get my second character to level 60. Currently I am at level 57 so this should be obtainable by early December - if all goes well.
Last Friday there was a 'social' night at the school. A quiz competition of sorts. A number of parents showed up trying to claim top honours but in the end it was Team Key Lime (my team) that won the night. We killed! So much so that a number of other teams have already requested a rematch. (The pic is of our new mascot - in a key lime coloured bikini.)
Today the school was off to the symphony (boring) and then a few of us went to Much on Demand - a teenage video show broadcast live from Toronto. I wasn't actually on the show as the 'old' people had to sit in the background but it was interesting none-the-less.