as requested by both the people interviewed and by general interest, here is the essay. note that some(actually, a bit of) changes were made, too. also, quotes and names originally used for the paper are omitted for privacy concerns and instead, paraphrasing is used. also, listing some specifics to illustrate one of the points will have the members of the board go on a sub-conscious quest to figure out who said what, so I’ll take the liberty of omitting the more specific examples. if you doubt weather or not listing more specific examples will have the members of the board go on a sub-conscious quest to figure out who said what, trust me, it will; i live this, meaning see this kind of thing happening, though in a bit different form, elsewhere.
I-Search Essay
Audience: video games opponents, primarily, but any member of gaming community, too, if they so wish.
Take it easy. Now there is a sound point to start with: taking things easy. It works on at least two levels when applied to the ongoing, sometime getting way out of hand, debate over video games between people on opposing sides of the scales, each side sweating to tip the scales to their side. On what levels it works you ask? Well, one, its time to take it easy and not get that worked up over the issue of video games; instead of perpetuating the all out war over who is right and who is wrong, maybe its time to indeed take things easy, put down the swords and just relax, letting the gaming community decide for themselves. And two, after this long and heated battle, take some time off, having some fun, taking it easy, like the gamers at the end of hard day at work. All in all, I think indeed it is time to take it easy and with a refreshed mind tackle anew this question of to game or not to game. This almost habitual pointing of fingers and back and forth exchanges of compliments, [read: "compliments"] its getting old. Both sided seemed to be so zoomed in on this tag or war of who is right that perhaps its time to zoom out and try to see the bigger picture, asking ourselves: what if the justification for this tag of war does not have all that much substance to it after all and all those war casualties [people involved who eventually get at the very least their feelings hurt], all the time, energy, and resources, all lost in the name of something that may turn out to be not worth it, even. Scrutiny is a wonderful thing. And after all is considered, maybe its time for a paradigm shift, maybe its time for a dramatically different status quo. Maybe video games do not have to be an issue; instead one can simply remember that people who do play video games are not senseless monsters but people still, that gaming can be positive(or at least, have positive effects), and that not everything has to be measured with the same rudimentary yardstick and or stuffed within the same confining frames that put the pressure on(and squeeze the life out of) all but most benevolent of human endeavors. [For "frames" and the "yardstick", read: "judging wheaten it is ultimately one of the most benevolent of human endeavors and or then after acting on the judgment not always fairly reached.]
Of course, it appears to be infinitely easier to stick to using the same old confining frames; it is rather familiar and is rather easy to use after all: just feed the issue into the machine, and it kills, or at least condemns to death, all but most benevolent of human endeavors, leaving alive none but that which can be beneficial to society and or to humanity. [For "machine", read any combination of the following: status quo, "frames", "yardstick"]. This practice of measuring everything with same yardstick leaves no room to considering the simple fact that sometimes people just want to have fun or go with a hobby that is different from what general consensus is on what is good for a hobby or what is not. In light of hope and blind faith that the machine will indeed filter out the evil and leave none but benevolent through its filters, it becomes so difficult to listen when a gamer ask the attackers, as one of the people interviewed put it, to take it easy, that its only a hobby(and in this, involuntarily inspiring the title of the essay, too). When under the impression that the machine is beyond imperfection, that is when taking it easy is not always so, well, easy. After prolonged exposure to these hopes and blind faith, some opponents resort to never as much as even simply considering the possibility that the status quo machine can be imperfect in its decision. Instead, they just eagerly pounce the gaming and video games with the zeal and ferocity even piranha will be jealous of. Forgetting that if this zeal and ferocity is left unchecked, then in the process of trampling the gaming and video games, he or she will unavoidably trample the people involved with gaming and video games. People who, in their own words, are no different from general population.
Now, its true that not all who play video games are normal functioning members of society; news reports testify to that and I for one will not be one to deny the validity or relevance of these reports. But actions of selected few should not be assigned to all members of the gaming community. Especially when considering that the gaming community is, for the most part, composed of people who are functioning members of society, regular people like you and me,
with lives much like our own, and not monsters who cannot distinguish reality from virtual, right from wrong, or beneficial from useless. Gaming community is composed of people who are no less in touch with reality then other groups of people which also happen to have a black sheep among them who are giving others from that community the bad rep. One of the people I interviewed makes it clear that he is aware of existence of such black sheep or two and no way denies it, and makes his point(and other points) in a way that is perhaps even more civilly and clearly done than some opponents of gaming could ever manage if these opponents don’t drop their blind zeal. Talking to him, to me his words sounds like words spoken by a normal, functioning human being, not a monster out on the senseless rampage because he lost touch with reality. When in contact with rational person like this, person who can discern that can see a specific action taken by one these black sheep and discern that action as right or wrong, it just gives me an understanding that this is exactly why an average gamer is being unfairly portrayed to be senseless and unable to control themselves. An unfair portrayal that does not correspond with the reality of things: as another interviewed person put it, (paraphrased), just because I see something done in a movie or a game, don’t mean I go and copycat it.
But no, the whole community is less than fairly portrait to be monkey-see, monkey-do copycats. And because of this less than fair portrayal is, it really is time for a different status quo. And not only because rational person who can discern that a specific action is wrong is being unfairly assigned the same rep as the selected few as the black sheep or two who came out of the same community this person is part of. It is time for a dramatically different status quo because conventional wisdom and general consensus do not do justice to how things really are with gaming as a whole. See, in this aforementioned all out war over who is right and wrong, things like the positive side of gaming just seem to get pushed to the back and not taken into consideration. Which is rather unfair, if you ask me: if the goal is to be as objective as possible, and correct me if i am wrong but i am pretty sure both sides claim to be acting objectively, then all things must be considered. Things like answers that I got from people I interviewed. when I asked are there any positive experiences that they had that they otherwise might not have had them if they were not a gamer. This is where, as i said before, listing more specific points brought up, it will have the members of the board go on a sub-conscious quest to figure out who said what, so I’ll take the liberty of omitting the more specific points. Still, one of the more common points mentioned were finding out about own new interests while playing games that might not have been realized if not playing games. Another, quality time, family time, spend with family and or friends while playing games. Another is learning new things about the real world that might not have been learned if not playing games. Add the cited by one interviewed person direct effect of sense of accomplishment and an indirect benefit like interesting contact with interesting people. These brief descriptions are hardly sufficient to show a full picture, all the power of personal experience and personal testimony. Sort of feels like giving you a cheap knock off instead of real thing. But privacy is privacy.
Considering all that was said… Time for a paradigm shift indeed, no?
In the end, all will come down to each individual and what they decide. No amount of finger pointing or yelling can convince me to play or not to play if i choose to play. Each person will decide for themselves in the end. So then, where is the need for this tag of war over who is right and who is wrong? What is the principal justification for dedicating more, and dedicating at all, time, energy and resources into an already nasty war of opinions? Where is the faith that rational person can choose what is best for them without having to live with understanding that at almost any given moment there is a vicious war going on, a war over whether or not it is correct for this person to choose a specific form of entertainment, a specific hobby? Whoever said real man do not cry, I wish to challenge their saying and say that one, a human, male or female, is always better off when in touch and in synch with their emotions. And two, this long and toll taking war will make any man cry. Cry because realization hits that instead of dedicating time, energy and resources into God serving causes, instead of dedicating time, energy and resources into serving others and continuing in the spirit of love and compassion, the humanity is hung up on whether or not a specific hobby or form of entertainment is right or wrong. And in the effort to prove chosen side to be right, people are ready to shred the opponents to pieces. Sometimes literally(but held back by jail time potential). Over differences of opinions.
Yes, time for a paradigm shift indeed, time take it easy indeed.
» Sat Feb 19, 2011 8:43 am 
. 
?
bliviongate: 
