Wow. This whole post is just amazingness, from the video to your insightful writing.
Your video captured me, because of your expressions and the mood portrayed (which was greatly enhanced by your song choice). While you played the video game, I could tell that you were involved with what was happening, but yet something about the look in your eyes was disconnected and even sad. It seemed that when you were watching the "dogs in hats" video, you appeared dissatisfied by the images playing on your screen, and the experience didn't seem to fulfill you as much as you might have hoped it would. When you rested your head against the pillow and fiddled with your bangs, you kind of half closed your eyes, which reminded me of someone counting the seconds until the dismissal bell rings to bolt out of school and into freedom. By the end of the video, I got the feeling that you were still searching for something, something that your video gaming and youtubing failed to provide.
Reading your write up, I feel like you did a great job analyzing "sexually violent" video games. I had never thought about first person shooter games as penis-centric before. I agree with you when you say that you wouldn't want your kids spending time doing any of this, but I also understand your dispare of feeling like a hypocrite. It always seems that when we as individuals are engaging in an activity we wouldn't recommend for others, it seems slightly justified or less dangerous because we all would like to believe we "have it under control", whereas other people clearly don't or won't. I feel that way a lot, but it's really such an ego trip. Actually, one of the "successes" of digital gadgets and media is that they always make it clear that you have the control, that you have the power to choose....they build up your ego nice and big. In reality though, we are the ones who are submissive.
Your video made me reconsider why it is that when I'm bored, or want to escape the present moment I turn to digital devices. These seem to provide little satisfaction, and simply put a band aid over my feelings, but don't really seem to resolve them. It's like willingly trapping yourself; ridiculously dumb. But I know in my heart of hearts I won't be stopping anytime soon.
Great work! :)
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Russell,
Great post. I found your video and your write up to be very interesting, and it challenged the common perspective.
While watching your video, the first thing that becomes noticeable is your breathing. It shows how engrossed you are in the game. Even though you appear to just be sitting in a chair, the action on the screen had a physical impact on you.
Your write up was particularly interesting. I liked that you raised the question of what reality is, and why a stimulation is not considered real. I think in order to come to a solid answer, we have to prove that the physical lives we are leading are real, and that there is a significant difference between that and a stimulation. Unfortunately, it is impossible to prove that our physical lives are a reality. For all we know, this life may be a "vanilla sky" type of of thing. We just can't be sure.
However, we can still compare physical life and a stimulation, because like we learned in science, we can make an observation that way. I think the significant difference between the physical football game and the stimulated one is what form you took in each of them. In the physical game you took on your own form, you played using your own body, with the skill level that your body possess. In the stimulation, the form you took on is not the one you see in the mirror, if someone tackled you it didn't cause physical pain, and your skill level could potentially be different. I would argue that comparatively, digital simulations are fake, or "faker" than physical existence.
Good job on the video & post.
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