Sociological Analysis Of Second Skin

In the video Second Skin it explains how people have gotten consumed by video games and believe it is an outlet to get away from normal life. The movie was very interesting but it is sad to see how people can become involved in a fictional world which they feel like they are superior in. People can change the way they live by not eating as well, drinking caffeine to stay up all night and barely getting any sleep during the night. This movie relates to sociology because it describes how society has become so preoccupied by these virtual worlds. In Chapter 5 of the book it explains how technology has taken over people’s lives and how it affects their lifestyle.
The first example which I disagree with is many of the gamers have jobs but as
soon as they got off work, they go straight to playing games. They can’t seem come home and relax to spend time with their love ones, instead it is second nature to them to go play video games. In the video when someone becomes so consumed by technology, they can forget how to interact with others. For example, children, teenagers and adults will spend endless hours fighting each other in the virtual world, so they can level up. To me children need to have a life but many are inside all day with their face attached to a screen, they lose track of time and spend less time outside. You should enjoy life and not let something that is fake take over your life. Even though, these video games may make people who feel like nothing become something bigger, they should limit the time they spend playing games. Playing video games all day can cause weight gain and other health issues. When children and teenagers are exposed to these violent video games they may think what they do in the virtual world they can also do in real life. If video gamers limited their time on the computer, x box or other gaming devices they would see a change in both their physical and mental health.
To continue, the second example which I disagree with is in the video some of the players interviewed said they had become friends with complete strangers and were closer to them, than their actual real life friends.
They formed their own friend group who were avid video game players. Many people waste away their lives playing in a world which they think is almost real. To me it is sad when someone can become so involved in playing a video games and forget about their real life. They are able to leave this world and be part of a world where they feel they are wanted and can be in control. There were some couples that formed due to playing video games and meeting online. In many of the games you are able to chat or talk to others, so you can learn stuff about each other. You shouldn’t share your personal information over the internet to a complete stranger, so you should meet face to face if you want to become friends in a public setting. This way you can know they are a reliable person and aren’t playing the video game for other intentions. Video game players can become so obsessed, they can lose contact with their family and become less involved in their lives. People should enjoy every minute they have, but many to me waste it playing video games all day. I know some days you want to be lazy and not do nothing. The least someone could do is get up and go for a walk or read a book for a little while and then go back to playing. Getting up and exercising can help you become
energized and take a minute to breathe.
In addition, something I agree with is having a halfway house available, to gamers who feel hopeless and once they return to their real lives there is nothing for them to go back to.
Watching this video has taught me about how people can get so addicted to video games, they can lose their sense of life. Many players play for such long periods of time, they will eventually feel like they are useless. They begin to contemplate suicide, but the halfway house is where many can go for guidance and rehabilitation. Something which I found interesting was when many gamers return to their real lives, they don’t have a job or any insurance. I have learned a lot from watching this video, because I have never have been a avid gamer. I used to play my Nintendo when I was little, which I loved playing but it wasn’t too addicting. One man in the video explained how he replaced real life as a virtual world and would see things from the game. He described how he felt after being so preoccupied with gaming and he was disappointed in himself, by what he turned into. Something I would change would be maybe only show one or two couples, who found each other through this game. It got confusing because it kept going to different couples and they were talking about different
things.
In conclusion, I have learned that gaming can cause serious health problems, depression and can lead to suicide. It’s very heartbreaking hearing the stories of how games can become so consumed by not only World of Witchcraft but others games as well. Many begin to feel like the only thing they can do is play in the virtual world. They let their life go by while sitting at a desk sunup to sundown. The information I learned from watching this video allows me to understand how gamers can become so involved in video games and if I ever know anyone who is an avid gamer, I’ll now how to help steer them away from playing all day. Many corporate companies are to blame because they want as much money as they can get. They normally do not care about what complications someone can obtain from playing video games constantly. People should control the amount of time they play video games and if they feel like they need help, to contact someone like a therapist. It was an interesting and also disturbing video because it is hard to understand how people can become one with the game, forgetting their daily lives.