Are You under the Media Influence?

I am doing something called DiDA in my I.T. classes. At the moment, I nave to make a 5 minute presentation arguing against this statement:

Teenagers would be better off if they watched less TV and played less video games.

In other words, I need to convince others that watching TV and playing Video Games is good for teenagers. I need other sources apart from myself, and what better people, than you at ZU, who all have different views. I can get all kinds of sources here. So... vote on the Poll, and then put your opinions on the matter (I need both sides of an argument to make my presentation good). This homework must be in by this Sunday (3 days time), which is quite unfair since I was just given it today (I deliver it over the internet). So, just get posting on your opinions.

Video games are what got me addicted to all things computer in the first place. Many people play video games, and to better hack/infiltrate/play their games, they learn many things about technology and computers, and this knowledge will prove invaluable in the real world. The world is run by technology, and people who know how to use computers, how computers work, and how computers are made, will have a good place in life. Technology gets more advanced and complex every single day, so if you stay on top of video-game topic things (like how many lines of polygon code is in TP, or something), you'll inadvertently soak up some other technological-based facts and knowledge, so the better-suited you will be to have a good succesful career.

No, I don't think that too many video games are bad for teenagers.

Of course this is my opinion. I started out playing computer games when I was 6, and now I know tons of computer programming and many things about electronics and computers' inner workings, all because I wanted to learn more about how Age of Empires worked and how they made things move and "think".

This article shows my views on Videogames perfectly. I could not have said it better myself:

Videogames are good for you.

Here are some of the things you will get out of playing videogames.

Character.
Videogames need active participation. You need to work to beat them. Playing videogames will teach you concentration, perseverance, dedication, commitment, patience and personal drive. All of which are qualities which would look great on your resumé.

Skill.
Videogames improve your hand-eye coordination and reaction time. You'll learn skill and dexterity, to think on your feet, to manipulate controls with precision and confidence. Can you imagine somebody getting behind the wheel of a car without those skills? You don't have to: millions of people already do.

More than that, playing cooperative multiplayer videogames in, for example, a clan, will teach you invaluable lessons in teamwork, leadership, efficient communication, and sportsmanship - because if it doesn't, you'll get left behind!

A brain.
Videogames make you think. Videogames are often very difficult, and not in the sense of requiring hundreds of hours of continuous/repeated effort to succeed. Videogames contains puzzles and puzzles force you to think to complete them. Your problem-solving skills, perhaps the best benchmark for intelligence, will be improved, as will your imagination and creativity. That's to say nothing of the undeniable real-world value of being able to figure out what a confusing set of buttons does from scratch.

Entertainment.
And there's this one! People always seem to overlook this when they dismiss videogames as a waste of time. Videogames are their own reward. Playing a videogame is as entertaining as watching the television - and considerably better for you. Just look at all the benefits listed above - you won't get any of THEM while slouching inertly in front of the idiot box. Videogames are better than TV.

So there.

Source: http://ned.ucam.org/~sdh31/videogames/good.html


My opinion on TV is totally different, however. TV is a complete waste of time. It requires no concentration, thought, effort or even attention to sit on the couch and watch TV. Not only this, but even if you do construct your lounge room in such a way that you need to do the above things, the entertainment value is low anyway. Very few shows, if any, are worth their time. None I have seen are quality entertainment; just an excuse to do literally nothing. Even Movies are more engaging than TV, as they actually are a form of high-quality entertainment, and the immense amount of effort put into each results in such factors as emotional attatchment to characters, intriguing storylines and the like. If it were up to me, I would have one channel dedicated to World News, and 5 other channels each covering a generalized genre of movie reruns. And that's only if people absolutely couldn't survive without TV. Which they can.