Cyber Love and the New Age

What better month than to see this documentary, "Second Skin?" Which I must say, this has been quite the month for me!  Second Skin is a documentary on people who are addicted to MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) and using this strategy  to find their soul mate.  After viewing this video, I began to feel very in touch with the situation.  My two brothers are big time Halo players.  They play online with their friends, everyday and sometimes when I am bored, I join them.  One day while playing, I met Ken, my brother's friend.  For the past five years, we have grown a remarkably strong friendship!  Ken and I have suffered many hardships in the passed five years, but have never failed to be there for one another.  We have helped each other with advice on past relationships, family problems and so much more.  I can definitely call Ken my best friend.    

However, this is where this story takes its turn...  Last week on valentine's Day, Ken surprised me with a dozen of roses along with a confession of his true feelings towards me!  In all honesty, this was a complete shock.  I had no clue these hidden feelings were secretly stirring behind him.  What started from simply yelling at each other through a microphone and killing one another, to him falling in love with me.

  I hear many different opinions on how the internet has changed romance and I totally agree.  When my grandparents fell in love, they had to walk to each other's homes to communicate.  Nowadays we can Skype and see each other's face, without physically being there with them.  Times have changed and so has love.  

 This documentary had displayed the various addictions of online gaming and how these video games such as; World of Warcraft and Everquest has consumed hours beyond hours of people's everyday lives.  It sickens me to see how sucked in people can become, where results can lead to job loss, eviction, divorce, and even suicide.  The internet may allow a person of low self-esteem to alter their physical traits online and meet people in disguise without fearing rejection.  In some cases, the internet has damaged peoples lives, however; in my case, it may have enhanced it.  We shall see... 
-Andrea Vossekuil


LINKS
http://thooghun.hubpages.com/hub/MMORPG-addiction
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131509001274
http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/halo-addiction-almost-brought-end-marriage-132.html

Money For Nothing response

This documentary was filmed in 2001and since then, the music world has experienced major changes.  The development of technology grows at such a rapid pace, with music's popularity right by its side.  The internet and radio has progressed in so many ways, positively and negatively.  I have learned somethings that I've never known before about music and the radio.  I always wondered why the same songs play throughout the day on local radio stations, but after watching this film, I learned that the reason is because artists pay the radio stations to excessively play their songs.  Only commercialized artists are on heavy rotation on the radio.  This makes it hard for independent musicians to get radio time or even to become publicized.  This aspect also causes one station to become to repetitive and nobody likes that.
Music from the internet has ruined the sales for many artists.  On the internet, everything is free.  People do not have to pay for albums anymore.  If they like a specific artist, popular or underground, and want to hear their music, they can just search it and download it to their pc's for free.  The internet allows you to listen to any song of interest, at any time of your desired moment.