Essay Question: Understanding the pros and cons of children playing video games.
The Effects of Video Games on Children and Adolescence
Video games were first introduced to the world in 1958 (The First Video Game, 2008). Since their introduction they have quickly become one of the most pervasive, profitable, and influential forms of entertainment across the world (Squire, 2003). Children in particularly, have adopted these games as their preferred leisure and entertainment activity which has consequently heightened the belief that technology is now shaping the growing mind (Children and Video Games, 2002). In 2001, computer and console game software and hardware exceeded $6.35 billion in the United States, and worldwide reached $19 billion- both these figures are an astronomical amount. These figures may be attributed to the fact that technology is continually developing and thus offering new and exciting video games, replacing the older games (e.g. not only did you need the Nintendo 64 in 2001, you now need the Nintendo Wii in 2009). With so much money and obviously time being invested in these games, it becomes reasonable, if not necessary, to research and understand both the positive and negative benefits of using these games, particularly concerning children and adolescence.
In this essay, we will focus on the relevant literature centered around the different effects video game playing may have on children and adolescents. Theoretical interest on this subject has created a precedent for ever-growing research to be conducted globally, and thus research is readily available. Many researchers have outlined the negative short and long- term effects consequently derived from video game playing (such as social alienation/exclusion). Other researchers have outlined the beneficial effects of using video games (such as for educational purposes). Both these arguments will therefore be explored in deeper context and will be used to answer the controversial and debated question: Video games and children, for better or worse?
Given the encompassing influence of video games on society, many educators/scholars have taken an interest in what effects these games have on the players, and how some of the motivating aspects of video games might be harnessed to facilitate/enhance teaching (Squire, 2003). It has been suggested that the new advances in computer games can therefore be used to engage students and enhance their learning (Grimley, Green & Nilsen, 2006). It is widely known that video games are designed to elicit certain emotions from the player- power, aggression, joy, accomplishment, fear etc. These emotions are encouraged/influenced by video game designers by balancing certain game components, such as character traits, game rewards, obstacles, game narrative, competition with other humans, and opportunities for collaboration with other players (Squire, 2003). By understanding these clever dynamics behind the design of video games, instructional technologists (who design interactive digital learning environments) can find this as a useful guide (Squire, 2003). One example of how the use of video games in education may prove to be successful is shown in a study conducted by Bakar, Inal and Cagiltay (2006). In this study 49 prospective teachers were asked to play and then rate the educational quality/benefit of certain video games. It was found that participants believed video games had the potential to increase students motivation because they are enjoyable and a source of fun, they enhance students’ cognitive skills (such as problem solving, decision making and critical thinking), they improve students’ abilities in terms of using mouse and keyboard and lastly they are effective tools in encouraging and demonstrating teamwork (Bakar, Inal and Cagiltay, 2006). These results run parallel to researcher’s findings that video games, used for educational purposes, have been found to be beneficial for children and adolescences cognition. Researchers have proposed that spatial skills are the cognitive skills that are most likely to be enhanced by video game playing, as most games require spatial visualisation and spatial perception skills (Greenfield & Cocking, 1996). To prove this a study was conducted by Ofra and Pnina (2004) examining 150 kindergarten children, and it was found that children who engaged in adult-mediated computer activity improved the level of their cognitive performance on measures of abstract thinking, planning ability, vocabulary, and visual-motor coordination, as well as on measures of response style including reflectivity (Ofra & Pnina, 2004). Both the opinions of teachers and the actual performance of children have shown that when video games are used for educational purposes, the outcomes are beneficial.
More prominently however, research and studies concerning the negative effects of children playing video games have continued to circulate within society. These studies have been centered on the fear that video games can foster violence, aggression, negative imagery of women, or social isolation (Provenzo, 1991). As mentioned earlier, it has been stated that technology is shaping the growing mind- if young children/adolescence are continually engrossed in taking part in the act of killing violently, acting aggressively towards others and in some cases, being desensitised to racism, what values/morals are we allowing our young to inherit? It is this particular question that has controversially circulated in the media, in other words, do video games increase aggressive/violent behaviours in children and adolescence? It is hard to disagree, or think otherwise, when stories such as the Columbine shootings (high school massacre, committed by students of the school, occurring in 1999) linger in the back of our mind. The students who committed this atrocity were regular players of the violent video game Doom, and would play it most afternoons (Glick & Keene-Osborn, 1999). Jerald Block, a US psychiatrist, believes that the anger that was being projected into the games by the two students was unleashed into the real world (Columbine high school massacre, 2003). With such profound evidence, researchers have therefore taken it upon their responsibility, to study this eerie phenomenon. Several experimental studies suggest that playing a violent game, even for brief periods of time, can generate short-term transfer effects such as increased aggression in children's free play, increased aggressive/hostile responses on ambiguous, open-ended questions, and increased aggressive ideation (Kirch, 1998). For example, Kirsh reported that 3rd and 4th grade children (7 and 8 year olds) who played the violent video game Mortal Kombat 2, responded more violently to open ended questions than did children who played a nonviolent basketball game (Subrahmanyam, Greenfield, Kraut & Gross, 2001).
Other researchers has centered on the idea that video games increase social exclusion/isolation and decreases positive social development. This has been researched on a number of occasions. It has been found that children and teens who play excessively often do so at the expense of homework, and playing solo can isolate children from their peers, potentially causing problems for them later in life (Storch, 2006).
"Social interactions teach you how to deal with other people as well as what's appropriate and what's not. You learn how to handle situations. Social interaction is also one way of coping with stress and receiving emotional support”. (Eric Storch 2006, pp. 226-228)
Although only two problems associated with video games have been discussed (increased violent/aggressive behaviours and decreased socia lisolation/development), a wide range of other problems have been outlined, such as: obsessive, addictive behaviours, desensitizing of feelings, personality changes, hyperactivity, learning disorders, premature maturing of children, psychomotor disorders, health problems due to lack of exercise and loss of free thinking and will (Setzer & Duckett, 2008). These problems need to be considered individually
when answering the question- do video games negatively affect children/adolescence?
Enormous amount of research has been conducted in order to prove that video games have both negative and positive effects on children/adolescence. Only a small amount of research has been discussed in this essay. Although video games have been found to have an educational benefit and enhance learning environments, the negatives far outweigh the positives. When all the negatives are put together, a hard-to-debate argument is created. As a society we need to encourage even further research into this topic so we can help guide the future of our young children/adolescence. Perhaps if video games are only used for educational purposes or if stricter classification regulation is introduced, the negative effects of video games on children/adolescence can begin to decrease.
REFERENCE LIST
Children and Video Games. (2002). The Kaiser family foundation. Retrieved December 9, 2009, from http://www.kff.org/entmedia/3271-index.cfm
Columbine high school massacre. (2003). Bookrags. Retrieved December 9, 2009, from
http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/Columbine_High_School_massacre
Glick, D. & Keene-Osborn, S. (1999). Anatomy of a massacre (Columbine High School shootings). Newsweek 133(1), 24–30. Retrieved from Academic Research Library Database.
Greenfield, P. & Cocking, R. (1996). Interacting with video: Advances in applied developmental psychology. Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex Publishing Corporation.
Grimley, M., Green, R. & Nilsen, T. (2006) Computer games in education. ULearn Journal, 24(1), 24-30. Retrieved from Academic Research Library Database.
Kirsh, S, J. (1998). Seeing the world through Mortal Kombat-colored glasses: violent video games and the development of a short-term hostile attribution bias. Childhood: A Global Journal of Child Research 5(1), 177–184.
Ofra, N. & Pnina, S. (2004) Computers for cognitive development in early childhood. Information Technology in Childhood Education Annual, 21(2), 223-230. Retrieved from Academic Research Library Database.
Provenzo, F. (1991). Video kids: Making sense of Nintendo. Cambridge, MA: Harvard.
Storch, E. (2006) Video games fun but pose social, health risks. Medical News Today 31(2), 226-228. Retrieved from Academic Research Library Database.
Squire, K. (2003) Video games in education. International Journal of Intelligent Stimulations. Retrieved from Academic Research Library Database.
The First Video Game. (2008). Brookhaven history. Retrieved December 10, 2009, from
http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/history/higinbotham.asp
Use of Commercial Games for Educational Purposes: Will Today’s Teacher Candidates Use them in the Future? (2006) Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology. Retrieved December 10, 2009, from, http://www.mackenty.org/images/uploads/Prospective_teachers.pdf
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Tutorial Ten Task
Media Tetrad
1. Old medium of communication: Television
Enhances:
Not just sound technology like Radio, also introduced visual technology. Television was more descriptive (less imagination was needed)
Retrieves:
Television is similar to radio (in retrieving information) as it is a form of entertainment e.g. – it entertains audiences with soap operas, dramas and news, similar to radio.
Reverses:
When pushed to the extreme, television becomes reality television. Television then starts to become a mirror of society instead of a means of entertainment (when pushed to the extreme, shows on television could become “just like” reality e.g. - shows which showed surveillance camera footage).
Obsolesces:
It does not make radio obsolete; however it makes other domains of radio obsolete (“video killed the radio star”).
2. New medium of communication: The Iphone
Enhances:
It enhances the older phones by combining different technologies into one (e.g.-computer and phone). The phone is not just a means of communication; it is a form of entertainment.
Retrieves:
It is still used for communication (such as calling and texting others) however, other content (being retrieved from technologies such as computers) has also been added, such as email, GPS, access to social networking sites and internet surfing.
Reverses:
When pushed to the extreme, Iphones can become a form of control of everyday devices and technologies (e.g.-controlling home appliances from your Iphone or controlling military machines). It becomes a basic devise of control, like a remote.
Obsolesces:
The Iphone can make the computer and older phones obsolete. It does this by allowing access of both technologies, in one devise- therefore cutting down time spent on these older technologies.
1. Old medium of communication: Television
Enhances:
Not just sound technology like Radio, also introduced visual technology. Television was more descriptive (less imagination was needed)
Retrieves:
Television is similar to radio (in retrieving information) as it is a form of entertainment e.g. – it entertains audiences with soap operas, dramas and news, similar to radio.
Reverses:
When pushed to the extreme, television becomes reality television. Television then starts to become a mirror of society instead of a means of entertainment (when pushed to the extreme, shows on television could become “just like” reality e.g. - shows which showed surveillance camera footage).
Obsolesces:
It does not make radio obsolete; however it makes other domains of radio obsolete (“video killed the radio star”).
2. New medium of communication: The Iphone
Enhances:
It enhances the older phones by combining different technologies into one (e.g.-computer and phone). The phone is not just a means of communication; it is a form of entertainment.
Retrieves:
It is still used for communication (such as calling and texting others) however, other content (being retrieved from technologies such as computers) has also been added, such as email, GPS, access to social networking sites and internet surfing.
Reverses:
When pushed to the extreme, Iphones can become a form of control of everyday devices and technologies (e.g.-controlling home appliances from your Iphone or controlling military machines). It becomes a basic devise of control, like a remote.
Obsolesces:
The Iphone can make the computer and older phones obsolete. It does this by allowing access of both technologies, in one devise- therefore cutting down time spent on these older technologies.
Lecture Ten Summary
Summary of lecture: The invisible environment and media and society.
*Media ecology-looks at media in the way you may look at the environment (biotic things- plants, humans and abiotics- rocks, nonliving things) Looking at how the media impacts and affects society.
*Internet is very involving (concerning hot and cold media)
*Laws of the media, 4 different laws
*The medium is the message-how media affect us, how we understand information and how we organise our daily lives.
*Tetrad of media- the new medium extends the last medium, it makes other technologies (such as television) obsolete, it retrieves information from older mediums and it reverses or flips when pushed to extremes.
*Neil Postman- founder of the medium ecology foundation. Understanding how media shapes our everyday life. Technology when used socially becomes a medium.
*Lance Strate- head of media ecology association. “Media ecology is the study of media environments”.
* Marshall McLuhan- no environment is perceptible. The fish in a bowl- the water is the fish’s environment. If food colouring is put in the water- the fish sees its environment is a new way. If you change the medium it can have significant effects on the environment
*Ash questions about the invisible environment (the media environment) so the invisible environment BECOMES visible!
* Relating this lecture to previous lectures:
Session 1- what is the invisible environment
Session 2- appreciating how environment has come to be as it is
Session 3- a shift in history about some ideas about social media
Session 4-introducing creative commons (in order to shape relationship/environment between social media and the law)
Session 5- Philosophy-the nature of reality (the biggest invisible environment of ALL)
Session 6- Video games, an example of a particular medium
Session 7 and 8- Politics (is a big part of our environment- especially in new media technologies)
Session 9- Artwork, idea of the internet as a medium but a medium of creativity- unique to the internet.
* The three ecologies: environment, social and mental (not part of media ecology but remarkably close to media ecology)
*The internet is a network (no leader of the internet)
* Barry Wellman- change in place-to-place connectivity to person-to-person connectivity (we are all networked individuals)
*The experience of everyday life is not based on one medium, but MANY- multiplexity
*If our environments are invisible we need to constantly draw attention to them!
*Media ecology-looks at media in the way you may look at the environment (biotic things- plants, humans and abiotics- rocks, nonliving things) Looking at how the media impacts and affects society.
*Internet is very involving (concerning hot and cold media)
*Laws of the media, 4 different laws
*The medium is the message-how media affect us, how we understand information and how we organise our daily lives.
*Tetrad of media- the new medium extends the last medium, it makes other technologies (such as television) obsolete, it retrieves information from older mediums and it reverses or flips when pushed to extremes.
*Neil Postman- founder of the medium ecology foundation. Understanding how media shapes our everyday life. Technology when used socially becomes a medium.
*Lance Strate- head of media ecology association. “Media ecology is the study of media environments”.
* Marshall McLuhan- no environment is perceptible. The fish in a bowl- the water is the fish’s environment. If food colouring is put in the water- the fish sees its environment is a new way. If you change the medium it can have significant effects on the environment
*Ash questions about the invisible environment (the media environment) so the invisible environment BECOMES visible!
* Relating this lecture to previous lectures:
Session 1- what is the invisible environment
Session 2- appreciating how environment has come to be as it is
Session 3- a shift in history about some ideas about social media
Session 4-introducing creative commons (in order to shape relationship/environment between social media and the law)
Session 5- Philosophy-the nature of reality (the biggest invisible environment of ALL)
Session 6- Video games, an example of a particular medium
Session 7 and 8- Politics (is a big part of our environment- especially in new media technologies)
Session 9- Artwork, idea of the internet as a medium but a medium of creativity- unique to the internet.
* The three ecologies: environment, social and mental (not part of media ecology but remarkably close to media ecology)
*The internet is a network (no leader of the internet)
* Barry Wellman- change in place-to-place connectivity to person-to-person connectivity (we are all networked individuals)
*The experience of everyday life is not based on one medium, but MANY- multiplexity
*If our environments are invisible we need to constantly draw attention to them!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Lecture Nine Summary
Summary of Lecture: Creative uses of internet technologies
Some cool websites:
*Google maps- (disaster map): connection to other servers to depict emergency/disaster zones in the world.
*Speed test-speed of broadband from one location to another. Great visual way showing how the internet interconnected
* Personas- characterizing names by going through the internet and matching words with names
*These websites were not possible a few years ago- the internet has come very far
*These websites represent two things:
*PortableApps.com- software on your memory stick: See below
*Open office- free version of Microsoft office
*Eraser portable- erases your hard drive- both free and paid programs to do this
*Key logger- records every single key stroke that is that. Save it to a text file and read it. Employers use this frequently.
*Freewaregenius-looking for these creative sites, free software
*Google wave- the next generation of email. Combination of email and a chat window. It is a real time application. You do do documents together, manipulate photo’s together etc.
* Net art- making artwork with the browser being a canvas.
Some cool websites:
*Google maps- (disaster map): connection to other servers to depict emergency/disaster zones in the world.
*Speed test-speed of broadband from one location to another. Great visual way showing how the internet interconnected
* Personas- characterizing names by going through the internet and matching words with names
*These websites were not possible a few years ago- the internet has come very far
*These websites represent two things:
*PortableApps.com- software on your memory stick: See below
*Open office- free version of Microsoft office
*Eraser portable- erases your hard drive- both free and paid programs to do this
*Key logger- records every single key stroke that is that. Save it to a text file and read it. Employers use this frequently.
*Freewaregenius-looking for these creative sites, free software
*Google wave- the next generation of email. Combination of email and a chat window. It is a real time application. You do do documents together, manipulate photo’s together etc.
* Net art- making artwork with the browser being a canvas.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Tutorial Task Eight
Viewing the digital poet Jason Nelson's SecretTechnology.com:
1. This is how you will die slot machine:
I thought this was very interesting piece of artwork/imagery. It told me that I would die in 72 hours and was followed by an amusing storyline. This piece made me think outside the box which I found very interesting! Jason used visual technology to depict his poetry. This piece got me thinking- life is exactly like a slot machine, we never know what we are going to get, especially how we are going to die. I think he played on this (rather ironically) by dipicting the concept of death as a slot machine- different and unpredictable for everyone. This may not be HIS underlying message for this piece, but this was my personal experience.
2. Game, game game and again game:
I really liked this game. The aim was to move your spider-like icon to the door. There are blocks and other things that try to stop this from happening and the aim was to move/jump your icon to avoid these. Trying to avoid these, while reading the random quotes/saying that would pop up (including a home made video), make this game distracting, messy and very abstract. This definitely isn't the "traditional" type of poetry. He used visual, sound and "video game style" techniques to create this piece. Jason said the message was to do with belief systems. As I'm a very logical type of person, I found it difficult to understand this message, yet I found it very entertaining.
3.Between treacherous objects
I found this piece difficult to interpret. It was abstract art combined with abstract poetry. I found this piece very alienating and unreadable (as I mentioned before though, I’m a very logical person!). It had a collage effect- going from 2D to multidimensional. This transition is actually controlled by the mousse, so you are the one in control. Because the screen was constantly moving, I actually found it difficult to read the scattered words
1. This is how you will die slot machine:
I thought this was very interesting piece of artwork/imagery. It told me that I would die in 72 hours and was followed by an amusing storyline. This piece made me think outside the box which I found very interesting! Jason used visual technology to depict his poetry. This piece got me thinking- life is exactly like a slot machine, we never know what we are going to get, especially how we are going to die. I think he played on this (rather ironically) by dipicting the concept of death as a slot machine- different and unpredictable for everyone. This may not be HIS underlying message for this piece, but this was my personal experience.
2. Game, game game and again game:
I really liked this game. The aim was to move your spider-like icon to the door. There are blocks and other things that try to stop this from happening and the aim was to move/jump your icon to avoid these. Trying to avoid these, while reading the random quotes/saying that would pop up (including a home made video), make this game distracting, messy and very abstract. This definitely isn't the "traditional" type of poetry. He used visual, sound and "video game style" techniques to create this piece. Jason said the message was to do with belief systems. As I'm a very logical type of person, I found it difficult to understand this message, yet I found it very entertaining.
3.Between treacherous objects
I found this piece difficult to interpret. It was abstract art combined with abstract poetry. I found this piece very alienating and unreadable (as I mentioned before though, I’m a very logical person!). It had a collage effect- going from 2D to multidimensional. This transition is actually controlled by the mousse, so you are the one in control. Because the screen was constantly moving, I actually found it difficult to read the scattered words
Lecture Eight Summary
Summary of lecture: Internet censorship and file sharing
Internet Filtering
*Censorship and internet filtering are closely related
* Internet filtering allows the government to filter websites (what you can view and what you can’t). This is a proposal, but has not been passed.
*Spread the word in order to get people talking
File Sharing
*The content industry (friends of traditional copyright- the “copyright mafia”), the content publisher acts on behalf of the creator; creative commons industry (protects your labours, but still makes it available to people by cutting out the middle man-the content publisher).
*One big controversy includes music and movie download piracy- e.g. - stopping Napster
*Piracy will never stop; consequences need to be tough, tedious and strict.
*” Intellectual property is the oil of the 21st century”
*The network (the internet) was built with nobody in charge, everyone is partly in charge of their own work
Internet Filtering
*Censorship and internet filtering are closely related
* Internet filtering allows the government to filter websites (what you can view and what you can’t). This is a proposal, but has not been passed.
*Spread the word in order to get people talking
File Sharing
*The content industry (friends of traditional copyright- the “copyright mafia”), the content publisher acts on behalf of the creator; creative commons industry (protects your labours, but still makes it available to people by cutting out the middle man-the content publisher).
*One big controversy includes music and movie download piracy- e.g. - stopping Napster
*Piracy will never stop; consequences need to be tough, tedious and strict.
*” Intellectual property is the oil of the 21st century”
*The network (the internet) was built with nobody in charge, everyone is partly in charge of their own work
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tutorial Seven Task
How many of the following can you achieve while sticking to your political beliefs?
1. Sign an e-petition:
I signed an e-petition to stop the proposed construction of high voltage overhead power lines by Powerlink from Ridgewood to Eerwah Vale. Below is the website link:
http://www.saveeumundi.org/2009/08/sign-the-e-petition-now/
2. What is Barak Obama up to today?
President Barack Obama addressed the nation today on his plans for Afghanistan in a speech at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He divulged details of his new Afghanistan strategy that will order an expected 30,000 to 35,000 additional soldiers and Marines to war, the largest single U.S. deployment since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
http://www.barackobama.com/index.php?splash=false
3. Find out who your local, state and federal representatives are:
Federal representative: Margaret May
State representative: Raymond Stevens
Local representative: Christine Smith
http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/advocacy/advocacy_article.jsp?articleId=2386#QLD
4. Look up the Queensland or Australian Hansard to find the last time your local member spoke in parliament.
Christine Smith last spoke in parliament on the 22nd April 2009.
Below is a quote from her speech:
"Am pleading with the Minister for Health—to review the
funding of Mirikai residential beds and I need members to assist me in supporting this"
http://parlinfo.parliament.qld.gov.au/isysquery/a549808b-14a2-4711-a039-e90c1bd7f590/1/doc/Christine%20Smith%20spk%20Burleigh%202009_04_22_88.pdf#xml=http://parlinfo.parliament.qld.gov.au/isysquery/a549808b-14a2-4711-a039-e90c1bd7f590/1/hilite/
5. Read the lecture and the readings, pursue a couple of the topics that you find most interesting and then post your blog with your well-considered thoughts about the theory and practice of politics.
When reading over the lecture for today I start to see the interaction between politics and the internet. Before this lecture, I was actually very unaware of the certain things, related to politics, that were being shown/promoted through the internet. One example that I found very interesting was how, particularly in America, the internet (such as Youtube) was used for political campaigning. The Obama campaign example was very entertaining and I think, as it was proved, very successful. This politics/internet relationship just proves how technology is continually advancing in our society, and will continue to.
Other Questions:
1. What do you think of the Australian Government's plans to censor the internet (the so-called "Clean Feed")???
“Clean Feed” is a content blocking system which has been discussed in Australian parliament. The aim of the system is to block certain websites or content that has not been approved (by the government). I really DISAGREE with this new system. I think this goes against our privacy rights and will make the internet less appealing. I think the internet is great and so widely used because of the freedom associated with it. I don't think that allowing the government to filter and control this freedom will be fair or just (especially in a democratic society). Consequently I believe it clashes with our democratic rights and should NOT be passed by parliament.
2. What place does censorship have in a Democracy?
I think censorship is important in certain domains of society- for example the film making industry. I think it is necessary and is used as a form of protection against certain content. I do think the government has a responsibility towards society to censor these types of industries because, for example, films are freely available to everyone and are inexpensive. I know I contradict myself (as the internet is also freely available to everyone and FREE) however, censoring the internet will be an expensive process, possibly inaccurate and limiting towards society’s freedom (by decreasing our privacy and freedom rights).
In summary, I believe the Government has a responsibility to censor certain domains in a democratic society; however I believe the internet is not one of those domains.
1. Sign an e-petition:
I signed an e-petition to stop the proposed construction of high voltage overhead power lines by Powerlink from Ridgewood to Eerwah Vale. Below is the website link:
http://www.saveeumundi.org/2009/08/sign-the-e-petition-now/
2. What is Barak Obama up to today?
President Barack Obama addressed the nation today on his plans for Afghanistan in a speech at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He divulged details of his new Afghanistan strategy that will order an expected 30,000 to 35,000 additional soldiers and Marines to war, the largest single U.S. deployment since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
http://www.barackobama.com/index.php?splash=false
3. Find out who your local, state and federal representatives are:
Federal representative: Margaret May
State representative: Raymond Stevens
Local representative: Christine Smith
http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/advocacy/advocacy_article.jsp?articleId=2386#QLD
4. Look up the Queensland or Australian Hansard to find the last time your local member spoke in parliament.
Christine Smith last spoke in parliament on the 22nd April 2009.
Below is a quote from her speech:
"Am pleading with the Minister for Health—to review the
funding of Mirikai residential beds and I need members to assist me in supporting this"
http://parlinfo.parliament.qld.gov.au/isysquery/a549808b-14a2-4711-a039-e90c1bd7f590/1/doc/Christine%20Smith%20spk%20Burleigh%202009_04_22_88.pdf#xml=http://parlinfo.parliament.qld.gov.au/isysquery/a549808b-14a2-4711-a039-e90c1bd7f590/1/hilite/
5. Read the lecture and the readings, pursue a couple of the topics that you find most interesting and then post your blog with your well-considered thoughts about the theory and practice of politics.
When reading over the lecture for today I start to see the interaction between politics and the internet. Before this lecture, I was actually very unaware of the certain things, related to politics, that were being shown/promoted through the internet. One example that I found very interesting was how, particularly in America, the internet (such as Youtube) was used for political campaigning. The Obama campaign example was very entertaining and I think, as it was proved, very successful. This politics/internet relationship just proves how technology is continually advancing in our society, and will continue to.
Other Questions:
1. What do you think of the Australian Government's plans to censor the internet (the so-called "Clean Feed")???
“Clean Feed” is a content blocking system which has been discussed in Australian parliament. The aim of the system is to block certain websites or content that has not been approved (by the government). I really DISAGREE with this new system. I think this goes against our privacy rights and will make the internet less appealing. I think the internet is great and so widely used because of the freedom associated with it. I don't think that allowing the government to filter and control this freedom will be fair or just (especially in a democratic society). Consequently I believe it clashes with our democratic rights and should NOT be passed by parliament.
2. What place does censorship have in a Democracy?
I think censorship is important in certain domains of society- for example the film making industry. I think it is necessary and is used as a form of protection against certain content. I do think the government has a responsibility towards society to censor these types of industries because, for example, films are freely available to everyone and are inexpensive. I know I contradict myself (as the internet is also freely available to everyone and FREE) however, censoring the internet will be an expensive process, possibly inaccurate and limiting towards society’s freedom (by decreasing our privacy and freedom rights).
In summary, I believe the Government has a responsibility to censor certain domains in a democratic society; however I believe the internet is not one of those domains.
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