This past reading was in some parts very interesting and in other parts hard to read. Since I am trying to be a business major it was interesting to see this author's take on business and corporations. In this reading it was said that the major businesses and corporations have money in everything including politics and the way people vote. Abraham Lincoln warned the people that America would no longer be free if the huge corporations were able to buy their way into office. On page 69 of the reading it says " they lobby legislators and bankroll election." "They manage our broadcast airwaves, set our industrial, economic, and cultural agendas and grow as big and powerful as they darn well please." If you stand back and look at all the advertisements that are run on television, they are all trying to get us to buy things that the corporations want us to buy. You are also supposed to vote for a certain politician because he will help the corporations out in the long run. We as Americans are supposed to consume things. We are to go to school, get a job, and buy things. That is what we are taught. We always need more and more, corporations always improve their products and convince us that it is better, so through their advertising we chose to consume this.
When I watched the Second Skin videos it made me very disgusted. I hated watching people get hooked on playing online games and throwing their lives away. It is so sad that sometimes the addiction to gaming can lead to death, as it did to a boy that was in the videos.I can understand that people with disabilities can find gaming online as a good thing because it gives them what they don't have. The people that get hooked on gaming just because they don't like their life is sad. I believe that people that get hooked on gaming so much should try to find more constructive things to do with their time. Instead of sacrificing their job, relationships, family, and friends they should just cut out the intense gaming.
Yeah like we talked in class during commercials they show people drinking pepsi, or coke, or driving the newest cars. They put that stuff out there because they want us to go and buy it. You're right we are taught to go to school, get a job, and buy things. And i think that's the worst part of us as Americans we do the same thing generation after generation, we need someone whose going to change it.
ReplyDeleteI too can understand people with disabilities getting addicted to the game, because like you said they get to be a "normal" person for that time. They don't have to hide behind their wheelchair for once. But people who get so addicted to the games that they kill themselves is just disturbing. Your life really can't be that bad.
I agree that we have been brought up to go to college, get a good job, and spend more money. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. We depend on the monetary system and education to get decent jobs so we can maintain a standard of living that we enjoy very much. If it wasn't set up this way, I believe we would have never advanced as a society. Without money and supplies, Christopher Columbus never would have discovered America. Also, Lasn really demonized early corporations like the Massachusetts Bay Company, but without companies like this America never would have been settled. So as you can see there is an ever present battle in America against corporations and yet we wouldn't be where we are at today without them. I think it's bad when we give corporations too much power, but corporations and entrepreneurship is how society advances. Without business, we would all be stuck in the dark ages because this type of economic competition drives our standard of living to new heights. One thing, I will add, that I absolutely can't stand about corporations, is how pervasive advertising has become. I don't want to read an advertisement that's on the wall in the bathroom when I want privacy. It is annoying and it surrounds us.
ReplyDeleteI also think it is true that corporations work in their advantage and it is sad that they have had the ability to become so powerful. The influence they have on us as indivuals alone is scary but what is even scarier is the impact the corporation has in government as well as their company. The role that money plays in people running for office and the influence money has on corporations is also frightening. Corporations are only worried about money and if a person running for office wants advertisements, if they pay enough the company will probably say whatever they like. This makes it tough for us when election time comes because advertisement can be misleading.
ReplyDeleteWhen watching Second Skin I too thought it was scary that people could let a video game like this take over their lives. However I can't say I completely blame the video game companies. Yes, they are probably thrilled to have people addicted to the game I don't think we can blame them for these gamers actions. Regardless to what anyone says the gamers are the ones who allow the game to take over their life. I can also see why people with disabilities may find an escape through games like W.O.W. Like I said in my blog I don't think this is a bad thing as long as it is used as an "escape" from their problems in moderation, not the center of their life.
I do agree that Corporations have had the ability to become very powerful. The sad thing is we help them become more powerful. Were the ones buying things they want us a buy, so it's a good job by them by getting us to by those things. And for us, were the ones fueling them to keep doing there job.
ReplyDeleteLike Brittany said above, I can see how disabled people do like playing these games because they can hide behind the screen and be themselves. When they are out in real life they are faced with difficulties. While playing this game they are able to be happy which is also sad. But those who just play this and then end up killing themselves is so sad. That's why some games can be very dangerous. *Even the game Grand Theft Auto has caused people to do reenactments. Scary world out there isn't it?