Videogame Addiction Essay Example for Free

Videogame Addiction Essay Jeffrey Stark knew he was in trouble when his grades dropped from 90s to 70s and he had lost all his friends. He was spending far too much time and effort feeding his addiction. Stark wasnt shooting heroin or drinking alcohol. He was playing computer games. Getting hooked on computer games has stripped me of countless valuable hours which could have been spent studying, says Stark, 18, of London, Ont. I am now antisocial and have very few friends. (Andrew Flynn) This story is not a unique one. Video games have been known to consume people to the point that their lives are falling apart. Video game addiction has wrecked people mentally, ruined professional careers, and destroyed marriages. Video game addiction is a growing epidemic around the world. It is an issue that needs to be dealt with so thousands of people can get the help that they need. Jun. 28Skip to 2012: Lindsay Lohan checks into treatment because the actress just cant stop hitting the barsthe falling block-bars on Nintendo Tetris. A 33-year-old office worker is fired because he wouldnt stop playing World of Warcraft 3 on the job. He sues and is awarded back pay and reinstatement, along with the accommodation that he be allowed at least three raids per day on the computer game. These scenarios could come to be if the American Medical Association classifies video game addiction as a mental condition tantamount to dependence on drugs and alcohol. (Arizona Daily Star) Now this might seem far fetched to some people but scenarios like these could be a very real and frightening possibility. When video game addiction becomes a real medical disease, people all around the world will be affected. For example, if this happens video game addicts will be given breaks to get their fix similar to smokers, and with the fact that seven out of ten homes in America have a video gam e console in them, this would be harmful to everyone. Employers everywhere will lose out on possible income they can make. In Tucson mental-health experts welcomed the study, saying  the problems are real and on the rise. But some devout gamers say the issue is overhyped.It is a valid addiction, said Paul Gallant, a clinical outreach coordinator for Sierra Tucson, a treatment center for addictions and mental disorders. He said hes seen a 20 percent increase in calls regarding compulsive gamers in the past 18 months. One case involved a 22-year-old college student who spent up to 20 hours on a computer game every day, and had failed classes and lost his job. It meets many of the classic criteria for process addiction, Gallant said. Many people who doubt that these cases are addictions do not understand neurochemistry or the working of the addictive brain. Many people feel that unless theres ingestion of a mind- or mood-altering substancewhether it be heroin, cocaine or alcoholwithout that, addiction cannot be present, and thats a lie. Video game addiction can be very disruptive, costing gamers jobs and relationships, said Christi Cessna, Sierra Tucsons director of marketing and intake. Its had a serious impact on lives, and frankly thats one of the reasons the (American Psychiatric Association) is looking at it as a diagnosis, she said. (Phil Villarreal) Video game addiction has a severe effect on your social life. Its similar to the idea of Internet addiction in that people are using video games to kind of disassociate from their lives in some way, Cessna said. We are getting calls, which is a challenge because no program out there specializes in video game addiction itself. Those hooked on gaming also may suffer from additional problems, such as anti-social behavior and depression, she said. (Phil Villarreal) This can be very disruptive costing people jobs and relationships and it one of the main reasons that the American Psychiatric Association. People have been using games to distance themselves from reality for decades but now with the type of games that are out now, one such game is World Of Warcraft. World of Warcraft or WOW for short, is a MMO RPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game) where you create a character from a number of different races and level up and go on quests. This game thats set in a fantasy world where someone can literally make a second life. For many people out there life might not be ideal and lots of gamers seek out happiness in games which is perfectly fine and healthy to an extent, but some people take it too far. For most hardcore addicts, they  will willingly forgo food, hygiene, and jobs to play a game instead. One case involved a 22-year-old college student who spent up to 20 hours on a computer game every day, and had failed classes and lost his job. to go back to this quote from earlier, video game addiction needs more attention and people need help; just like alcoholics have AA for help with their addiction, video game addicts need something similar. Although in recent years video games have got a bad rap. They have been accused of causing people to be violent and things of that nature which is untrue as proven in USA Todays article Study the Player, not the Video game, If youre worried about a video game turning your son or daughter into a killer, dont worry about that, says psychologist Patrick Markey of Villanova (Pa.) University. But is your kid moody, impulsive, or are they unfriendly? Its probably not the best idea to have that child play violent video games. With all that being video games can be used for good. In the past the authors have referred to games as good â€Å"learning engines.† Here they argue that games are good learning engines because they are first good assessment engines.Games require the kind of thinking that we need in the 21st century because they use actual learning as the basis for assessment. They test not only current knowledge and skills, but also preparation for future learning. They measur e 21st century skills like collaboration, innovation, production, and design by tracking many different kinds of information about a student over time. As an example of how epistemic games can be used as assessment tools, the authors describe a game they developed called Urban Science, in which players work as urban planners who are creating proposals for the development of an area adjacent to a large wetland. Epistemic games can be used to test whether students can solve complex problem using 21st century skills. Thus the authors suggest that the road to better schools starts by making the tests in school more like the games that students are already playing out of school. (James Gee, David Shaffer) Video games have been used by the military to help soldiers become better on the battlefield, in recent years schools have been pushing more interactive learning video games to keep students interested and having fun which in turn make you learn more. In conclusion video game addiction is a real epidemic. It affects millions of people every day. It has been know to ruin professional careers, destroy personal relationships, and have a grave effect on someones social life. Currently today there really isnt a good option for gamers to go to get help. Alcoholics and many other forms of recognized addictions have large and very effective and helpful organizations dedicated to alleviated peoples addictions yet videos game addicts do not. This is an issue that needs to be addressed because if it isnt, it will affect us all. Bibliography Flynn, Andrew. Its No-Win for Those Hooked on Games. Toronto Star. 27 Apr 2002: L9. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Gee, James Paul, and David Williamson Shaffer. Looking Where the Light Is Bad. EDge. Sep/Oct 2010: 1-20. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Jayson, Sharon. Study the Player, Not the Video Game. USA TODAY. 15 Sep 2011: D.3. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Steinberg, Michele. Programmed to Kill: Video Games, Drugs, and the New Violence. 21st Century Science Technology. Fall 2000: 16-22.SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Villarreal, Phil. Experts: Video Game Addiction Is Real; Players Scoff. Arizona Daily Star. 28 Jun 2007: n.pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.

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Arts and Culture Elective assignment Name: Nishant Sharma Stream: Radio Roll no: PGDJ-13091 National School of Drama The national School of drama is considered to be of the foremost theatre-training institute in the world and one of its kinds in India. Every year hundreds of students apply for NSD and only 26 are selected. The school has produced some very fine actors like Pankaj Kapur, Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan and Surekha Sikri. Recently the hard work of one of the alumni of NSD also turned fruitful and that is Nawazuddin Siddiqui. It took him around 12 years to finally make his entry in Bollywood. The list of successful alumni’s of NSD is very diminutive. Every year NSD recruits 26 students for its 3 year course and their future still remains in dark. What role does institutes like National School of drama play in a country like India? How institutions like these are helping to expand the scope of theatre within the country? Before we delve into the shortcomings of NSD, let’s understand NSD and what all initiatives it takes to encourage theatre as an art form within the country. NSD was set up by Sangeet Natak Academy as one of its important units in 1959. Initially the school was situated at Nizamuddin West, and was called 'National School of Drama and Asian Theatre Institute, whose first batch passed out in 1961. But in 1975 it became an independent entity under the Ministry of Culture. The kind of Training that is imparted at NSD is considered to be highly intensive and is based on a comprehensive syllabus covering every aspect of theatre- Theory and practical. Students are also required to produce plays during the curriculum. These shows are then performed before the public. So Theory and practic... ...g to English daily also mentions that that nowhere in the world can one make a living out of theatre alone. According to him NSD should train actors for television, radio and films. He said â€Å"It would be fantastic if they could bring the kind of intensity generated in theatre training to other forums†. Also teaching theatre as an art needs to move and develop with time. There hasn’t been much change in the curriculum of NSD since its inception. They train people but they themselves have no clue about what’s next after the training. NSD should expand its wings and should open up more repertories in the country. The thing is NSD should not only hold workshops and festivals in Delhi but also in other parts of the country in order to promote the art form. The more it will reach out, the more people will show participation. It should not just be restricted to one place.

Organization Behavior Concepts on the US Army Essay

Many organizations today offer unique perspectives into the possibilities for organizational structure, culture and behavior. Given the United States’ system of government and inherent freedoms, these areas are not often easily controlled or mandated. Corporations tend to impart a â€Å"feel-good† attitude were employees are asked to be nice to one another and the hierarchy seeks to keep a stable, friendly atmosphere. Promotions are based on performance evaluations, sometimes aligned with the contents of a grievance folder. If any grievances have been filed against an individual, these items are considered during the promotion process, but the contents are not standardized typically. The US Army handles this entire environment differently. Personnel voluntarily sign up with the organization, but are there after held to a strict moral code for three to eight years. The US Army has created a model of organizational structure, which gives them direct control over its anticipated culture and behavior. Reprimands are swift and complete. This paper will consider the many aspects of US Army organization and the impacts this has on three Main Organizational Behavior concepts as presented in the 2005 Robbins text: Organizational Structure, Organizational Culture and Group Behavior, suggesting the US Army has created an efficient and proscriptive model. The Viet Nam war caused many changes within the US Army. The conflicts and reprimands of soldiers from civilian and military personnel increased because of this Conflict. Theft and dishonesty grew from the distinct depression of morale in soldiers, causing a ripple effect of poor behavior. The US Army formed a committee to address the issue, which met at Fort Ord in California. Organizational Effectiveness grew from this time, giving the Army its own program to change the behaviors and attitudes of it members. â€Å"The Merit Reward System evolved from this project. Trainees and cadre members were rewarded for behavior that was clearly related to high performance and to high morale,† (Deaner, 1991, p. 13). This particular aspect of the former system lives on as a mainstay in US Army culture. In offering a payment for soldier behavior as well as performance, the US Army sets itself apart from the usual difficulties of control. Soldiers are beholden to its employers for the length of their contract, defunct behavior landing them in an â€Å"employee jail† or the brig. But, this overall control also allows the US Army to solely promote from within, reward through medals and advancement, and to offer prime employment locations through station selection. This reward structure is not available to other organizations, setting the US Army apart in its control of Organizational Structure and Culture, as well Group Behavior. The US Army no longer uses Organizational Effectiveness program. Its failing has been labeled as self-inflicted† by Deaner (1991, p. 18) although it is still used by outside organizations today. The basic principles as tested in the former system have evolved into a much more efficient and serviceable behavior model. Leadership remains the focal point in controlling the atmosphere in any organization. â€Å"In choosing the most appropriate procedures for developing leaders, an organization must first determine what leadership precisely entails,† (Campbell & Dardis, 2004, p. 27). The US Army has developed a definitive set of cultural guidelines for its organization. Leaders are expected to possess certain qualities, which will not only allow them the capacity to perform, but also to guide and influence others to do the right thing. In maintaining this strict code of ethics through promotion and contractual continuation, the US Army offers a unique perspective on Group Behavior, Organizational Structure and Culture. This format has been aligned into what is known as the â€Å"Be, Know, Do† model. Shaped and modeled by actual experience in developing officers and non-commissioned officers in the different branches of the U. S. Army, various drafts and versions of the BKD model have influenced Army leadership doctrine for over 50 years. Thus, the Army’s long-term continuing reliance on the model offers strong evidence of its robustness,† (Campbell & Dardis, 2004, p. 27). This model offers a construct for the entire premise behind the core value system imbedded within the structure of the US Army. Group behavior is aligned through a definitive chain of expectation prior to advancement to higher paying status. Cadence to control stepping in the same foothold, formations to align each body within the group, uniform control: all of these contribute to the maintenance of group behavior, offering individuals the chance to see themselves as a working part of a group. â€Å"Now a typical American soldier has a high school diploma, and many are college-educated. More than 50 percent of the military service members are married, and many have children attending the US Department of Defense dependent school system,† (Macdonald & Myers, 2005, p. 18). This distinct change in personnel adds to the efficiency of the US Army machine. Increasingly educated, ethics are becoming a fundamental staple in US Army culture. Although there are obvious inconsistencies (as with the Iraqi Prisoner of War scandal), the US Army still emerges as a leader in influencing the moral and ethical decisions its employees make. The most obvious difference between the US Army culture and that of typical business organizations comes from the complete sense of community created. â€Å"Like all civilian cities or counties, on-base military neighborhoods have key stakeholders that contribute to the growth of the entire community,† (MacDonald & Myers, 2005, p. 1). Where the typical corporation has employees living anywhere they chose, many US Army employees live either on base, or very near by. This close proximity offers the employees a direct influence on their environment and living arrangements. The spouses of employed personnel are involved in the â€Å"company† as it were. Complete communities are created to draw the family units of personnel into the mix, offering shopping centers, gas stations, libraries, schools, hospitals and even its own selections of medical personnel. Every aspect of life is shared and standardized. Cookie-cutter style housing offers levels of improvement within the ranking status. Similar-ranked people are afforded duplicate housing, often times on the same street or area of the base. High-ranking officials live in homes of higher value, yet still grouped in the same area of the base. This allows the employees a chance to solidify their performance and solidify the cohesiveness of the group. If an employee wants the better housing, salary and playground, he or she must gain education, perform admirably and meet specified standards in performance. The rewards are visibly set before the individual to further entice coherence and unity. A study performed by Pascale, Millemann and Goija considered the cultural differences in Sears, Shell and the US Army searching for key identifiers in how the culture of these organizations are affected by the employees in terms of culture within the companies. They concluded â€Å"power, identity, conflict and learning† were the base elements in these organizations (Pascale, Millemann & Goija, 1997, p. 129). Nowhere is the transformational power of re-socialization more evident than at three highly unusual U.  S. Army training centers-at Fort Irwin, California; Fort Polk, Louisiana; and Hoenfelds, Germany. In fact, the training is sufficiently remarkable to have been studied by the chief education officers at Shell, Sears, Motorola, and GE, and by senior delegations from every country in Western Europe, Russia, and most nations of Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. † (Pascale, Millemann & Goija, 1997, p. 134) The US Army has proven itself a leader in the creation of group behavior inline with the culture mandated by the organization. The interest of some many other countries indicates the US Army is an innovator in terms of structure and culture when sending troops and families off to become a part of another base. The culture remains under the same umbrella, allowing each a smooth transition despite the massive size of the organization. The very nature of military structure is unified in many countries. Soldiers are most often located in a central area, with families supported directly from the pay of the soldiers in question. In maintaining the group atmosphere of the military units, the governments expect, and often see a solidified goal structure. Group effectiveness is the extent to which explicit groups goals, that are assigned by the organization, are achieved. The successful attainment of such goals includes both the quality of group outputs as well as their timeliness,† (Langfred, 2000, p. 569). Although Langfred did an empirical study of the Danish Army to prove his theories of unit cohesion, the structure of the tests directly applies to the US Army as well. Cohesiveness in terms of group goals and communications were paramount in forming the cohesive units required for standardization. The US Army, however, is a leader in community structure in that the support often far-outreaches the constructs of similar organizations. The uniformity is across the board in terms of family support, job description, promotional evaluations and ethical standards. The beginnings of the US Army are directly connected to its cohesiveness of today. Originally designed as a conscription service where legions were formed by required participation of any and all applicable men, the organization itself has transformed into a voluntary unit of men and women. Originally devised from people of all age, economic and social stratus, anyone can now enlist provided they have at least a General Education Diploma (GED). The elitist nature from the past of the upper echelon serving as officers, and their subsequent promotions based on time-in-service over actual performance has changed drastically. According to an article written by Andrew Birtle, the change took a long time, but now allows anyone proving their worth and moral code can advance. Socio-economic status no longer remains as a qualifier for promotion or advancement. Although not a perfect system by any means, nepotism being obvious in some lines of service, the US Army provides a distinct design for the creation of cohesiveness and unification across behavior and cultural lines of organization (2003). The US Army has taken the advantages and cultural mores within its organization and applied them to harmony among all lines, to include race relations. â€Å"The Army has no peer in its broad record of promotions of blacks to positions of influence,† (Racial Integration, 2001, p. 35). Although not perfect by any means, the US Army still maintains this distinct line of communication and promotion for all its soldiers. Within each unit, the Army maintains an Equal Opportunity Officer who will listen and record any and all forms of complaint due to discrimination, sexual, racial, or other. All complaints are written down and added to applicable personnel files following a thorough investigation. At each promotional stage in the soldiers career, these files are considered, thus offering a distinct incentive to avoid disharmony or bigoted hate. â€Å"The Army is probably the only important institution in the U.  S. where whites don’t get promoted if they show racist behavior,† (Racial Integration, 2001, p. 35). In conclusion, the US Army offers a unique environment controlling and influencing the Organizational Culture and Group Behavior through its differentiated Organizational Structure. In maintaining a similar environment for soldiers and their families, the US Army homogenizes the livelihood of its employees through unification across the board. The promotional structure offered directly entices soldiers to conform in order to gain a better life and environment for themselves and their families. Although not easily duplicated in the business world, many companies have studied the US Army for innovative approaches to standardizing their own commercial culture. â€Å"The first step toward restoring organizational vitality is to engage every employee in the company’s principal challenges,† (Pascale, Millemann & Gioja, 1997, p. 131). The model used by the US Army controls the majority of situations within its construct and if studied further would offer commercial enterprises a blueprint applicable to other avenues of business organizations and their organizational behavior models. The unique Organizational Structure of the US Army dictates not only the Organizational Culture and Group Behavior; it also influences the Decision Making process, Motivation, Communication, Power and Politics, Human Resource Management and Change Management inherent in any large organization. The unique structure considers each of these aspects of organizational behavior and builds a concise view and standard operating procedures to control and maintain its vision of it future and mission. Although this paper looked at only three aspects, the US Army offers a distinctive model for any Organizational Behavior study.

Business Ethics and the Global Dimensions of Business Essay

Business Ethics and the Global Dimensions of Business This inclusive analysis was developed after an initial consultation with the C.E.O. of XYZ Construction, Inc. where the implications of expanding the construction company into Asia were discussed. The issues to be examined are the varied aspects of implementing a global business expansion. Time wise there is market potential for this opportune endeavor. However there are potential difficulties and risk that need to be considered before an international expansion is implemented. Moving from an exclusively domestic market into a global market within a horizontal construction operation can be perilous if not thoroughly strategized and prepared for carefully. Furthermore the ethical and†¦show more content†¦(Management eBook, 2010, p. 204) Relating opportunities to resources is a key strategy for businesses to consider. (Andrews, 1987, p. 35) Using human and material resources wisely benefits global business and due to less stringent regulations and lower wages companies seek g lobal opportunities to reduce cost. (Management eBook, 2010) Low interest rates have benefitted emerging economies. (Lee, 2006) Chief Executive Alistair Cox told Reuters in an interview that while consumers, global companies and employees seemed paralyzed by uncertainty over the world economy, they had since begun to adapt to tougher conditions and started hiring and changing jobs. He was particularly encouraged by a strong start to 2012 for Asia-Pacific, where two of its top five markets are located. Cox states, I would expect very strong double-digit growth across our Asia business in this calendar year because all the fundamentals are there†. (Janowski, 2012, p. 1) Michael Klein of Citigroup, states, â€Å"Emerging economies are using financial surpluses to attract sustainable economic activity. If growth in developing countries continues to outpace that of the developed countries the face of developmental finance will change†. (Lee, 2006, p. 99) Considering the evidence presented, not only will international developmental finance change but the dynamics behind the entire global initiative, approach and expansions will change how companies strategizeShow MoreRelatedBusiness Ethics and the Global Dimension of Business Essay2544 Words   |  11 PagesBusiness Ethics And The Global Dimension of Business Abstract Now that we have established a strategic business plan for Marketing, Operations and Human Resource Management for ABC Complete Kitchens, Inc, we must now establish an ethically and socially responsible business climate for our new plant. Another topic we must turn on our focus on is our presence in the global market. 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