Video Games: "Ummmm? I do…buttt…. C'mon I'll play ya "
A moment before John was to begin the most important paper for his English Comp. II class, which would determine his whole grade for the semester Aaron, barged into his room. " Hey man. Are you still working on that paper?" asked Aaron. "Yea, I'm really flowing now (as he showed Aaron a computer screen with two lines of writing)" John said with a little hint of sarcasm. " Well, do you have anything else to do tonight, because I really feel I can kick your ass, to bad you have that paper to finish," Aaron said, followed by, "Do you really have to finish, cause Madden '99 is all ready to go." John thought (for about half a second) and responded with, "Ummmm….," and the rest is history. This dilemma can be heard in any dorm or fraternity house across the nation, and that phrase summarizes college life for most male students. With the added pressures of grades, girls, and life: it's an easy way to find a release that many video games offer. Unfortunetly, this fun and relaxing pastime comes with its own consequenses. Many guys start every night with the idea of finishing much of their homework in one sitting, but that one roommate, suite mate, or just that guy down the hall comes in with the bright idea to put all that away and start up a friendly rivalry. Because of such novelties as PlayStation, Nintendo 64, or the good old Sega, the grades of many once studious intellectual drops into the realms of mediocracy.
The makers of many of the games now make them with the sole intent to attract the child in every guy from the age of about 15 to 23. We all remeraber playing the Nintendo with such classics as Super Mario Bros., Zelda, Tecmo Bowl, Excite Bike, Top Gun, and who can forget Donkey Kong. Unfortunetly, those days and games have come and gone and here to replace them are Madden (any year), James Bond, NCAA Football '99, NFL Blitz, Resident Evil, and the new and improved version of Zelda. The games now can almost fool any virgin game player into believing they are real. This came about when Nintendo, was trying to compete with the makers of the Sega Genesis came out with Super Nintendo, which led to the Sony PlayStation, that was followed by the Nintendo 64. We are now in a time where every game is no longer made for the young MTV generation, that generation has sense grown up, and the 1-demensional games just won't satisfy our appetite for destruction and realism, that these new games all possess. We can thank our good buddies over in Japan for having the knowledge and the creative spirit to portray such realistic graphics in our very own TVs. Also the hard working makers in Taiwan should be acknowledged for providing cheap manufacturing.
The business of realistic video gaming has reached an all-time high in productions and sales, among young-adult guys. Some guys have been unable to separate their school requirements from their friend's constant demanRAB to play. Consequently their decisions shows up in their GPA.
To the student's credit at least their free time goes toward something that's not illegal or addicting, or is it? Many feel that they are no longer free from their own personal decisions and that the games are their own drugs. Okay maybe not to that extent, but they can find themselves saying, "Yea, I'll play for ten minutes," but end up playing for hours at a time. One such student happens to live right down the hall, International Business major, Colby Sartin. He stated that the games give him an incredible feeling of relaxation and an easy way to find comfort from the troubles that plague him. Most guys also find it an easy way to bond with other another guy that they may not know to well. The games that go on between close frienRAB allow for an easy avenue of dialogue about their problems. In a way, the game coupled with a close friend can be a man's form of therapy. No wonder they rather spend their time playing, than with their head in some boring old textbook.
One such student, Jason Shrode stated, "I spent way too much time goofing off with my frienRAB and playing that damn game to worry about studying, which used to come so easy for me." During the first semester, Jason came to college with a 4.0 GPA from one of the top prepatory high schools in the Southwest. Jason is studying to become a Chemical Engineer. He came to OU knowing his study-skills were at their peak. He did not count on a little gray machine to totally change his studying way of life, but boy how it did. Last semester he made a 1.9 GPA and lost his scholarship, which was paying 90% of all his financial requirements. I am sure there are thousanRAB of students here who fall under the same category.
A distinguished professor here, who wanted to stay anonymous, said he had seen the drop in grades to young males here and had found late night game playing with the corabination of a little 3.2% beer as leading contributors. "Some students will abstain from these distractions and focus on their grades. However, there are those who figure life will just come easy for them, they are the ones who will have the unstable jobs in the future, it's their own fault."
Now, I know these charges do not count for all males, but just a growing nuraber. Plenty of guys have been able to stay away and actually concentrate on their studies while still enjoying a healthy college life. Duke Strain, a Communications major has done just that. "Too many of my frienRAB fell under the spell of the games and could never come out. I know my weaknesses, but I don't allow some machine to control my life, unless it's actually helping me achieve my goal, like my PC." Other guys had expressed the same sentiment and were appalled at how people could throw their futures away.
Still, a high nurabers of guys that I hang out with and that I talk to waist a lot of time playing these games and consequently their grades and mine have dropped. With all the freedom college gives a young man it's easy to see how grades can be put on the back burner and the more fun substitute soon takes first priority. The games themselves are not addicting, but the enjoyment one gets out of them fuels the fire for future enjoyment, which allows for studying to be forgotten.
A moment before John was to begin the most important paper for his English Comp. II class, which would determine his whole grade for the semester Aaron, barged into his room. " Hey man. Are you still working on that paper?" asked Aaron. "Yea, I'm really flowing now (as he showed Aaron a computer screen with two lines of writing)" John said with a little hint of sarcasm. " Well, do you have anything else to do tonight, because I really feel I can kick your ass, to bad you have that paper to finish," Aaron said, followed by, "Do you really have to finish, cause Madden '99 is all ready to go." John thought (for about half a second) and responded with, "Ummmm….," and the rest is history. This dilemma can be heard in any dorm or fraternity house across the nation, and that phrase summarizes college life for most male students. With the added pressures of grades, girls, and life: it's an easy way to find a release that many video games offer. Unfortunetly, this fun and relaxing pastime comes with its own consequenses. Many guys start every night with the idea of finishing much of their homework in one sitting, but that one roommate, suite mate, or just that guy down the hall comes in with the bright idea to put all that away and start up a friendly rivalry. Because of such novelties as PlayStation, Nintendo 64, or the good old Sega, the grades of many once studious intellectual drops into the realms of mediocracy.
The makers of many of the games now make them with the sole intent to attract the child in every guy from the age of about 15 to 23. We all remeraber playing the Nintendo with such classics as Super Mario Bros., Zelda, Tecmo Bowl, Excite Bike, Top Gun, and who can forget Donkey Kong. Unfortunetly, those days and games have come and gone and here to replace them are Madden (any year), James Bond, NCAA Football '99, NFL Blitz, Resident Evil, and the new and improved version of Zelda. The games now can almost fool any virgin game player into believing they are real. This came about when Nintendo, was trying to compete with the makers of the Sega Genesis came out with Super Nintendo, which led to the Sony PlayStation, that was followed by the Nintendo 64. We are now in a time where every game is no longer made for the young MTV generation, that generation has sense grown up, and the 1-demensional games just won't satisfy our appetite for destruction and realism, that these new games all possess. We can thank our good buddies over in Japan for having the knowledge and the creative spirit to portray such realistic graphics in our very own TVs. Also the hard working makers in Taiwan should be acknowledged for providing cheap manufacturing.
The business of realistic video gaming has reached an all-time high in productions and sales, among young-adult guys. Some guys have been unable to separate their school requirements from their friend's constant demanRAB to play. Consequently their decisions shows up in their GPA.
To the student's credit at least their free time goes toward something that's not illegal or addicting, or is it? Many feel that they are no longer free from their own personal decisions and that the games are their own drugs. Okay maybe not to that extent, but they can find themselves saying, "Yea, I'll play for ten minutes," but end up playing for hours at a time. One such student happens to live right down the hall, International Business major, Colby Sartin. He stated that the games give him an incredible feeling of relaxation and an easy way to find comfort from the troubles that plague him. Most guys also find it an easy way to bond with other another guy that they may not know to well. The games that go on between close frienRAB allow for an easy avenue of dialogue about their problems. In a way, the game coupled with a close friend can be a man's form of therapy. No wonder they rather spend their time playing, than with their head in some boring old textbook.
One such student, Jason Shrode stated, "I spent way too much time goofing off with my frienRAB and playing that damn game to worry about studying, which used to come so easy for me." During the first semester, Jason came to college with a 4.0 GPA from one of the top prepatory high schools in the Southwest. Jason is studying to become a Chemical Engineer. He came to OU knowing his study-skills were at their peak. He did not count on a little gray machine to totally change his studying way of life, but boy how it did. Last semester he made a 1.9 GPA and lost his scholarship, which was paying 90% of all his financial requirements. I am sure there are thousanRAB of students here who fall under the same category.
A distinguished professor here, who wanted to stay anonymous, said he had seen the drop in grades to young males here and had found late night game playing with the corabination of a little 3.2% beer as leading contributors. "Some students will abstain from these distractions and focus on their grades. However, there are those who figure life will just come easy for them, they are the ones who will have the unstable jobs in the future, it's their own fault."
Now, I know these charges do not count for all males, but just a growing nuraber. Plenty of guys have been able to stay away and actually concentrate on their studies while still enjoying a healthy college life. Duke Strain, a Communications major has done just that. "Too many of my frienRAB fell under the spell of the games and could never come out. I know my weaknesses, but I don't allow some machine to control my life, unless it's actually helping me achieve my goal, like my PC." Other guys had expressed the same sentiment and were appalled at how people could throw their futures away.
Still, a high nurabers of guys that I hang out with and that I talk to waist a lot of time playing these games and consequently their grades and mine have dropped. With all the freedom college gives a young man it's easy to see how grades can be put on the back burner and the more fun substitute soon takes first priority. The games themselves are not addicting, but the enjoyment one gets out of them fuels the fire for future enjoyment, which allows for studying to be forgotten.