HW 8: Comments on Triangle Partners' Videos Project

Vincent,

Okay first off, your video already shows how tech-savvy you are. The whole box thing was creative 'cause it shows both your face and what you're focusing on. I noticed how you were Googling a lot and how you were reading articles about Barrack Obama and alternating that with Manga. It shows how you could be doing stuff you're into like Manga, and still be educating yourself at the same time. I guess that's why we love the internet so much, because it allows us to multi task and get more done at one time. Also I noticed how fast you were skipping site to site. Is it because you have a short attention span and that you need something really interesting to keep your attention or am I just overthinking it?

I liked your comment on how "when i watch my own video i don't feel any different since i am still doing the same reactions and its like when i stare at noting. These thoughts dot change even though i think they changed. I can compare myself to what i am doing, s a start to know my human grasp on the digital world. But nothing else." I never realized that and now that you say it, it's true. I mean, I bet I'm doing it now as I'm typing this. I bet I look the same as I do in my video. My thoughts might be different, but I look the same and I'm acting the same way I do every time I interact with my computer. It's crazy how much time this repititiveness takes up. Is it a waste of time? I think we still get something out of it even if we look like we're doing the same thing over and over again. I think we are mentally developing. You can't see it, but our minds are working and learning as we stare blankly into our computer screens.

I think you should really think about your answer to "Would you want your little sister (or future son) to spend a lot of time doing this stuff?" I don't really believe the indifference that you showed in your answer. You say "i don't really care in my opinion since, it's their choice and their life, if they want to get sucked in it's fine, not my decision or my opinion to make." If it was your child, I'm sure you would be more caring than that. As a parent or an older sib, I feel like it would be partially your responsibility to guide them in the right direction.

Your last answer made me think though. I agree that a lot of the video games and/or digital entertainment are all just variations of one another. The little differences that new games have to offer intrigues people only because they're fresh. After a while like you said, people do get bored and look for newer things to keep them entertained. It's like a constant cycle of needing and satisfying between consumers and sellers. It's a lie like you mentioned and I feel like we need to break the mold and find something more meaningful to entertain us.

I liked your post a lot. Your unconventional answers made me think. Can't wait to read more of your stuff. Peace.

Jenise,

You look like you have a real passion for music. Besides the clip of you playing your video game, the rest of the video was composed of you playing your piano, rapping, and listening to music. I thought you made a good point when you compared the keyboard to an actual grand piano. A keyboard can never match the melody of a grand piano's. Like you said, "You really lose the essence of playing." This seems to go for many other things. I feel like technology can never replace the "essence" we gain from things that aren't digitalized. IMs can never replace real convos. Emails take away the essence of finding a long-waited written letter in the mail. Video games immerse you in digital reality incomparable to the feelings you get from your own real life experiences. And keyboards can never hit the nerves and give you goosebumps like grand pianos can.

I found it intriguing when you said "I realized digital representations devices alternate my moods" and how you talked about how one loss at a video game could upset you. I can understand because even if the characters in a video game really aren't you, the fact that you're in control of them makes it you. So whatever failures they encounter would reflect on your abilities as a challenger.

From what you wrote along with your video, music seems to be your outlet. When you get frustrated as you said from the video game, you turn to your music. It seems like a lot of people these days are like that. They would turn to music either to change their mood or to match it. Sometimes if I'm feeling down, I would play my favorite songs and everything would seem to go away. Would you call that escaping reality? Or is it a justifiable way of comforting yourself, to make your troubles go away even when in reality they're still there?

Your video was cool. I feel like with your music, you aren't immersed in a bad way because your music keeps you in touch with your state of mind and with your feelings.