Video Games

        Throughout the years video games have become more popular than ever, and for some people have become a big part of their lives. In today’s society children have become kind of addicted with these home-game platforms, some of them can’t even take their hands out of the controls. There are different types of video games such as: sports, space, military and history. Most of all the video games require you to be competitive and sometimes aggressive towards the other players, and these feelings can become that intense making players to act aggressively with other people in the streets.

         Now days, video games have become a huge part of the entertainment industry. I still remember when I got my first Nintendo; I had to play at least three times a day for a period of two hours or so. It became an addiction to me; I couldn’t stay away from my new console. After the years passed by, I found some other interests like my computer and instant messaging. I still remember when these video game consoles were slow and with a poor visual stimulus. Now, these new consoles are the top of the line and even include some sort of calls, which let you call other players while you are actually playing the game.

Like any other entertainment media it disconnects you more from the real world, instead of actually connecting you more. For example, I see my brother he has a PS3 and all he does is stay in his room and play all day long with his friends online. His friends don’t even bother to come to the house and spend some actual time with him, because they believe that by only playing online they are already spending time together. Also, I noticed that since he plays these violent video games, he has become more aggressive and more competitive with everyone. Overall, video games are not good when it comes to improve your interpersonal communication skills, and that is why I believe that video games instead of helping you, they are actually destroying your ability to actually interact with people without the use of the console.

         People tend to have the same attitudes with all the media devices. For example, my boyfriend will spend all his income to buy new games or new accessories for his PS3 console. It is funny how different media devices can cause the same attitudes in people and spend all they have in order to gain these medias.

         To finalize, video games are nor good or bad, like any other media device if you exceed the time you spend with it will harm you, and if you use it correctly then it can help you do things quicker and easier. I believe that video games are just made to entertain you for a while, but it doesn’t have to become an addiction. Even though it can become something addictive, it also helps us to escape from our true realities and that is why I think that sometimes you need to use it just to distract yourself.

         

The Importance of Computers in Today's World...

       

            Now days, the role of computers has become a big part of our daily lives. We use computers for school, work and home, almost everything we do is computerized now. In my opinion, after the Internet the computer has been the greatest invention of human kind, because with this tool now we can do things that we never thought of in science, business, communications, engineering, etc. If it was not for computers we couldn’t have done all the advances that we have accomplished.

            I can still remember when my dad gave me my first computer. It was a big desktop computer and it was pretty heavy. At that time I had to use Windows, because back in Panama that was the only operating system that they would sell in stores. I remember I spent like ten hours a day trying to figure out my new toy. I started to know how to use the Internet and instant messaging (ICQ at that time). After a year or so of using the computer, I did the worst thing I could do to a computer; I clicked into a spam and like five different viruses killed my computer. I can tell you that it was a very frustrating day, because I was so used to go to my computer for anything, so I decided to fix it. It took me like a week or more to figure how to fix it, but I did and it was the most amazing day ever. I was so proud of myself, because back then computers were very new to everyone and for me to fix a problem like that was a big achievement.

            My computer goes with me everywhere I go. Even if I control it from my Ipad, I always make sure to bring my computer with me. I have been using a computer as an educational tool since I was in 5^th grade. Recently, when I was working it was a must to use a computer and the Internet. Since the company I worked for was General Electrics, you always had to be on top of every new technology that came out and the easiest way to do that is through the Internet. As I mentioned before, when I use my computer I feel that I can do anything with it and literally I can. The world is in the tip of my fingers. Usually, back home I have to help my siblings and my parents with their computers. When I help them, I feel pretty good about myself because besides that I feel smart and at the same time I’m teaching them how to master the most amazing invention in the world.

            In my experience, the PC made a big impact in my life. For example, I can still remember when I started using ICQ (instant messaging) I was so excited because I could talk to everyone around the world and that was the first time how we made contact with my family back in Spain. Since my grandfather died when my mom was little, my mom did not have the chance to meet her family in Spain. It was pretty amazing how we contacted each other and still makes a lot of impact when I call my cousin who lives there to see how’s she doing. If the Internet or PCs wouldn’t exist, we still wouldn’t know that we had family in Spain. Now days, I use a MacBook pro, because it is so much easier to use and when it comes to editing photos this computer is the best on that. I use my computer everyday for everything and I can recognize that displacement theory plays a big role in my daily life, because I spend more time on my computer than actually trying to have more interpersonal relationships. Even though, I tend to spend more time on my computer, I also use it to communicate with my friends and family back in my country.  Skype is the program I use everyday now to speak with my mom who is back in Panama for free.

            To finalize, my computer has a big role in my daily life, without it I honestly wouldn’t know what to do. Now everything is computerized and if you really want to be part of this world, you have to know how to use a computer. I mean it is so important that if you don’t know how to use a computer, you might not get the job that you wanted over that. Computers lets me anything from the tip of my fingers, it’s just amazing! So I really have to thankful for these amazing tools, because without them the world wouldn’t be what it is today.