Digital Participant Profile

Conan O’Brien has always been a television show John makes me watch. Every time we watch it we always have discussions agreeing or disagreeing with
the topics of the world. That night Conan was talking about how we have become slaves to technology. I then turned, and asked “do you think we have?” John replied “Nah, technology has become a slave to us”
John was born in August 1988, he was six years old when he played his very first video game. “ It was Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunter for the Original Nintendo, Both of the games were on the same big fat cartridge, and it even came with the Duck Hunter Gun.” He played them because they were challenging to him. Like a puzzle, he had to learn the timing and coordination of each game, which pushed him to get better. “You just want to beat it, and once it gets to the end and you do beat it, it is satisfying.” Playing video games wasn't a big part of his childhood. He did many outdoor activities, like bmx racing and camping with his dad. Not until James Bond and Nintendo 64 came out when he was about 11 or 12, did he really start playing a lot of games. At this age he moved from Phoenix Arizona to Sun Valley Idaho. Where he struggled to make new friends. Over the years his game playing grew. Claiming that video games were getting more interesting, story lines were getting better and the graphics were constantly being enhanced. From ages 14-17 he had dedicated 80% of his free time to playing. At the age of 17 he had made more friends and as he says “got a life” so the free time he had dedicated to playing games decreased. Although it was still a big part of his life.

All of the time and dedication John had spent on games, made me wonder if he had been addicted, and what his thoughts on video game addiction were. Is it something that he could just walk away from? When asked this question he said, "I believe some people get addicted to games, but I think it's just like people who are addicted to anything, you want progress in what your doing and you want to be able to get better and better every time, so its just something you keep doing. It’s something you like doing even if your not getting much better. I do think it can be negative though, because for some people, it is all that they want to do, I think that too much of anything is negative really. If you’re going to just sit there and play video games all day everyday, it’s not good and it can be like that for anything.” Almost all John’s friends play video games “It’s 2011, like everyone I know plays games. I have so many friends that play so many different things. Now that I have my play station in my house, my roommate’s play a lot more then they ever have. It’s just something fun to do on your spare time. I don’t think being constantly productive would be very much fun.” For John everything about playing a game pulls him in, the progression made over the years, the challenge, the story line and its something that can be nice, even if he is just by himself and doesn't have someone there telling him how good he is at a game, he can just tell himself and it makes him happy. He doesn't think video games helps prepare us with real life problem solving, like seen in PBS Digital Media: New learners of the 21st Century. Or that we really get anything out of a game except for the fun of playing the game itself. He also doesn't think we loose anything out of it either.

In the video game world there are many things that can pull someone into playing. In PBS Digital Nation:Life on the Virtual Frontier, We see how many people are being affected by video games. Some are becoming dependent on the game world and neglecting their health. Spending every second of their spare time playing games. There are also those who are living in virtual worlds. Those living in virtual worlds are often becoming distracted from sensing what is real and some are just using it as a way to connect with people. According to John, "Unless you already have a very tenuous grasp on what reality is are you going to become distracted. Games do in a sense distract us from thinking about life’s problems and the bills you have to pay, but it’s something fun that you don’t have to think about. A hobby." Virtual worlds can connect us to people socially. They allow us to create an identity for ourselves, that may or may not be who we really are. Just like the identity profiles we create for ourselves explained in Boyds “Taken out of Context.”

John plays online games, but unlike some, they don’t necessarily connect him to those that he doesn't already know in person. There is such a wide variety of people that play online, that he wouldn't really be friends with in everyday life. They are just connected because they are playing a game together. When playing online games, he mainly enjoys playing with friends that are far away. It gives them a chance to have fun together while catching up at the same time. Through these virtual worlds, people are able to create identities for themselves that may or may not show who they really are. John is not necessarily one of those people. He will make up identities anyway just for fun, sometimes he likes to talk in accents or pretend like he is from somewhere else, just to be goofy, but he doesn't make up a different life in games. Stating “I already am how I wish or want to be or else I would be different.”

Presently John will play games for about an hour every two or three days. Except for in winter and during the school year, when he will probably play 2 hours everyday. He has never neglected his health due to a video game. I am apparently the only person that has ever told him he is addicted to games, because according to John I am jealous and don’t know what I'm talking about. Until I asked John what his thoughts on technology was and weather or not he thought the rapid advancements we have been making were a positive or negative thing, did I really start to look at it in a new way.

At first thought, I agreed with Conan O'Brian. We have become slaves to technology. We are shackled by our wrists and ankles, relying on all the conveniences that technology gives us.
John on the other hand, thinks that we are the ones who control technology; we make our own choices and control ourselves. "We control the power of technology just like we control everything else in our life. Video games and other technology is such a big part of people’s lives today. Technology is convenient and progression is a good, positive thing, it means were moving forward. Technology is important.”

feed back

Go with the topics of: what makes people play video games? what gets them playing? being lonely? progression? Opens the door for using that as a social outlet, gives you something to have in common with people. And how war has basically become a video game at this point and how we have to trust young people to tell what reality is.

Interview questions

• How old were you when you played your first video game?

-6

• What was your first video game and what made you play it?

- It was Super Mario Bros with Duck Hunter also, it was the original Nintendo and both games were on 1 cartridge, and came with the duck hunter gun. I played it because it was challenging, like a puzzle and I had to learn the timing and coordination of the games which made me want to get better and better, you just want to beat it, and once it gets to the end and you beat it it is satisfying.

• Was it a big part of your childhood?

-Not until I was about 11 or 12, did I really started playing a lot of video games. It was when James bond and n64 came out. I was slightly a little more coordinated and could perceive things better when I was that age, and once I got to 11 I started to stay up later and would play more, but I also did a lot of outdoor activities, so I didn't spend all my time playing. When I moved to Idaho, I didn't have a lot of friends so I started to play more and more, When I was between the ages of 14-17 I bet about 80% of my spare time went to playing video games, mainly because I didn't have very many friends, and also because video games were getting more interesting and started to have better graphics. I slowed down on playing games around age 17, because I made more friends and started doing other things, although I still played a lot of games.

• Do you believe in being addicted to games and technology?
  

- Ummm...I believe some people get addicted to games I guess. I think its just like people who are addicted to doing anything, you want to progress and you just want to do better and better every time, so its just something you keep doing, and something you like to do even if your not getting better. I think it can be negative, because for some people its all they want to do, but i think that to much of anything is negative really. If your just going to sit there and play video games all day everyday, its not good. it can be like that for anything.

• How many of your friends play video games?

-Almost everyone, its like 2011. Like everyone I know.

• On average how much do they play?
  

-Ahh I have so many friends that play so many different things, now that I have my playstations in my house, my roomates play a lot more then they ever have, its just something fun to do on your spare time. I dont think always being productive would be very much fun

• What is it about games that pulls you in?
  

-Ummm... gosh just everything, progression over the years, the challenege, the story line sometimes, it can be nice even if im just by myself, even if I dont have someone there telling me how good i am at a game, I can just tell myself and it makes me happy.

• Do you feel like virtual worlds made in games distracts us from sensing what is real?
  

- Hah no, unless your immature and have a very tenuous grasp on what reality already is.

• Do you think we sometimes wish it would distract us from reality?

-Well I mean i guess it "distracts" us from reality, its just something fun that you don't have to think about, its really just like a hobby, that can distract you from thinking about life's problems and the bills you have to pay.

• Do you feel like games connect you to people socially? if so how? if not why?

-Kind of, I play online games, and I talk to people about games at school a lot. I don't really feel connected to people online that I don't know in person, I guess your connected because your playing the game together, but there is such a wide variety of people that play that you wouldn't really be friends with in real life. Its nice to play with my friends that are far away though, sometimes playing together connects us.

• Do you create an identity when playing games that may or may not be who you really are?

-Not really. I kind of do that anyways just for fun, you know, sometimes I like to talk in accents just for fun, but I don't make up a different/fake life in games, I already am how I wish/ want to be or I would be different.

• On average how often do you play games and for how long?

-Lately an hour every two or three days, but during winter when i'm in school probably 2 hours every day, and in summer like an hour every 2-3 days

• Have you ever neglected your health, hygiene and daily obligations because of a game?

-No hah, except for when i was like 11 I would stay up really late sometimes and play games, but then I would be really tired the next day.

• Has anyone ever told you you have an addiction to technology?

-umm maybe you

why do you think they said that?

-Because your jealous and don't know what your talking about, jealous of the game.

• Why do you think video games are such a big part of peoples lives today?

-Because their fun. Technology is convenient and i feel like progression is a good, positive thing, it's moving forward, technology is important. I don't think that video games help with real life problem solving, I think that you don't really get anything out of a game that helps you solve real life problems, you don't get anything out of a game except for the fun of playing a game, but I don't think you really loose anything out of it either. Its just for fun.

• What do you think about the army using video games to draft more soldiers? Do you think that it is giving a false perception on what war is really like?

-

Interviewees: John Babcock

Three Sources to Support my Interview

These are the videos/readings that have inspired and supported my interview the most,

• PBS Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier: This video was full of a lot of useful information, it helped me understand how someone might act when going through addiction and how technology can really take over someones life. It showed me how technology is changing peoples realities, by creating virtual worlds. This movie somehow gives us a more negative look on how technology is effecting us today.
  

• Digital Media: New learners of the 21st century: This movies takes a look into how technology/video games have improved our ways of thinking. These digital schools make it possible to learn in a whole new way, they are allowing kids to go out and see things how they want to see it. They are being able to physically observe things and then interpret it how they want, being inspired by creations in order to create. This all seemed like a positive way to enhance our thinking but what are the cons on schools like this? Is technology distracting us from observing our surroundings or is it helping us really see what is there? Does learning how to solve video games in school, help us know how to solve the problems in real life?

• Boyd-Taken out of Context: This article looks at how we identify ourselves today using technology. Technology has become a self identifier, we choose how we want other people to see us and how we want to see ourselves. We identify ourselves through myspace, facebook, and even virtual world video games. When thinking about this article and relating it to video games it made me wonder if we are using a false identity for virtual worlds? or are we just making our identity known through them? Do these virtual worlds connect us to other people? And do we sometimes mistake them for reality?
  

Brainstorming and interview questions for the Digital Profile

For my Digital Participant Profile, I am considering the topics of,

Gaming because I am extremely interested in knowing how gamers feel about technology. Gaming has become a world wide phenomenon, we are constantly updating the game world, using better graphics and creating new worlds. I want to understand what interests gamers when playing a game and what their feelings are on technological addiction, I will ask questions like:

• How old were you when you played your first video game?
• Was it a big part of your childhood?
• Do you believe in being addicted to games and technology?
• How many of your friends play video games?
  
• On average how much do they play?
  
• What is it about games that pulls you in?
• Do you feel like virtual worlds made in games distracts us from sensing what is real?
• Do you feel like games connect you to people socially?
• Do you create an identity when playing games that may or may not be who you really are?
  
• On average how often do you play games and for how long?
• Have you ever neglected your health, hygiene and daily obligations because of a game?
• Do you ever feel like the world you live in in games is reality?
• Has anyone ever told you you have an addiction to technology?
• Do you feel like the game world connects you to people?
• Why do you think video games are such a big part of peoples lives today?
  

Interviewees: John Babcock

Learning to use 21st century technology, because we are the first generation to have grown up with advanced technology, I want to know how older people feel about the boom in technology, how the world and ways of life has changed for them because of technology, and how hard it has been to adapt and learn in this new culture. I will ask questions like:

• How do you feel about the technological takeover our world is experiencing?
• Why types of technology do you use?
• When did you start using advanced technology?
• How did you learn to use advanced technology?
• To you how has the world changed because of technology?
• Have they been positive or negative changes?

Interviewees: Curtis and Lisa Uhrig

Identity formation or "Impression Management"

Digital Media: New Learners of the 21st Century

Digital Media: New Learners of the 21st Century was really interesting to me. In a way I have always thought of certain technology, such as video games, a lazy activity with no real use except for entertainment. After watching this movie I feel completely different about it. A man in the movie said "Humans dont learn from abstractions, they learn from experiences" These digital schools make it possible to learn in a whole new way, they are allowing kids to go out and see things how they want to see it. They are being able to physically observe things and then interpret it how they want, being inspired by creations in order to create. I agree with this learning process. I think in order to really learn something you need to experience it. It needs to make a lasting mark in your life that tells a story. What are the cons on schools like this? Is technology distracting us from observing our surroundings or is it helping us really see what is there?

Clay Shirky/Larry Lessig

In Clay Shirkys video "Web 2.0 Expo" he said many things that made me go hmm... but the one that really made me think was the thought of, media that is targeted at you but doesn't include you, may not be worth sitting for. In the world of technology, we are being faced with many new media options, and it is a trial or error process. Those who create are challenged to think of what the viewer is going to want to see. If the viewer is made to feel apart of the creation then the creator has been successful, but if it is the opposite the viewer is not going to be involved in the experience that the creator is trying to provide, and is not going to want to be apart of it. Is this really how the digital world runs? Are we as creators creating for the approval of our viewers or for ourselves?

In Larry Lessigs video he had a lot of good points that I agree with. He says that now in the 21st century, we are taking and re-creating other peoples creations, so that we can say things differently. This made me think about how in my own art I see myself looking at what others have created, and being inspired I take it and turn it into how I see it. I think that in today's culture we are constantly seeing things in the world that inspire us, but we all interpret them differently. Digital technology puts our thoughts and ideas out there so that the creators can help others to create. But how much re-creating is needed when using other peoples creations? How far do we need do go to change what has already been made?