Showing posts with label Procrastinate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Procrastinate. Show all posts

May 22, 2015

Position Paper: Video Games

There are vast canvases of opportunities for us to distress our minds. But some people would rather resort to their tiny screens where they can crash kill get into ridiculous gunfights, die, and then start over. Violent role playing games would activate the nervous system’s underlying addiction and reward, resulting in the attraction to more violent activity. Evidently, entertainment in the 21st century has been altered, and no doubt will come with consequences.

Some say that role playing games helps teens improve their problem solving skills, relieve stress and provide motivation by providing quick reward for winning. This in only the case if video games are played in moderation. According to an article written by Forbes Studies have shown that video games increase aggression, while others show the opposite. If one is constantly engaged in violent activity, the traitorous games can lead to teens living lives with disrupted routines which eventually impacts their health, makes it harder for them to concentrate and might engrave negative values into their minds.

A source from Vanderbilt University calculated that “an average 13-18 year old games for about 14 hours or more per week.” Playing these violent role playing games frequently would make a teen constantly think of ways to advance within the game, or in other words be addicted to it. This addiction might often lead to stress because of the inability to balance their priorities.

With a disrupted routine comes health consequences. “Students who have played a violent video game had a higher heart rates, reported more dizziness and nausea, and exhibited more aggressive thoughts as to those who played a nonviolent game.” states an article from Vanderbilt university. These gamers would get so engrossed into their game that they would forget the lives that lie outside their screens. Making them neglect their health, and forget their responsibilities.

Most may argue that gamers are allowed to communicate within the game, enabling them to work on their collaboration skills, and to become friends with people. Gamers pick up foul language as well as rough behaviour within the walls of this game. Like the saying when in Rome, you do as the Romans do. Additionally, most gamers lack social skills because their interactions with people face to face are limited to a minimum or to zero.

The distinction between fiction and reality are often challenging to separate for some who spend majority of their daily routine glued to screens. Violent role playing games have detrimental effects on their users. as they engrave fake morals into their minds. Causing destruction and killing are glorified and rewarded. Forbes rightly said “You are what you eat is an adage that applies equally well to the images and experiences we code into our brains”

Many game content might also not be age appropriate and given the lack of control around them are readily available for being download by anyone. In multiple games, women are portrayed as weaker characters or that they are helpless, while some professionals spend all their time talking about gender equality.

However there are games, which while played in moderation can have a positive effect on teens. Scientists have claimed that certain games can help the brain in numerous ways some like boosting intelligence and improving memory. In some games the player manages to learn to manage resources and work on decision making skills. It also trains the players brains to think of creative ways to solve puzzles and other problems.

Therefore, I am not taking a stance on saying that any role playing games are bad or should be avoided. It is pretty much unavoidable because of the presence of technology in this modern environment. The point that I am trying to enforce is that certain violent role playing games promote killing, stabbing and shooting to resolve a conflict. The instant gratification of progress through the game as the gamer kills more enemies encourages kids to become more violent. This cannot be a good thing. Additionally, playing many of these games would make teens addicted to the game causing them to lead a disrupted lifestyle. We should stop our society from imploding and educating teens and making them aware of some of the consequences from gaming for too long, too often.


By Manini 

October 8, 2014

The Prioritized Problem

She rubbed her eyes to try to wipe away tiredness. After cross country in the morning, school during the day and badminton training in the afternoon she was exhausted. The rate at which she was working told her that she had solved 2 math problems/hour. “I’ll just do this later” She said and she hit the hay after setting her alarm for 5:30 in the morning. “After school activities take up so much of time, some days the homework is okay, but somedays i’m buried underneath homework” Says Lizzie.

Almost every 3 in 5 teens procrastinate while doing their homework. This contributes to stress and in some cases might affect their health. Not having a stable sleep cycle might cause teens to have a short attention span and might cause depression over time.

Imagine a day as a weighing scale. People should try to make their activities, passions and priorities all equally balanced on this scale. “I would usually go on tumblr, check my mail and text a few people before I get down to doing homework” Says UWC student Aditi Rudra. Having a routine or a timetable of things you are aiming to accomplish will help you to find balance. Listening to music, drinking tea, taking breaks by looking outside are all strategies you could use to help reduce stress, test anxiety and will keep you relaxed.

Sleeping and being relaxed actually has quite a large impact on people. According to http://www.coco-mat.com/?i=coco_fr.en.reasons , Sleeping can help with:
  • keeping your heart healthy
  • Reducing stress
  • helps you concentrate & help you evaluate better
  • helps you boost memory
  • helps your body replenish and lose weight. 
“My grade 8 goal was to try sleeping earlier, for the first few weeks i could easily aim and shoot for this goal. I felt more energized by following my goal and I also could get more work done. But, at week four I was finding it hard to keep up and i ended up missing my goal most of the time” says UWCSEA student Akanksha Shukla.

She needed 3 consecutive alarms to wake up the next morning. She rubbed her eyes to try to wipe away tiredness. 6:40. she still needed to finish homework. she still needed to take a shower. she still needed to eat her cereal. she still needed to wear her shoes. Finally she was able to catch up with the bus and get to school in time.

Rethinking over your day to balance your weighing scale will help you lead a healthier lifestyle and relief lots of stress. All simply done by being an effective prioritizing procrastinator.

Written by Manini