Journel 4-The American Dream

As I try and think of what the American Dream is to me, I have a few ideas and even a few dreams./the real debate to me is what has become the New American Dream. From my childhood i remember being told that the American dream is to grow up, then go to college, get a good job, meet  a girl, buy a house, and start a family. With a faltering economy that idea is still a realistic dream just a little harder to reach. the American Dream for my self is that of owning a house and having a family, with a few extras. I'm curious to talk to people even after this essay is due to get peoples opinions and find what they believe is the American dream. in the end the American dream can be whatever you wan tit to be, it is truly going o be different for each and every person.

Social media-video games

Violence in gaming, Good or Bad?

The violence in gaming has become extremely graphic and realistic, but this violence could be what is needed to prepare young soldiers and marines for combat. Statistics show that Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a real and true problem in soldiers returning from combat. The violence in today’s video games and online gaming has become extremely graphic and some people believe it has gone too far. Is it too much for our youth of today and is it causing kids to act out in extreme ways? Are the video games a good tool for the army to use in recruiting or can they be used to train and prepare people for combat. Due to more realistic training through video games it could possibly prepare military personnel for what they might see and experience. This in return could reduce the amount of PTSD in soldiers and marines.

            Video games have become extremely violent over the past few years. Many people have grown to dislike the violence in video games and believe they are harming our youth. Common sense media rates a manhunt as the most violent game by today standards. A game that encourages the player to commit to “bloodier and more violent” murders as you assassinates people. Grand Theft Auto draws the most controversy though. In 2003 a young boy who killed 2 police officers and 1 dispatcher was brought into an Alabama police station for questioning. A young boy by the name of Devin Moore was said to be acting out scenes from the game Grand Theft Auto. Child Psychologist David Walsh (CBS News) says that young children like Devin Moore who play upwards of 10 hours a day of violent video games, as Devin Moore did, and are pre-wired to commit to crimes are at high risk of actually doing so. Children like Devin Moore who come from a broken home filled with abuse and play violent video games in excessive amount are at risk. “All it takes is a child like that to be put in the ideal situation and they will act out scenes from the game” said David Walsh. It is this kind of violence from video games that has caused so much controversy.

            The military is using a first person shooter game called Americas Army to recruit and get younger teens interested in the Army. The game created by Colonel Casey Wardyaski, was designed to help the army save on recruiting cost and keep up with today’s youth in technology. The game was designed to target 14 year old kids and older teens. The army hosts tournaments at colleges and local recruiting stations to help draw crowds of possible recruits and/or future recruits. The idea was to make it seem realistic and team oriented to teach future possible recruits what they will learn in the army, in the way of team work and tactical maneuvers. Some video game style machines are used in military training already. Realistic video game style training could be used to prepare possible pre-deployment soldiers for combat, by using more graphic images to prepare one’s mind for what they might possibly encounter.

            A key reason for preparing military personnel for combat mentally is Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD affects 1 in every 5 soldiers returning from combat. That is over 300,000 military veterans. The prevalence rate for Vietnam veterans is 30.9%. The prevalence rate for OEF/OIF veterans is from 10%-30%. PTSD is a real and horrible problem effecting spouses and families as well as the individual with PTSD. However, a way to possibly bring down the amount of people returning with this problem may be to better prepare their mind for what they are going to go through. If we do not try and fix the problem now we could end up with veterans of OIF/OEF following the same paths of Vietnam veterans before them. Some have ended up in prison or homeless.

            In closing, video game violence has become quite extreme. The graphic’s and realism is not something a young teen should be exposed to through the developmental years. If they do play video games it up to the parents to set the parameters of what games and how often they are played. The army using video games to recruit is a new and more modern way to attract people. The true value of the video games can come from the preparing one’s mind to be ready for the horrors of combat. It can also be used to desensitize veterans as well. From taking one vet and having them play games corresponding with what they went through and slowly back off of the violence to help the desensitization. It can also be used to help with later PTSD problems and give relief in a therapeutic way.

Citations

-CBS News for article on Devin Moore

-Common Sense Media for video game statistics

-www.americasarmy.com

Digital nation

Well to start off, I thought the video was very interesting and I wonder what way I will go with my paper. I liked the idea of arguing between computer gaming and using computers in educational ways. There is plenty to talk about when it comes to teaching young 2nd graders about computers and introducing them to multitasking at such a young age. Knowing now that multi tasking is dumbing down college students, what will it do to our youth? Will we be starting them off at a disadvantage or will be teaching them how to do it fluidly and more effectively than college students of today.
The way that I will most likely go with my paper though is going to be violence in video and computer gaming. I personally don't care for extreme violence in video gaming that our youth play, but when it comes to a military aspect of it, it is very much needed to train and prepare soldiers (and marines) for the horrors of war that they may be exposed to in the field of combat.
Then again I do like the idea of researching the addiction that is online gaming. There seems to be a lot of new research and unknown, when it comes to this area of the new social media world. I like this assignment and wish I had more time to research and develop a good paper on it.  

journel 2

I personally do not care too much for reality TV. I have one reality TV show I watch and that’s the ultimate fighter. the ultimate fighter is a show with several martial artist are placed in a house and have a fighting tournament and the winner gets $100,000.00 for a fighting contract as well as bonus' along the way. The fighters live in one house for several moths. They train and fight while they are staying in the house. They also have no contact with the outside world. I tune into watch this show cause I like to watch the fights, not to see what their wearing or to follow how they act in the house. I enjoy watching the fights, the training styles, and the coaching because I used to teach combats in the military so it’s a show I am able to relate too.

            Most of the reality TV shows on TV now I don’t care for. I feel as though some have scripts they have to follow along with and the producers only pick certain footage to show to help persuade your judgment of a particular person or thing. With controlling the footage they put on TV they can make some one look like a villain, a hero, or a winner of a competition. Thus I believe the producers pick and choose who they want you to like. I like the idea that TV use to be for special people, as some people are very special and gifted. They then shared their gifts on TV. Now day’s people try to get on TV to be special or famous not to even share any special gifts they have. They just want to be on TV and with the amount of people growing that will do anything to be on TV. That’s why I do not care for reality TV shows.

            However I enjoy the psychological break down of understanding why people watch certain shows. There are people who enjoy watching people get humiliated. They either enjoy it because they think it’s comical, they can relate to it, or even those selves have a self esteem issue. There is a familiar factor that keeps some people watching. Like seeing some one they might know. in a whole though I believe people watch reality TV because they enjoy watching the lives of people they wish they could be or to even feel better about them selves or their lives. I dislike reality TV and do not find it very entertaining.