Summary of “World of Warcraft addict”
The video is a about a sixteen year old boy, who plays the online game called World of Warcraft. The problem is, that he spends more than 6 hours at day playing. His mother is very worried about him, not only because he is sitting most of the day in front of his computer, but also because she feels, that his personally is changing and becoming more violent and unpleasant. His mother is sure, that the game World of Warcraft is the reason why her son is acting like that. The boy says, he is addicted but not full addicted. He believes, he can quit when ever he want to. A reporter asked the boy, if he had ever regret playing the game for 16 mouths instead of going out meeting other people, but he tells, tat he meet a lot of new people playing the game, and in this way makes a lot of friends this way.
Summery of “addiction to World of Warcraft causes college drop-out? Nonsense”
This article about the game World of Warcraft claims, that it can be a reason why college students drop out, and if you can be addicted to a game or not. Aleks Krotoski believes, that playing computer isn’t worse than watching TV. She can’t see, why computer games should be the reason for college drop out. Vince. who is a student adviser. answers her post and says, that he has got A-students that instead of studying are playing World of Warcraft and therefore have got an F. He is sure, that the time spent playing the game, has a bad influence on the students. There are no proofs that show you, that you can be addicted to a game, because people who play it don’t get the traditional symptoms. Byron tells that certain research shows, that some children are more vulnerable than others, especially children who have behavioural or personality characteristics.
Commentary and discussion
The video “World of Warcraft addict” and the article “addiction to World of Warcraft causes college drop-out? Nonsense” each has different points of view. The video with the poor mother and her violent son, who doesn’t work or study either, effect our emotions. We can almost feel her sadness. It is very clear to see, that it appeals to feelings. She is sure about her son is addicted to the game, although her son says he isn’t, and that he is able to control it. Can the boy control it and only do it instead of watching TV or reading a book? And is that the reason why the sixteen year old boy is violent, or is it because of his teenage hormones? Or his he really addicted to the game? We can`t be sure, because there is no documentation that tells us, that you can be addicted to a game, so we can’t be sure what is right and what is wrong.
Why should computer games be a reason to college students to drop out? That is the questions the articles try to answer. How can you be addicted to a game, that only have a few common things with other types of addictions we know? The most of the article is based on knowledge and not influenced by emotions. That makes the article sound more trustworthy, because of the good documentation using scientific sources.
But should we believe in scientists or our feelings? Do things have to be proven to be true, or before we can trust them? The television media has a strong influence on out meanings and attitudes. Films make it easier to understand people’s feelings and help us to look at the problems in other ways, while it can be harder create feelings when reading an article.
In the article Byron states, that when you spend a lot of time reading, you’ll be called a book worm, and that will be considered at a positive thing, while watching a lot TV or playing computer games, will be considered as nerdy and bad for you. If you are addicted to a game when you play 6 hour at day, are you then also addicted if you read 6 hours each day? Many would probably answer no, but isn’t it the same thing? Reading a lot has traditionally been a positive behaviour, but the fact is, that other medias might be more meaningful, if you want to learn about certain things like nature, peoples behaviour and a lot of other things.
So what we see here, is the traditional conflict between science and ordinary people’s opinion.
So what to believe in?
Well, that’s actually up to your common sense.
I believe, hat the best is, that you use a combination of both opinions.
Use the scientific proves you can agree with and use your experience concerning friends and relatives playing computer games to evaluate, if it is good, harmless or good to play World of Warcraft several hours a day.