Internet had offered a very different life for younger generations compared to our parent's life 30 to 40 years ago. Checking e-mail, online messaging, blogging, e-book, downloading movies, songs or application as well as online gaming has been part of the life in most young people today. I can consider myself as a "senior" in this aspect considering I had exposed myself in this virtual world for nearly 10 years.
From an internet rookie that visited various sites, dont know what is google, getting loads and loads of viruses from websites (including p0rn sites, I do admit it since I'm honest) and learning along the way on how to utilize what's being offered in an unknown great blue sea called the internet till now, at least I have the basic knowledge to find what I want in a secured manner and at least manage to utilize it properly to serve the need of my life (no more p0rn though lol).
One of the greater evolution on the internet is to make people socialize and connecting people (sorry to Nokia for borrowing their quote) in the form of online chat program, VOIP (voice over internet protocol, which basically means u can speak online for free) as well as online gaming. One would hailed the internet for making all this possible, but isit for better or worst?
Using online gaming as an example, Starcraft 2 in year 1998 and Diablo 2 in year 2000 by Blizzard was the 2 pioneer game that drive online gaming to a whole new level. This 2 games brought birth to other MMOPRGs such as Ragnarok Online, Lineage 2, World of Warcraft, Guildwar, Sims 2 and more and more games that offered gamers the chance to explore and interact in the virtual world. Initial games like Diablo 2 only introduce a traditional gaming concept, which means the game mechanic is build in such a way where players will tend to concentrate on raising the level of their characters, pvping against one another, hack and slash monster and trying to become the stronger player/guild in a particular server.
Ragnarok Online by Gravity in 2001 however, introduced a very different gaming concept, which basically offered players better chances to socialize with one another with cute emoticons, dresses and accessories as well as the chance to marry online. This concept attracted a different genre of gamers, not those who are interested in traditional hack n slash game but those that like to socialize online. Many critics hailed this new concept, and future games such as Lineage 2 did adopt such concept to a certain extent.
Despite the success of this concept, I, however never think this as a very positive move in terms of psychology development of these young gamers. Past research had shown that online gamers, at least 80% or more were categorized as "seriously addicted" gamers, and these gamers can spent up 10 hours or more just playing the game. Let's not talk about health first since we all know how bad it is when you faced the monitor for more than 10 hours each day while ignoring other stuffs, but the important thing I've yet to mention is some of these gamers dwelved too deep in their "virtual life" while ignoring much of their reality life.
Imagining dedicating alot of time in a virtual world that they consider to be safe, pretending to be another character, befriending strangers that could ulterior motives, and doing online dating and marriage when a youngster had yet to expose themselves enough in reality life. How could this affect their later life? There were reports that showed that some youngsters dwelved too deep into online gaming till they can't differentiate reality and virtual world, which is pretty frightening if you asked me. I did an experiment in an local online game and you won't believed how easily I can get the handphone of few girls in less than 1 hour.
It's not as though I'm condeming online gaming, since I was an online gamer myself few years ago and thus I can speak from my experience based on what I observed and from chats from my online friends. Its just that most youngsters might not be able to discipline themselves enough to separate the differences between virtual and reality world, and some youngsters, especially those who lack of friends or those with lower self-esteem would adopt a totally opposite personality online to make them feel better. The main issue is, how would that help with this youngster's psychological development? Would it help, or would it make matters worst since the problem with the youngster wasn't solved at all. As this particular youngster will feel safer and more secure in virtual world with a totally different character, how will that help them when they are facing the reality world later? Surely it could bring negative effects to them, at least in terms of psychological development right?
As such, it is important to have a balance between play, fun and addicted especially when it comes to online gaming. And as a future psychologist, hopefully there are enough researches done in this area to bring more awareness and to help more and more youngsters that are getting more and more addicted in this genre of gaming.
We do hope we can make a difference.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Deception
Life is like a drama as many people said. Which explains why most of us are wearing a social mask aka "persona" when interacting with other people. Some act to be cute, some act to be friendly, some act to be tough, some act to be cool and the list goes on...
The main question now would be, is it necessary to pretend to be someone else or to adopt a totally different behavior when you are meeting or socializing with someone else? In most cases, I would say it is necessary. The society nowadays has lesser tolerance towards those who tried to act out of norm, such as positive criticism even it were for the benefit of the listener. You can say it's weird, but I guess people nowadays need too much about feeling good about themselves till the extend they don't mind to be blinded by lies if those lies can make them feel good, but they most likely don't tolerate criticism even if those criticism helps them one way or another.
Anyone who don't obey such social norms might ended up being booted out from a group or being left out of anything. Humans are social beings afterall, and I guess such punishment is abit too harsh for most of us, and most people have no choice but to 'act' with one another, just like the saying "if you can't beat them, join them".
It's very weird, but for some reason, most people only dwelve deeper and deeper in something even when they know it's wrong. Humans are weird huh, and I guess that what makes each of us more 'interesting'.
The main question now would be, is it necessary to pretend to be someone else or to adopt a totally different behavior when you are meeting or socializing with someone else? In most cases, I would say it is necessary. The society nowadays has lesser tolerance towards those who tried to act out of norm, such as positive criticism even it were for the benefit of the listener. You can say it's weird, but I guess people nowadays need too much about feeling good about themselves till the extend they don't mind to be blinded by lies if those lies can make them feel good, but they most likely don't tolerate criticism even if those criticism helps them one way or another.
Anyone who don't obey such social norms might ended up being booted out from a group or being left out of anything. Humans are social beings afterall, and I guess such punishment is abit too harsh for most of us, and most people have no choice but to 'act' with one another, just like the saying "if you can't beat them, join them".
It's very weird, but for some reason, most people only dwelve deeper and deeper in something even when they know it's wrong. Humans are weird huh, and I guess that what makes each of us more 'interesting'.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Is Trying My Best Even Enough?
Help... how much help can I actually provide? I used to think by trying your best, u can always make a difference for others but I guess that thinking was bit too naive. Certain events lately make me realized that there are times when you can't make too much of a difference despite trying your best to help someone in their problem. Its really some regret, but I guess sometimes you can't help it, at least I tried my best rite?
I can only hope that time can reveal a better path for these people and allow them to see my points all along. May the force be with you! ^_^
I can only hope that time can reveal a better path for these people and allow them to see my points all along. May the force be with you! ^_^
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Relationship Tree
Everyone had a relationship with someone the second they were borned. Mother, father, siblings, auntie or uncle, and the list goes on...
Regardless of any relationship we are in, it takes great effort from both parties to let the relationship grow, or die... Taking a plant as an example, we need to water, loosen its soil (some even believed music helps plant to grow, I had no idea for now though), spraying it pesticide sometimes to ensure the plant grow up big and strong. It takes a mutual combination of how much the plant needs (water, soil, sunshine, etc) as well as how much we gave the plant that determine how well the plant grows.
Overdoing it, such as too much watering might caused the plant to die, using pesticide might caused some plant to die are just some examples of how mutual understanding in meeting the needs of the plant aka relationship determines how it grows.
When a plant grows up big and strong like the coconut tree, it can withstand the strongest of wind. However, a weak plant will only leads to death and decay, and no remedy in the world can heal it. I guess that was the cruel nature of this world, but again, we always have the choice to pick up a new plant and grow it up all over again.
All the best to you my dear friend!
Regardless of any relationship we are in, it takes great effort from both parties to let the relationship grow, or die... Taking a plant as an example, we need to water, loosen its soil (some even believed music helps plant to grow, I had no idea for now though), spraying it pesticide sometimes to ensure the plant grow up big and strong. It takes a mutual combination of how much the plant needs (water, soil, sunshine, etc) as well as how much we gave the plant that determine how well the plant grows.
Overdoing it, such as too much watering might caused the plant to die, using pesticide might caused some plant to die are just some examples of how mutual understanding in meeting the needs of the plant aka relationship determines how it grows.
When a plant grows up big and strong like the coconut tree, it can withstand the strongest of wind. However, a weak plant will only leads to death and decay, and no remedy in the world can heal it. I guess that was the cruel nature of this world, but again, we always have the choice to pick up a new plant and grow it up all over again.
All the best to you my dear friend!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
The End of a Long Holiday and the Beginnng of A New Semester!
It has been quite sometime since i last updated my blog, guess I was enjoying my life too much during the holiday haha; socializing and meeting up with friends for fun and activities, freelance job, internship, famine 30 hours, boiling vcds (it was dvds actually) and more!
Famine 30 hours is basically an event organized by World Vision to raise funds for poverty children where every participant needs donate/ask for donation/accumulate a certain sum of money to join the event itself to fast for 30 hours (this is to remind everyone of the suffering and lack of food experienced by most poverty children around the world). I always have a weakness for food and can't stand hunger, my previous housemate had commented that I looked like a drug addict when didn't eat after quite sometime haha; i was basically shivering and sniffing like one :(
But guess what, I did managed to survive the event without any scar lol, it was quite fun and I managed to know a few nice people there. Given a choice, I will opt to join it again next year with a bigger gang of mine hehe, life is all about enjoying to the fullest rite? :P
Nothing much to say about boiling vcds and socializing except I was addicted to singing K in the past 2 weeks. Been visiting Neways in 1U for like 3 times in 2 weeks, which is alot considering it has been around 7 years since I last went to sing any K. Me and my friends might make it a weekly event, which is gonna burn a hole in my pocket for sure lol but at least it's not that expensive considering our last session only costs us around RM20 for 6 hours during nighttime, pretty cheap rite? :P
One amazing moment I had during the holiday was when I was working freelancing as a promoter in Bangsar Village last Sat and Sun. I saw something really beautiful there, not chio girls la but a very talented pianist with alot of discrepancies. Blind, hearing problem (he needed a hearing aid) and most important of all, he was someone with learning disability and you can see he was not normal compared to us, but the songs he played is up to par with many professional pianist. I was so amazed by his play that I always take my lunch or dinner ASAP and basically sat there till the end of my break.
Looking at him made me realized life can be a very beautiful thing, and I was wondering if someone like him can live normally and never cry for those unfair moments in life, why should we, normal people always cry for the simplest of problems rite? They do not have the power to change their biological deficiency, yet they have such great courage to try to live a normal life whereas people like us sometimes failed to gather such courage or realized that we always have the power to change our life to be a better one. Anyway, the pianist name was Collin and he did performed in many events before such as Genting, Le Meridien to name a few. He did have his fair share of fans, some people I spoke to were actually visiting his play every now and then, and yea, you can count me as one of his fans as well. ;)
Every good thing has to come to an end though, and my new semester just started last Tuesday! Not as though I was terrified by it though since studying was already part of my daily routine for like... 15-18 years already? Nonetheless I hope to achieve good result this sem (I knew I always said the same every semester haha) in order to achieve at least 2nd upper degree for my Bachelor of Psychology course.
The first week passed off peacefully, almost too peaceful since most classes have yet to start any lecturing sessions yet (I only refer to those I attended so far). But me and my friend did have some busy time forming groups or stuffs for the upcoming group assignment for some of our subjects.
Hopefully all of us can work hard together as well as keeping an eye on one another to ensure everyone is working hard haha... ya, I do need supervision to be hardworking as I was a well-known lazy worm :(
Gambateh everyone!
Famine 30 hours is basically an event organized by World Vision to raise funds for poverty children where every participant needs donate/ask for donation/accumulate a certain sum of money to join the event itself to fast for 30 hours (this is to remind everyone of the suffering and lack of food experienced by most poverty children around the world). I always have a weakness for food and can't stand hunger, my previous housemate had commented that I looked like a drug addict when didn't eat after quite sometime haha; i was basically shivering and sniffing like one :(
But guess what, I did managed to survive the event without any scar lol, it was quite fun and I managed to know a few nice people there. Given a choice, I will opt to join it again next year with a bigger gang of mine hehe, life is all about enjoying to the fullest rite? :P
Nothing much to say about boiling vcds and socializing except I was addicted to singing K in the past 2 weeks. Been visiting Neways in 1U for like 3 times in 2 weeks, which is alot considering it has been around 7 years since I last went to sing any K. Me and my friends might make it a weekly event, which is gonna burn a hole in my pocket for sure lol but at least it's not that expensive considering our last session only costs us around RM20 for 6 hours during nighttime, pretty cheap rite? :P
One amazing moment I had during the holiday was when I was working freelancing as a promoter in Bangsar Village last Sat and Sun. I saw something really beautiful there, not chio girls la but a very talented pianist with alot of discrepancies. Blind, hearing problem (he needed a hearing aid) and most important of all, he was someone with learning disability and you can see he was not normal compared to us, but the songs he played is up to par with many professional pianist. I was so amazed by his play that I always take my lunch or dinner ASAP and basically sat there till the end of my break.
Looking at him made me realized life can be a very beautiful thing, and I was wondering if someone like him can live normally and never cry for those unfair moments in life, why should we, normal people always cry for the simplest of problems rite? They do not have the power to change their biological deficiency, yet they have such great courage to try to live a normal life whereas people like us sometimes failed to gather such courage or realized that we always have the power to change our life to be a better one. Anyway, the pianist name was Collin and he did performed in many events before such as Genting, Le Meridien to name a few. He did have his fair share of fans, some people I spoke to were actually visiting his play every now and then, and yea, you can count me as one of his fans as well. ;)
Every good thing has to come to an end though, and my new semester just started last Tuesday! Not as though I was terrified by it though since studying was already part of my daily routine for like... 15-18 years already? Nonetheless I hope to achieve good result this sem (I knew I always said the same every semester haha) in order to achieve at least 2nd upper degree for my Bachelor of Psychology course.
The first week passed off peacefully, almost too peaceful since most classes have yet to start any lecturing sessions yet (I only refer to those I attended so far). But me and my friend did have some busy time forming groups or stuffs for the upcoming group assignment for some of our subjects.
Hopefully all of us can work hard together as well as keeping an eye on one another to ensure everyone is working hard haha... ya, I do need supervision to be hardworking as I was a well-known lazy worm :(
Gambateh everyone!
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