Violent Video Game Debate Essay Example for Free

Violent Video Game Debate Essay Hook: A lot of people in this room alone have probably at least once played a violent video game or at least have seen someone play a game that is violent. Games such as Call of Duty, Halo, or Gears of War. Heck I own all three of those games, but that’s beside the point. What good can come out of playing games where you repetitively kill others and see some ridiculous gory images? Honestly what good can come out of this when developing minds are playing games where they shoot peoples heads off over and over? Like I said, yeah I myself have played these games and haven’t really thought about the effects of playing them but the statistics and studies don’t lie when it comes to linking violent video games with increased aggression in mainly teenagers, and to play the games so much to where it numbs your mind and you have no concept of what is actually going on in reality around you. Argument 1: Research finds that children who play violent video games can become violent themselves, but are these people just mimicking what they see on the screen or do the games leave lasting effects on the brain? I mean that would be pretty messed up if a video game could have negative lasting effects on the brain right? Well†¦ Time Magazine reported on a study conducted by Dr. Vincent Mathews and his colleagues at Indiana University where they took a group of 28 students all young adult males and they randomly assigned the students to play either a violent, first person shooter game or a non-violent one every day for a week. None of the the participants had much previous gaming experience. At the beginning of the study, researchers used functional MRI to scan brain activity in the participants, while they completed lab-based tasks involving either emotional or non-emotional content. A week later after playing their games every day for that week they were scanned again as they repeated the same tasks. At the start of the study, researchers used functional MRI to scan brain activity in the participants, all young adult men, while they completed lab-based tasks involving either emotional or non-emotional content. The participants were then scanned again while they repeated the same tasks, after a week of playing the video games. Researchers found that those who played the violent video games showed less activity in areas that involved emotions, attention and inhibition of our impulses. â€Å"Behavioral studies have shown an increase in aggressive behavior after violent video games, and what we show is the physiological explanation for what the behavioral studies are showing,† says Matthews. â€Å"We’re showing that there are changes in brain function that are likely related to that behavior. † It’s not clear how long-lasting the changes may be. When Matthews brought the participants back after a week of not playing video games, their brain activity had changed again, reverting to more normal reactions, but their brain functions still weren’t quite the same as before they were exposed to the violent games. Following playing the game they put the participants through some tests where it was clear that the students who played the violent first person shooter game showed signifigantly less activation of the emotional centers of the brain. Meaning the games had left their brain unable to show proper emotions or reactions to what’s going on around them. The brain changes don’t appear to be permanent, but documenting that the brain does change in response to playing a violent game — even just for two hours a day for a week — is a significant advance in understanding how young players may be affected by these games. The brain changes that Matthews’ group saw were similar to those seen in teens with destructive sociopathic disorders, and his results, along with those from previous studies showing shorter-term effects, have been used in court cases by parents and others hoping to limit violent game play among young children. Do you think its messed up that the patterns observed in that study were the same as those with destructive sociopathic disorders? Argument 2: So now that you know for a fact that violent video games effect the brain in a bad way, but what else could they effect? Teen driving habits and reckless driving for teenagers. A group of researchers at Dartmouth College did a study where they found a shockingly positive correlation in risky driving habits with teenagers that played violent video games that involved driving such as Grand Theft auto. The researchers interviewed a group of teenagers when they first got their license that played these games, and a group that didn’t play the games. After time they checked up on their study participants and found that the ones that played the games were involved in a substantially larger number of wrecks and received a lot more tickets. Not only did the group that played the violent video games get in more wrecks and receive more tickets, there was a large number from this group that admitted to driving drunk where the group that didn’t play these games had no admittances to driving under the influence. The researchers of the study propose that violent video games change a young players self-perception, so that they see themselves as someone who does risky things. In other words, they are suggesting, the players try to become more like the characters they are controlling on screen. Recap: Good: Nothing. Bad: A lot.. Lasting negative effects to the brain, increased aggression, positive correlation with reckless and drunk driving with teenagers. Hmmm I’ll let you decide. Argument 3: By looking at this kid, would you say he looks like a murderer? I don’t think so. But here’s his story on how his strong addiction and how what I talked about in the first study directly ties into his case of murdering his mother and shooting his father all because of the video game Halo 3. The controversy between Daniel and his parents began when they forbade Daniel from buying and playing the Xbox 360 game Halo 3. Petric’s sister, Heidi Petric, testified in court that Daniel never played the game until he contracted staphylococcus infection from a jetski injury and was housebound. Petric was introduced to the Halo franchise while at the house of his friend, the Johnsons. His father, Mark Petric, was a minister at the New Life Assembly of God in Wellington. Both parents objected the idea of their son playing a violent game with adult ratings and did not find it suitable for him. Mark testified that Daniel sneaked out of the house one evening and purchased the game without either of the parent’s knowledge. While housebound, Daniel would sometimes play the game for up to 18 hours at a time without taking a break. After his parents found out that he had gone against their wishes and purchased the game, they immediately took the game away and locked it in a safe that also incidentally concealed a 9mm Taurus PT-92 handgun.

The three degres of Subject Matter :: Essays Papers

The three degres of Subject Matter There are "Three Degrees of Subject Matter," known as representational, abstract, and nonrepresentational. Every piece of art can be classified into one of these. It might be a good idea when referring to a particular painting to state it's Degree of Subject Matter (Johnson). Representational or Naturalistic images in art look much like real images in the world (Gilbert 28). It is similar to a photograph (Johnson). Some artists use images refered to as illusionistic, meaning the images are so natural they trick you into believing they are real. When the eye is being fooled into thinking there are 3 dimensions in a work that is flat, it is refered to as trompe-l'oeil (Gilbert 28). At the following website you can view his infamous picture of Olga Picasso, along with many more pieces of Picasso's work, such as Portrait de Dora Maar, which I found to be very unique, also giving a tour of the many masterpieces he created: http://www.musexpo.com/english/picasso/picass2.html This site led me to some outstanding photographs of Representational Art, that could also be interpreted as naturalistic and some of her paintings could be interperted as illusionistic. http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Museum/9978/ Abstract art is when the art has a reference to the natural world but does not try to duplicate it exactly (Gilbert 30). The degree is which it is distorted can range from very slight where you can barely tell it is distorted, to very great where you can barely tell what it is (Johnson). Even if the colors are not true to real life it is abstract (Johnson). Stylized is a term close to abstract. It is stylized if it has features of a natural form that are in some way exaggerated (Gilbert 30). Willem de Kooning often used figural images in his paintings, especially in hi famous "Women" series (Gilbert 483) The following site will demonstrate many of his "women" paintings, along with many of his other works. Koonings paintings are cleary abstract, showing his conscious and unconscious feelings about women (Gilbert 483). Abstract Expressionists sought to express their subconscious through their art. http://www.artchive.com/artchive/ftptoc/de_kooning_ext.html Nonrepresentational art has no reference to the natural world of images (Gilbert 31). The art work shows no presence of people, places, or things, but shapes and sometimes colors. This type of art goes beyond the known forms and reaches our human emotions and sense's directly (Gilbert 31). They are expressions of the artists who made them (Gilbert 31) Nonrepresentational art, also known as nonobjective art, does not stem from anything real (Johnson).

Important assignment in History Class Essay

Reading: â€Å"Rules for Peasant Life in Japan-1619† In the â€Å"Rules for Peasant Life in Japan-1619,† the society is ruled by an authoritarian leader. Social inequality existed, wherein strong social and class differences among people were identified and reinforced through laws. Peasants were considered as people from â€Å"lowly origin† (Kanetaugu, 306). They were also expected to earn for their families, to pay their taxes, and to contribute to other public obligations. The ruling body was malevolent, because when peasants could not pay their taxes, they take away the peasants’ wives. The ruling class also indicated that they may do whatever they wish with these women, a clear sign of threat to the peasants. The ruling party even included that the elite can rape these women, and yet the peasants would be the ones, who would suffer because of tarnished images. In 1916 Japan, there was no gender quality, because women, who were found to have extramarital affairs, were immediately exiled, even when the proof was merely because they had excessive amount of tea reserves. At the same time, women were mandated to take care of their men and their basic needs, the whole day, as if they were slaves to their men. For instance, daughters and wives were required to â€Å"sew and weave China-grass† clothing for their men (Kanetaugu, 305). Wives and daughters should also serve their male family members and massage their feet afterwards. They must do the bidding of their male family members. Hence, this is a society remarked by authoritarian leadership, social inequality, and gender inequality. Reading: â€Å"The Declaration of the Rights of Women by Olympe de Gouges, 1791. † Olympe de Gouges (1791) describes a gender-equal social climate. It is a climate that allowed women to freely express their opinions and to fill public positions. It is also a climate that made women responsible for their errors. De Gouges is not asking for women to be exempted from the law. Instead, she states in Article VII: â€Å"No woman is an exemption†¦Women, like men, obey this rigorous law† (de Gouges, 416). For her, women are also strong enough to be held accountable for their mistakes. She also depicts a benign ruler, who will protect and advance equal rights and treatment for men and women. She also believes that sovereignty depends on the people, and on its most basic foundation, the â€Å"union of woman and man,† or in other words, the family (de Gouges, 416). This indicates libertarian views, wherein the voice of the people reigns supreme. de Gouges also demands public transparency of taxes and activities in Articles XIII and IX. Finally, de Gouges depicts a world, wherein men and women are equal in every regard. For her, women should not be given preferential treatment because of their gender, and at the same time, they must enjoy the same rights and opportunities for growth as men. Hence, the state must ensure that men and women both possess the rights to liberty, security, property, and protection from oppression. Reading: â€Å"Program for Cuba by Fidel Castro- 1956. † Fidel Cuba espouses a social climate that is based on socialism. Through socialism, the oppressed sectors that he identified- the unemployed, farm laborers, industrial workers, small farm workers, underpaid teachers and professionals, and small businesspeople- would be given the full right to change or abolish the Constitution, and free themselves from traditional social, political, and economic obstacles, through following the Five Revolutionary Laws. The ruling body is benign to the underprivileged sectors, whom Castro felt had been used by the politicians and companies to make profits out of their lives. The benign ruler also confiscates lands for large landowners to be distributed to all â€Å"planters, non-quota planters, lesses, share-croppers, and squatters who hold parcels of five caballerias of land or less† (Castro, 556). This ruler also ensures that workers are handsomely paid for their services, by having the right to share 30% of the profits of companies. The Fourth Revolutionary Law also provides fifty-percent share for laborers involved in sugar production. Hence, Castro aims to change the ownership of and access to the forces of production, so that the poor can improve the quality of their lives. Women were not particularly mentioned in this reading. Still, Castro also did not differentiate women from male workers and professionals. It is inferred that Castro also envisioned equality of the sexes, wherein men and women can finally have the resources that they need, in order to feel like real human beings, who can genuinely pursue self-development.

Which 4 States Have the Biggest Minority Populations

Can you name the four U.S. majority-minority states? They received this moniker because people of color outnumber whites there, giving new meaning to the term minority. California, New Mexico, Texas, and Hawaii all have this distinction. The same is true for the District of Columbia. What makes these states unique? For one,  their demographics  will likely be the nation’s future. And given that some of these states are extremely populous, they could influence American politics for years to come. Hawaii The Aloha State is unique among the nation’s handful of majority-minority states in that it has never had a white majority since it became the 50th state on August 21, 1959. In other words, it has always been a majority-minority. First settled by Polynesian explorers in the eighth century, Hawaii is heavily populated by Pacific Islanders. More than 60  percent of Hawaiian residents are people of color. Hawaii’s population is around 37.3 percent Asian, 22.9 percent white, 9.9  percent Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 10.4 percent Latino, and 2.6 percent black. These numbers show that Hawaii isn’t just a tropical paradise, but also the proverbial American melting pot. California Minorities make up more than 60 percent of the Golden State’s population. Latinos and Asian Americans are the driving forces behind this trend, along with the fact that the white population is aging rapidly. In 2015, news agencies announced that Hispanics officially outnumbered whites in the state, with the former making up 14.99 million of the population and the latter making up 14.92 million of the population. This marked the first time the Latino population surpassed the white population since California became a state in 1850. By 2060, researchers predict that Latinos will make up 48 percent of California, while whites will make up 30 percent of the state; Asians, 13 percent; and blacks, four percent. New Mexico The Land of Enchantment, as New Mexico is known, has the distinction of having the highest percentage of Hispanics of any U.S. state. Approximately 48  percent of the population there is Latino. Overall, 62.7 percent of New Mexico’s population belongs to an ethnic minority group. The state stands out from others because of its substantial Native American population (10.5 percent). Blacks make up  2.6 percent of New Mexicans; Asians,  1.7 percent; and Native Hawaiians, 0.2 percent. Whites make up 38.4 percent of the state’s population. Texas The Lone Star State may be known for cowboys, conservatives, and cheerleaders, but Texas is far more diverse than stereotypes paint it to be. Minorities comprise 55.2 percent of its population. Hispanics comprise  38.8 percent of Texans, followed by 12.5 percent who are black, 4.7 percent who are Asian and one percent who are Native American. Whites comprise 43 percent of the Texas population. A number of counties in Texas are majority-minority, including Maverick, Webb, and the Wade Hampton area. While Texas boasts a rising Latino population, its black population has increased as well. From 2010 to 2011, the black population of Texas rose by 84,000 — the highest of any state. District of Columbia The U.S. Census Bureau regards the District of Columbia as a â€Å"state equivalent.† This area is also majority-minority. African Americans comprise 48.3 percent of D.C.’s population, while Hispanics comprise 10.6 percent and Asians, 4.2 percent. Whites make up 36.1 percent of this region. The District of Columbia boasts the highest percentage of blacks of any state or state equivalent. Wrapping Up During the 2016 presidential race, the media reported that Donald Trump supporters, particularly of the white working class, fear the browning of the United States. As Baby Boomers age and eventually die, its inevitable that people of color, who are, on average, younger and have more children than whites, will make up a higher share of the population. But more people of color  doesnt mean that minority groups will have more power. While they may have a greater say in elections over time, the barriers they face in education, employment, and the criminal justice system will by no means evaporate. Anyone who believes that a brown majority will somehow erode the power that white Americans enjoy need only to look at the history of nations around the world colonized by Europeans. This includes the United States.   Sources Aronowitz, Nona Willis. What Can We Learn From Majority-Minority States? Numbers Dont Always Equal Political Power. Good Worldwide, Inc., May 20, 2012. History.com Editors. Hawaii becomes 50th state. History, AE Television Networks, LLC, November 24, 2009.