Bad Economy? Not for Video Gaming!

The US video game industry continues to grow despite the bad economy. Though spending cuts are prevalent in all parts of life and in all kinds of industry, the video game industry grew 13% from January 2008. The industry now sits at $1.33 billion strong. This growth is well above the the overall consumer spending growth rates.

  • Is anyone concerned how gaming spend is going up in a time when spending is being cut elsewhere due to economic troubles?
  • What does this say about the culture we live in…
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Social Media effects on Law and the Legal System

Effects of Social Media in Law

In the past few years, the emergence of social media and the easy ability for users to communicate has drastically changed the news media landscape. Social online communities has allowed many users to united over various issues and form strong widespread interest groups. Whether through user generated news stories, opinion blogs, message boards, interest based websites, there is a large shift towards transparency and participation. In the minds of internet users, user reviews and opinions has become the source to get authentic, objective news.

A great example of the impact of social media is the recent Obama campaign. His campaign utilized a full social media strategy posting 1,800 videos on YouTube that generated 110 million views. They created a Facebook group with 3 million fans and a Myspace page with nearly 850,000 friends.

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Are Superbowl Ads Not Good for Kids?

“…I wasn’t too happy with ads for erectile-dysfunction drugs popping up every 15 minutes whenever I watched a football game with my daughters in the room.” ––Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope, 2006

NFL Commercial Superbowl LogoCommon Sense Media released a study on the content of TV ads & commercials shown during NFL game broadcasts. They studyed nearly 60 games covering 180 hours of game time coverage. Within that period there were nearly 6,000 commercials and the easy conclusion was that it is impossible to watch a single game without visually taking in messages of sex, violence or Viagra.

The CEO of Common Sense Media, James Steyer said “Nearly 5.3 million kids watch football each week, yet one in six of the ads shown during the broadcasts features content that’s wildly inappropriate for kids — that’s every other commercial break…”

“The game of football is great fun for families, but it can be really awkward for parents when they have to explain erectile dysfunction on a Sunday afternoon, or have to dive for the remote during violent promos for network shows. I know we speak for millions of football fans and parents everywhere when we say this situation is really getting ridiculous.“ — James Steyer CEO of Common Sense Media

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Teenager Kills Mother, Shoots Father Over Halo 3

Daniel Petric Kills Mother, Wounds Father
Daniel Petric Kills Mother, Wounds Father

Daniel Petric, a teenager from Ohio was charged and found guilty for aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder for killing his mother and wounding his father in Oct 20, 2007 because they wouldn’t let him play Halo 3.

Daniel was 16 when he snuck out of the house to buy Halo 3 after his parents told him he was not allowed to play it. His father, Mark Petric 45, forbade him to play it because it is very violent in nature and sexually explicit. Halo is a violent first person shooter. He was caught with the game on his way back and his father put away the game in a lockbox in their closet. Unfortunately this is the same box they kept their 9mm handgun.

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Teen Media Consumption Associated With Depression Symptoms

Media Impact on Teenager Depression
Media Impact on Teenager Depression

Media Exposure and Depression

A report in the February issue of “Archives of General Psychiatry” states that exposure to more television and media during teenage adolescent years seems to be associated with the development of depression symptoms in young adulthood. This is especially the case with young men.

“The development of depression in adolescence may be understood as a biopsychosocial, multifactorial process influenced by risk and protective factors including temperament, genetic heritability, parenting style, cognitive vulnerability, stressors (e.g., trauma exposure or poverty) and interpersonal relationships,”

Depression is said to begin during adolescence impacted by media exposure and influence. Plenty of statistic show that teens watch about 3 hours of TV a day, and are exposed to nearly 9 hours of some type of media consumption. Have you seen a teen without an ipod constantly stuck in their ears?

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Online Gamers in China must Register with Real Names

Soon, all online gamers in China must register with real names rather than made up game alias. This is a mandatory program that will be implemented for anti gaming addiction monitoring purposes.

Is online gaming addictive? Numerous studies and tests seem to support this case as massive online multiplayer games are becoming more popular both for children, teens and adults alike. Not only are more people playing, but many are spending countless waking hours building up their online characters.

Game addiction has become a serious problem all over the world. The Chinese government has concluded that this problem has become severe enough that they will soon require those playing massive multiplayer online (MMO) role-playing games must register with their real names when creating new accounts. Users will registers their names along with government issued ID cards. Zhang Yijun, the director of General Administration of Press and Publication’s technology and digital publication department, said personal information would become a requirement for those register for online games.

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Should Government Legislate Morality? Is Adultery a Crime?

Ok So-ri Jailed for Adultery
Ok So-ri Jailed for Adultery
  • What is the Government’s Role in upholding Morality?
  • It is a Criminal Offense to Murder, to Steal, how about Adultery?
  • Is it impeding on personal freedoms or should the Government have the right to govern it’s people’s moral conduct to maintain social order?

In 2008, South Korea’s highest court upheld an adultery law that sends adulterers to jail for having an extra-martial affair. Since 1989, four appeals have made it to the highest court but all four have been shot down. The most recent appeal was overturned this past October regarding a popular korean actress, Ok So-ri also known as Ok Bo-kyung, who was charged for an affair with a well-known opera singer. She blamed it on a loveless marriage. In January, she had entered into divorce proceedings with her husband Park Chul. Ok So-ri was sentence to eight months for adultery. Her lover was also sentenced to six months.

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Creativity: Powerful, Slow Motion Social Service TV Commercial Videos

The following videos are service ads shown on TV or other mediums in order to send a social message. Each of these TV spot videos are done in slow motion to enhance the message. The first video has to do with fire arms. The second video has to do with slowing down driver speeds in residential areas and the last is promoting the use of seat belts. Each of these videos use some powerful imagery to shake people into thinking about these issues.

Bullet Slow Motion Video


Disclaimer: I am going to spoil a bit of the punchline but I need to get this disclaimer out. Those who are faint in heart, there is a portion here where the ad leads you into thinking something is going to happen, but it doesn’t. Just know this is a CLEAN video.

(Lesson of the Day: “Faint in Heart” is correct. “Feint in Heart” is not. Feint means to trick or deceive. So the ad “feinted” or did a feint… but it’s not for the “Faint in Heart”.)

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Downloading TV and Watching Video Online Biggest Gainers in 2008

Download TV Shows
Download TV Shows

Downloading TV and Watching Video Online Biggest Gainers in 2008

According to new research from Mediamark Research & Intelligence, (MRI), the biggest year over year growth gainers among adult Internet users in 2008 in terms of media interaction were downloading TV shows, watching online videos and making online phone calls.

MRI surveyed the American consumer and found that 3.2% of adults had downloaded a TV program in the last 30 days for a 141% increase since the year before. Despite the fact that access to TV programs have become increasingly easier, this is still considered a tremendous jump year to year. The number of adults who watched online video also continued to trend up increasing by 35%. 4% of adults said they had made an online phone call which represents a 32% increase.

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Sex Trafficking Victims – The Facts

Sex Trafficking Victim
Sex Trafficking Victim

Sex Trafficking Part II

Another followup article I would like to give attention too as I feel these issues do not get enough coverage in the media.

There is a video posted online with her discussing her trials.

Article is from the NY Times Opinion Section found here, video can also be found there.

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Health Warning Labels for Video Games – Congressman

California Congressman Baca
California Congressman Baca

California Congressman Joe Baca has brought forth a bill which would require video games to have a health warning. This warning would warn the consumers that playing the game could have adverse and dangerous influence on the user.

All games with an ESRB rating of Teen (T) or higher would be required to carry a label that says “WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior.”

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