(no subject)
Would appreciate it if someone could help me out on improving this speech I need to give within the next few months. Tips, grammer, spelling, anything.
Hands stiffen. Pupils shrink to the size of specks. Adrenaline begins to flow. You are immersed in a video game. When video games first arrived into the American spotlight in the late 1970’s, people were unsure of its usefulness and fun. It slowly began to pickup, and by the time the first console, or home gaming system, came out, video games had already cemented its place among American entertainment. Millions of people flocked to the local department store to be among the first to get their hands on the Nintendo Entertainment System. And then 5 years after that, Americans fought to be the first to get the Super Entertainment system. Thus it has been for several years now. Millions upon millions of Americans consistently sit down and play video games for prolonged periods of time. There is something about these games that makes people like me sleep outside Target for 16 hours waiting for the newest, hottest release. This creates a burning question: Is this new form of entertainment good for the vast majority of people? Or do these games only turn people into murderers and hermits? As much as parents would love not to hear, video games actually have a good affect on people.
Personally, one thing that I love about video games is the fact that it can bring together so many people, with so many different backgrounds. For example: You can sit in your house, in Sacramento California, turn on your Xbox, and talk to somebody that lives in Germany while playing your game. You can work together to complete a common goal, or be foes and go head-to-head. Either way, you have a very unique chance to talk to, or even make a personal connection to somebody that lives halfway across the world. This is an amazing innovation. The internet just made it a possibility; gaming has made it a reality. Gaming has made it possible to interact with people you normally would not, unlike common instant messaging services on the computer where you only talk to the people you wish to talk to. Not only do you just have a chance to interact with other people, but you can also make completely new friends. I play online games on my computer. Through online gamea, I have met thousands of people, from a limitless possibility of backgrounds. Through the months, some of these online acquaintances have turned into more than just acquaintances, they have become friends. I am not just talking about someone that you talk to on occasion, but somebody that you talk to for advice, someone that you just enjoy being around and talking to, and someone that you interact with almost on a daily basis. I have come to know their likes, dislikes, hobbies, and personality to a T…or do I? How is someone to tell that the person behind the pixels is not completely different from who they say they are? I have pondered this question for many nights and have come up with an answer: Does it really matter? If the person is actually an obese, 40 year old living in his parents basement, does it matter? It really does not matter who it really is, but who I think it is. Either way, I have a person I can hang out with online and laugh with. Either way I have a friend I can come to online when I want to have a good time. I have an outlet that I know will be there. And when he moves on, so shall I.
Parents constantly bicker with their children about video games today. When parents try to restrict play time, the child finds it unfair and complains. Parents believe games to be a mindless outlet from the world, and that it’s actually making their child stupid. A perfect phrase can be used for this mindset: “One is afraid of that they do not understand.” Parents have given little effort to understand why people enjoy games so much, and they see their child want to play for long hours at a time. This makes parents assume it is bad. If you delve down deeper, however, you may come to understand that games may not be such a bad thing after all. Most games now require a good deal of reading to be done to understand what is going on. This text can be anywhere from a 2nd grade reading level on up to even a college level. What is it that parents want a child to do over anything? Read a book. Books have complex story lines, that is a known fact. What is relatively unknown, however, is that many games also share just as complex plots, and in some cases, even more complex plots. Not only this, but the story lasts longer and you are able to understand moods much more easily. Apart from the plot aspect, games also introduce a very large amount of problem solving. Whether it is how to save the princess, or how to move several different blocks into a position that enables you to climb a ladder, games can not only be fun and challenging, but educational as well. Figuring out how to monetarily save up for an in-game, item, while taking into account economic changes such as inflation, stimulates brain activity. It forces you to think and plan out your next moves, because each move could be your little pixels last. Although these elements of video games may or may not be as prevalent in some as much as in others, it exists to a point in almost all games, and is therefore good for critical thinking.
My personal connection to games in very strong. A large chunk of my free time at home is spent in front of the computer, typing away to many different people while fighting large dragons. The game I play had its own economy, social classes, and social people. I have learned many skills that can be useful in the future, like predicting fluctuations in prices of different items, and understand just how the rich get poor, and the poor get rich. Even though I would never actually consider meeting them face-to-face, I have met several friends online that I really enjoy playing with. Now although these games do have advantages, I do not think it is right for somebody to play for 24 hours straight or something crazy like that. Anyone that thinks sitting in a computer chair for more than 8 hours at a time is good for you needs to get their head examined. Just like anything else, moderation is good.