Week 12 Question 1: Discourses of Attention

This article was all about our attention spans and how the media effects it. Because TV, games, and other video forms move very fast getting to the points, it programs people to have short attention spans. One example they used was Sesame Street and how it was made to be fast paced in order to help children to learn at a quicker rate. But it was later studied and found to have had negative effects on how children processed information because of their short attention spans. "TV babies" are effected by this the most because they were/are raised in a media filled society where everyone is moving at a fast pace. I do not find it ironic that as the media is becoming more increasingly popular in our generations, so is ADD and ADHD. Another interesting fact from this article is that even though many people are aware of the detriments caused by TV and other related forms of media, they are still continuing to expand in several different ways. I feel like this is dumbing people down and causing people not to think as in depth. Hopefully this will be further studied and discussed so that it will raise awareness to ours' and the upcoming generations.

Week 12 Question 3: Effects of Video Games on Children

When reading this article, I noticed it was broken up into two sections of positive and negative effects of gaming. I also noticed that the negative effects sections was a lot longer than the positive, meaning there were more effects in the negative section. Some of the effects (both negative and positive) were already stated in the previous articles I have researched and read but some were not.

For example the positives were ones I had not previously seen or thought about. Some positive effects included a sense of achievement, and the development of: perceptual, cognitive, and motor skills/ability.

As far as the negatives most I had already read about but some were not. The ones that stood out to me the most were the possibility of leading to: obesity, carpal tunnel syndrome and high blood pressure. Obesity makes sense because a lot of people sit around all day playing games (not getting exercise) and then eating junk food. Carpal tunnel can come from being in a stiff or bad position causing your nerves in your shoulders and neck to not function properly. High blood pressure can be from increased heart rate when playing very action packed or violent games.

I want to do go a lot further in my research so that I can get more in-depth information regarding the positive and negative effects of gaming. This article still helped me nonetheless.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/effects-of-video-games-on-children.html

Week 11 Question 2: A Virtual Death and a Real Dilemma

Okay, first let me start off saying that I am close to feeling as betrayed, upset about the Kaycee blog as the rest of her blog supporters/followers. When I first started reading the article I was thinking of how great Kaycee was to have the courage to blog about her life as she was suffering from Leukemia and was happy to see all of the supporters. When I read that she died I was kind of sad. But when I read that "she never even existed" my initial thought was "are you serious?!" Even though I only got a brief excerpt of her life I felt betrayed as well.

I learned a lot of different things in this article but the signals were interesting to me. In regards to assessment and conventional signals, I had never really thought about how they give different types of authenticity to the viewers. For example assessment signals are usually types of evidence such as photos supporting their statements. Conventional signals on-the-other-hand are more like simple quotes or sayings; nothing is really proven. I was sickened to know that Debbie, (Kaycee's "mother") went as far as posting pictures of a teenager and even having a conversation with New York Times, which both would be considered conventional signals.

I am not sure if the article ever really stated if it was true or not that Debbie is/was mentally in-stable but all signs point to yes in my opinion. She lied, betrayed, so many people and I am not even clear as to what her motives really were for doing this. I agree with one of the bloggers comments saying that this should be a lesson to many people who are involved in online relationships that the person they are talking to may in fact be deceptive. This article will make me start being more cautious and inquisitive toward the validity of things I read/see online.

Week 11 Question 3: Top 10 Negative Effects of Video Games on Children

For my final paper I am choosing the research the effects of gaming on children. The reason why I chose this topic is because I noticed the younger generation spends a lot more time in the house playing games online, on a system, or on a computer rather than going outside or spending time more productively. I have a little brother who falls into this category and I noticed his childhood is a lot different than mine and the rest of my siblings. So I chose this article to help get information on my paper.

This information from this article was from different psychiatrists, pediatricians and psychologists. Basically the most prominent problems in children who overuse video games are emotional and school related. Studies have shown kids who regularly play games have behavioral disorder symptoms, ADD/ADHD, and family interaction problems. I have not noticed these problems in my little brother but I do notice that he has a tendency to want to stay home and do things inside rather than being out and/or socializing. I am hoping to continue my research in this topic and find a lot more information and effects.

http://addictionblog.org/top-10/top-10-negative-effects-of-video-games-on-children/

Week 10 Question 1: The End of Books

It was very clear while reading this article that the author has a strong opinion about books and hypertext. I cannot say that I agree that hypertext is a bad idea because to me it is very convenient. While I do believe more people will begin to use hypertext as a main source, I do not believe that books will ever become outdated or extinct. People always like to have a physical copy of things because the same document from hypertext may not be available several years later. Whereas books are published and there at your possession as long as you keep them.

It was really interesting to me that the author had written this article in 1992. On one hand I do believe some of his predictions about books and hypertexts were practical, but on the other, I do not think he really took into consideration how much of an advantage the technology would bring. It kind of seemed to me that the author shot down the idea of hypertext without being able to even give it a try.

Week 10 Question 3: Is Facebook Unveiling a Mobile Platform Next Week?

I chose to use All Facebook and review/discuss an article entitled, “Is Facebook Unveiling A Mobile Platform Next Week?” This article discusses the infamous topic of Facebook. Apparently Facebook has sent out an event invite to the press notifying them of a mobile event taking place next week. People are speculating that there is going to be a new "Facebook phone" solely dedicated to enhance the way Facebook is used and viewed on the device. It's kind of crazy to think that a phone is going to served and dedicated to Facebook alone in my opinion.

The news is streaming and surfacing face to speculators. It's believed to be the Android phone, or one similar to it, that will have the luxury of becoming the new "Facebook phone". It's quickly becoming a huge deal in the press, but why wouldn't it be? It's Facebook after all! When I really stop and think about it, it's really not that important, but society today has become so overwhelmed and indulged in social networks that it's the talk of the town.

Week 10 Question 2: Surveillance and Capture

This article was very interesting to say the least. I never really thought about how much information a person freely gives away just through using the computer. When I read how easy it is for someone to track another person just by scanning through the websites they visit, it was a real eye opener. People get hacked all the time, and most people, like me, use computers more than any other form of technology (online banking, purchases, etc.). I never really thought about just how much privacy is being exposed by a few clicks on a keyboard.

It was also a bit disturbing to see how much privacy is taken away from employees in certain work places. For example, learning all about how badges work and what they are really used for was kind of eerie. It is true, in one sense or another, that these types of devices can actually benefit a lot of businesses; but it is also true that there a plenty of disadvantages to being able to see just about anything you want to see, whenever you want to see it. This reminds me of an article I just read about Facebook spammers setting up links that end up obtaining personal information from us without us even intending on or wanting to give it to them. It is so scary to see the value of privacy diminishing nowadays.