I found the media that was assigned for viewing, Second Skin, to be both alarming and informative. I never really watch documentaries all so it was interesting to see how this particular game of World of Warcraft can potentially damage a person's life as well as the lives of their families. It is hard to understand why and how people become so addicted to this online game but at the same time I guess it is not. The reason I say this is because the one guy who was in the documentary, the one whose wife gave birth to twins later on, argued how him spending time playing World of Warcraft is the same as someone who chooses to spend his or her time in the garage working on a car, or drinking seven or eight beers at the bar, and so on. I think he makes a good point by saying that but at the same time I don't think he realizes that the way he is spending his time, by playing this game, is beginning to consume his life and ruin his relationships with his family. It was sad to see some of the people in the documentary put the online game first and their family members second.
It was shocking to see how easily a person can fall into this addiction of online gaming. For instance how the nephew of the one guy named Daniel Bustard became addicted to World of Warcraft as soon as Daniel B. stopped playing the game and started getting his life back together. It was nice to see him come out of his addiction and get a job but disturbing to see hear his nephew say that he was playing the game for about 18 hours a day.
During Second Skin one of the guys explained how he liked playing the game so much because in it he claimed that didn't have to worry about not having the nice car, or the nice house, etc. I think this relates well to one of the themes discussed in Culture Jam of how people are kind of being sucked into this false idea of what success or happiness really is. It is sad how companies are advertising their products in a way that makes potential consumers believe that their so-called product is what they need to purchase in order to be happy. There is this passage in the book where the author Lasn writes, "Cars are identifiers. They complete us, they renew us, they reinvent us. Which explains why so many of us dutifully walk into a car showroom every few years for a rejuvenating boost" (Lasn 81). It is wild how outrageous and ridiculous some advertisements can be and yet we do not realize sometimes how much they change the way we see ourselves and gauge success based on material things. Again this ties into why the gamer in the documentary says he feels he needs to escape all these expectations by playing an online game where it does not matter how much one has and how everyone starts out equally.
This car commercial is an just one example of how irrelavant a car commercial can be to the actual car to try and make consumers feel like they need the specific car.
Angel-- I thought you made some really good points. The comparison the guy (who has the new twin babies) is very true. Him gaming is just as made as him having a hobby that takes up a lot of his time and truly missing out on what is really important in life. I, too found it ironic that Daniel stopped his gaming addiction, but then his nephew began his. Why wouldn't Daniel step in and stop his nephew?
ReplyDeleteOur society today is so obsessed with possessions and makes us forget what is really, truly important in the lives we lead.
Angel, I loved some of your points in your blog and feel very strongly about what you said. The guy with the new twin babies is a great example but that really upset me the most. When you're doing that stuff you really need to realize your life is slowing declining. Family to me is the most important thing in my life and I feel like that is how everyone should be.
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad how this World of Warcraft game is ruining so many people's lives. I never knew how much it was affecting people until i saw the clips and it was shocking. I can't believe how addicting the game is to so many people either! People get so distracted by the game, that they don't realize how much it ruins relationships, careers, etc. I agree with what you said, "It is sad how companies are advertising their products in a way that makes potential consumers believe that their so-called product is what they need to purchase in order to be happy." People get addicted to consuming and they will continue to do it because they are never really satisfied. I feel like there are so many more important things in life than that.
ReplyDeleteI like how you bring up car commercials and the idea of cars being identifiers. I believe this is 100% true in our culture. Not true as in the case I believe it, I drive a Pontiac Vibe, but I think a lot of people use their car as a way to identify them with a part of culture that they want to be associated with. People that drive Porsches and expensive cars want to be looked at as rich and higher up in society, even when sometimes they can barely afford to keep the car.
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame how people get sucked into a false idea like you should or in the documentary a "fantasy world". We have plenty in the real world to make people happy, but its just never enough. I agree with the cars statement. People are always getting new cars and clothes to fit in. It's a same really.
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