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Tom Boellstorff Coming of Age in Second Life analysis
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From reading this book we can understand that the author Tom Boellstorff grew up playing video games with that interest he went beyond and got an interest in virtual worlds and he became an member of the "Second life", as an anthropologist he decided to apply the ethnographic methods which he gained from previous research where he did his studies in Indonesia to this online life and interviews in the subculture of Second life. "Coming of age in Second Life: An anthropologist explores the virtually human" is an ethnography book by Tom Boellstorff, this book Boellstorff argues between two worlds which is the virtual world and the world of anthropology. From reading this book you can understand that Boellstorff has spend years doing an traditional …show more content…
Chapter three is called the " Method" this chapter follows the usual repertoire of most monographs which are in the social sciences like a description of the ways that the material was collected in this case like the observations, interviews ,group discussions and the information on ethics and the researcher's own position towards his subjects. This chapter is more for those who are interested in conducting ethnographic research in the virtual environments. In this chapter we can see that once inside a virtual world the practice of conducting research while having challenges it is not that different from researching any other cultural sites where you learning a new language, its culture/ traditions , practices and the formal and informal behavior that particular culture does. In this chapter Boellstorff approach the virtual worlds "in their own terms" ( 60-64) that is conducting his research exclusively online. In this chapter Boellstorff question the relationship between the two worlds where he suggest that studying only the virtual world somehow can be
In this story, a boy named Jeremy decides to live out his life in a virtual world rather than the real one. I thought that it was a relatable story, but it just didn't strike my interest as well as Bradbury's did. I think that everyone has felt lonely, abandoned and awkward at some time in their lives, but I don't think any of us would give it up for an unrealistic, virtual world. The thought of an awkward boy leaving the real world and fleeing into what seems to him to be a bright, new world makes me think his is a coward and makes me lose all respect for him. I understand that the real world can be difficult sometimes, but you just have to find some good friends and stick it out with them. I think that video games can be a good way to escape the horrors of the world for a minute and focus on a place where the world is perfect and everything happens just the way you want it to but I also believe that video games need to be 'respected' and should only be played for at most a couple of hours a day. However, I do not believe that video games should be looked at a world that you could live in, and they certainly should not be looked at as a new, brighter future for
Gee, J. P. & Hayes, E. R. (in press). Women and gaming: The Sims and 21st century learning. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
...e. How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernatics, Literature and Informatics. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1999.
The excessive game play is a community problem in Macedonia that should be prevented because it results with addiction which symptoms cause lethal consequences. The possibility for creating a virtual life attracts people to participate in computer games that later on interfere in their lives. A decade ago children in Macedonia used to play with marbles and “seek and hide” outside, while adults went to play sports or in the gym. Today, in the era of computerization, life has relocated from reality in computer games. Video game addiction is another type of addiction in the modern age.
Video games have been an activity for people to come together and do something they enjoy. It similar to when people come together to watch football, they bond over the game and their favorite teams, the same goes for when people are playing video games. Video games have now become a social event and people are starting to play in groups and pairs. Henry Jenkins stated that “sixty of frequent gamers plays with friends, thirty five percent play with sibling, and twenty five percent play with spouse and parents “(Jenkins, 451).Video games have become a middle ground for people to come together and enjoy each others company. In our society today video games have brought people together through the internet. Gaming community has developed on chat sites,YouTube, and even Facebook. People are not limited to the place they live, they can meet and connect to people all around the world. One of my friend 's older brother is really into video games and usually plays with people all over the world. By making those connections with people through video games he made a new friend , and went to visit him in London last year. This demonstrates that people use video games to gain friendship and be more social. Video games can help us to to build relationship with people that we might not have developed if not for common interest of games. Video games does a very effective job of bring people together that have the same interest,and giving them a sense of
Coming of Age in Second Life: An Anthropologist Explores the Virtually Human, by Tom Boellstroff, gives us a unique outlook on humanity in that we get to experience the world of virtual reality through a study conducted by an anthropologist. Boellstroff creates an ethnography by entering “Second Life”: an online world where people create a virtual representation of themselves and go about a new life. The experiment takes place between 2004 to 2007 and the main goal is to determine if entering into this new world does in fact create a new person, or “homo cyber” (virtual reality version of oneself), and whether or not it makes the user more human or less.
Turkle’s stance on this topic is emotionally engaging as she uses rhetoric in a very powerful approach, while also remaining unbiased. The article flows very smoothly in a beautifully structured format. The author maintains a composition that would appeal to the interest of any sort of audience. She effectively questions the reader’s views on the negative consequences technology has on social interactions. Her work is inspiring, it sheds light on the dark hole society has dug for themselves, a state of isolation through communication in the digital age; this is a wake up
"Finding One's Own in Cyberspace." Composing Cyberspace. Richard Holeton. United States: McGraw-Hill, 1998. 171-178. SafeSurf. Press Release.
The traditional way of socializing limits our ability to meet other people around the world. Virtual interactions offers a more possible means to communicate in today's society. Furthermore, the growth of the video game community such as in the genre of MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) allows for a high level medium that enable individuals to create small factions and perform social interactions. According to Bishop, "The existence of such communities is often brought about by people who share similar goals, beliefs or values, with such commonality forming the basis of an agreement to form and sustain a virtual existence" (1). Having shared similar goals...
There have been many great books that have been based on the growing relationship of technology and human beings. Today, technology is continuously changing and evolving along with the way people adapt to these technological advances. Technology has completely changed our way of living, it has entwined with our humanity, by being able to replace limbs and organs that we once thought could not be replaced. One of the most crucial things that technology has changed is the way people in society interact with one another. A story written by William Gibson titled “Burning Chrome”, portrays that very idea. In his text, Gibson presents that the reader lives within a world where there is no boundaries or limitations between technology and humans. They become a part of each other and have evolved side by side into a society where a person can turn their conscious mind into data and upload it to non-physical, virtual world. In this research paper I will discuss how our society’s culture and interaction with one another has changed and adapted with the advancements of technology over the years.
Dretzin, Rachel, prod. Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Fron. Dir. Rachel Dretzin. 2010. PBS. Web. 6 Nov. 2013.
Identity exploration is crucial part of adolescent development and without it can be harder for an adolescent to find his or her purpose in the future. Self-identity plays an extremely important role in adolescent development. Avatars used in different technological venues allow for adolescents to experiment in virtual worlds that are safe for experimentation and exploration. The virtual worlds that avatars are created in are very similar to how the world runs in today’s society. This helps adolescents understand the many opportunities and allows them to express their self in a different way than they could in reality. Author Peter Wonica suggest that, video games let adolescences experiment with their ideal characteristics and it allows them to tryout different lifestyles, along with the other many options in life. Many
Multiple identities have been increased by the creation of cyberspace communications according to "Cyberspace and Identity" by Sherry Turkle. Turkle uses four main points to establish this argument. Her first point is that online identity is a textual construction. Secondly she states that online identity is a consequence-free moratorium. Turkle's third point is online identity expands real identity. Finally, her last point states that online identity illustrates a cultural concept of multiplicity. I disagree with many aspects of her argument and I have found flaws in her argument. Technology is an area that does not stand still and consequently outpaced Turkle's argument.
...an be beneficial to children games that “could perform particular scene and plots and they explore aspect of character and identities including their gender” such as Sims allow a child to investigate and explore society in a virtual world, they are able see cause and effect with real life situation such as building a family unit, going to work and earning money also life and death.
The advantage of playing online game is that it allows people to communicate to numerous numbers of others from different cultural backgrounds and countries. In the game, a gamer may want to exchange his item with someone. Therefore, he/she has to negotiate with others. Repetition of this negotiation can develop a gamer’s social skills. The disadvantage of online gaming is that spending most of free time in front of a monitor wills remove teenagers from their friends and society. Online games are not for entertainment purpose only.