reply to post by jonnywhite
I agree with davesmart, you make some solid points. I almost feel honored that you were obliged to respond to me with such an insightful post.
I don't have much to add except that I think some games exercise certain parts of the brain that don't usually get much attention. Certain genres of
games exercise certain things, for instance strategy/puzzle games might exercise logic while shooters exercise hand-eye coordination, RPGs maybe the
creative part of the brain and of course I'm sure all of them would cross over somewhat.
It's all in the name of fun, but in way it does seem like it would make the individual better at specific things. A lot of people couldn't tell their
butt from a hole in the ground, yet they can build cars or houses with an unmatched efficiency and quality. Same with video games, a gamer might not
be able to find a job to save his life, but put him in the cockpit of an F22 and he would prob figure it out himself without any training.
Some people are just naturally drawn to this artificial world we have created, it's not necessarily a bad thing, but like you say some productive
outlet needs to be made available to these types of people. Not that many gamers don't go on to do great things, many have, but I have a feeling those
that aren't are doing so because it seems worthless to them, they don't wish to participate or learn about things that they don't enjoy and would just
disregard anything they don't like.
I've played video and computer games on and off my whole life and I would say there are certain things I can do better because of it. In the end
anything I do in any artificial reality is worthless in the real world, I only take from it a few things that I have nothing to show for except inside
my own mind. All isn't lost though, many friendships are forged through games and online communities and the real world is about who you know after
all, not what you know.
So it serves its purpose of bringing people together, but yea some people do get obsessed. I don't know how many times I've found a game I liked and
pulled all-nighters trying to beat it or everyone else, in the midst of what seems like an army of foul mouthed, trash talking 15 year olds. I feel
kind of special about it because I was born at about the exact right time to watch the internet (as we know it today I guess) grow and develop into
what it is today, makes me happy to have been even a small part of a small part of it.
So yes your right, games and the internet allow us to have something we usually don't have in reality: To be judged by what is inside our minds and
not what is out. I would say it is literally evolving our culture and intellectualizing our entire species somewhat. Now all the common knowledge of
the world is a click away.
We have to keep this from becoming what television has... a propaganda machine.
edit on 18-1-2012 by RSF77 because: (no reason given)