The movie Second Skin was very interesting to me however I do not agree with half of it. Maybe its not really that I don't agree but I can't relate to lives they choose to live. I have never played world of war craft so it might simply be the fact that I can't relate, however my opinion is that "synthetic" worlds are not "real" worlds." In order for it to be a real world in my opinion the world has to include tangible items. In World of War Craft you are not even "virtually" put in the space you are just staring at a computer screen. Which is not just true of World of War Craft but of practically all of the "synthetic worlds." I don't understand why some people would want to spend their lives like the way the people in the documentary do. Especially the guy that had twins, he was still obsessed with the game even after they were born. Why would he want to spend his life being obsessed with a “synthetic world" and a "synthetic life" when his "real world" and "real life" seems really good to me? I feel like playing the game occasionally would not be such bad thing, however when you take it the extreme like the people in the documentary did it's a little ridiculous, Don't you think?
There is a lady mentioned in Culture Jam who is a good example of how people can take it too far. You probably remember the passage I am talking about. She started using a chat room, which is perfectly acceptable. However she became obsessive. She lost weight because she literally forgot to eat. A friend of the author says "He saw the lady on the street and she had not showered in four days." The author states "Now she's a very smart woman, but her addiction-she calls it that herself-changed her. She grew so accustomed to typing her thoughts that her verbal skills suffered." I feel like when your "synthetic life" is seeping into your real life its a sign you need help and you need to realize what’s happening. I think that is the point which takes it from normal to an obsession.
When you are falling in love with people's characters like Heather did I think you have taken it too far. It's such a game and I think people need to realize that. I feel like when people are spending more time in a "synthetic world" versus the real world, they are avoiding living. Avoiding living for some people can be a very freeing feeling, don't get me wrong, but when you are trying to avoid living for whatever reason you are missing out on a lot of meaningful real life moments. I feel that one way a synthetic world can not match the real world, is that in a "synthetic world" you can force things to happen more, you have more control of what happens and if you fail at something you can just try it again and that is not always the case in real life. I feel that "synthetic worlds lack feelings and emotions that you just can't match to real world, face to face conversation. You can type something to someone but they may take it a totally different way than you meant it, you can't feel sarcasm through typed messages.
Yes I feel that the identities people occupy "virtually" have real significance, value, and meaning, TO THEM. To me it doesn't really make sense and I can't relate, but to them their characters probably mean a lot, they did to the people in the documentary. I however feel like they don't have real significance, value or meaning, because people are not always who they claim to be in "synthetic worlds" so how can a "synthetic person" have real significance in "real life." ? I don't think the real world and the synthetic world should intermix.
I don't feel that the "virtual world is a new frontier. I feel it is a wasteland. I feel we should not associate ourselves with these "synthetic worlds" because when people get lost in these synthetic worlds and synthetic lives, they neglect the real world and their real lives.
To a certain point i think intertwining the "synthetic" world of video games and reality can occur safely, it shouldn't be completely disregarded as horrible and life wrecking. But i agree that many of the people followed in the documentary were 'in over their heads'. Once you can no longer distinguish real from synthetic, it is time to take a step back and reevaluate the situation. If you are 'seeing' things in real life as they would occur in a video game, this should be a dead give away. To the extremes- i do feel that gamers can be negligent, but i don't have a problem if its a recreational thing.
ReplyDeleteYou brought up a really good way of explaining the real world. I also feel that the world would not be real without tangible items, therefore the synthetic world to me can not be considered real. I feel that as a society we have no power over the people playing these games and becoming completely oblivious to what is going on in the real world. I think that they have to realize that they have an addiction. I agree that recreation gaming is fine, but when it becomes your life then there is obviously a severe problem.
ReplyDeleteI liked the point that the video game designer made that if a game exists which has this sort of effect on people it should not be considered their fault. One can't look at every person with an addiction and expect that each of these people has the will or strength to find the solution to their problems. A crack addict needs someone to cut off their supply, and likewise it is the video game designer's fault that they created a game which has this effect on people.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I would like to note that everybody's actions are based on subconscious desires to be more pleased in one way or another. Whether you label it as lust, comfort, or happiness, each decision is fueled by some attempt to better someones circumstances. With this perspective I would say that these people feel more comfortable in this world than in the world they were born into for one reason or another. Also, these games could be so convincing that the player believes the progress in their game is just as valuable as any other progress made in other aspects of their lives. Therefore devoting large amounts of their time to these games is more than understandable to someone with this mindframe.
I agree with you. I think occasionally playing the game isn't that bad. I think when you're on there from the time you wake up to the time to you go to sleep none stop that's when you have a problem. I think the guy who had the twins was going overboard. Taking a extension cord just so you can continue playing. Don't you have twins to take care of now? shouldn't they be more important to you? I think being addicted to these games are dangerous because the people playing them can get lost in this world. I agree to that the real world has to have tangible items but to me it also involves us using our physical body instead of avatars to live our lives.
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