Second Life is a game of seemingly limitless possibilities in a large fantasy world consisting of character customization, and vehicle-themed adventures and even flight. It is a popular MMO (Massively Multi-player Online) Game. At a $10 monthly fee to players and an extensively open world of game play that is heavily based on socializing, Second Life is one game of its kind that can stand alone.
Games that feature large multi-player capabilities such as Second Life have proven to strengthen the social skills of the individuals who choose to play the game, especially of those who would prior to accessing the game itself, have a hindered approach to social interaction.
"They easily get in touch with people that they don't personally know," said Llewelyn, explaining how the children, who are forced into hiding to get away from abusive parents, benefit from the game. "This means we seem to break a barrier of socializing."
The point of the game itself almost seems to be irrelevant, as if there is no specific end point or glorified goal in mind. However, this makes for a winning formula when blended with the all too easily accessible interaction the game allows between players, and this has become the actual focal point of game play. The game's originality in being a player-driven quest and experience has certainly been beneficial to those lacking social skills, from the shy to the more extreme cases as mentioned in children.
Programs have been created where children who have unfortunately been the victims of abuse, and have been sheltered from the outside world whether by force or some kind of violent methods, can attempt to rebuild those broken social skills. The trauma they face makes them weary to approach the outside world again, however by playing a game and feeling relaxed, social interaction, even if on a synthetic realm, is still progress in the children's lives.
"Gwyneth Llewelyn, a British organization called ARCI is using Second Life to help abused children..."
Rather than being hurled into a world full of overwhelming pressures and sometimes cold and nasty inhabitants, the game itself is like a cushion to help ease them into our actual society. The game is a safety net providing a sociological education for those incapable of functioning at a full capacity. They gain so much from it, their game character becomes an extension of their own selves.
From a regular person without any kind of medical condition, to one of the abused children or a mentally limited individual, being able to escape from the frustrations that can so easily cause tension, discomfort and a lack of will are remedied or at least alleviated by the overall enjoyment that the many themes, specifically that of social interaction that the game demands. Even those who must assist those in needs will grow upset because patience is hard to maintain when dealing with people who will not be able to understand everything you ask of them. The game allows for a freedom of the mind.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Obama Campaign's Social Networking
Social networking is a phenomena defined by linking people to each other in some way.
Some kind of interaction takes place that gathers people who share a similar interest and allows them to communicate and exchange ideas. It is important because social networking can generate support for a common cause amongst uninformed people.
Obama’s campaign was wisely executed in that it’s sources of networking and advertisement to voters were from areas they could, in this day and age, easily access the information such as from his own website. The internet was a large tool in attractive attention to Obama.
Even fan-made videos and supporters of the Obama campaign, who not only made donations to his efforts, also were created videos, blogs and other sources of centralizing focus on Obama.
The easier it is to find information about a specific individual or topic, then the more effective that method of social networking becomes. The internet’s role in Obama’s campaign is the perfect example.
Having the right people involved and already supporting your project is also essential to success in regard to optimizing the effectiveness of one’s social networking tools. Facebook, commonly used by the younger face of the country, was a great resource for Obama, especially by allowing the gentleman involved so deeply with Facebook’s development and popularity to assist in further flooding the internet with resources for voters to access to get to the central goal ~ presidential candidate Obama.
Time, effort and energy was spent on strengthening and even perfecting the social networking aspects of the Obama campaign. While McCain’s site and registration for said site was a poor excuse for an attempt to compete, Obama had things that made viewers, listeners and citizens alike interested in visiting his sites. With the incorporation of the MyBO (literally My Barack Obama), access seemed constant and near limitless as opposed to the distance McCain seemed to maintain from his platform to the people.
A big aspect of Obama’s successful campaign was because he was able to outdo his opponents in this aspect, which became one of the most important, in this election. In the age of computers, internet, electronic documents and the endless information highway at the youth’s fingertips, these factors needed to be taken into account – Obama did so, used it, and dominated over McCain by simply always allowing himself to be where voters would be as well.
Some kind of interaction takes place that gathers people who share a similar interest and allows them to communicate and exchange ideas. It is important because social networking can generate support for a common cause amongst uninformed people.
Obama’s campaign was wisely executed in that it’s sources of networking and advertisement to voters were from areas they could, in this day and age, easily access the information such as from his own website. The internet was a large tool in attractive attention to Obama.
Even fan-made videos and supporters of the Obama campaign, who not only made donations to his efforts, also were created videos, blogs and other sources of centralizing focus on Obama.
The easier it is to find information about a specific individual or topic, then the more effective that method of social networking becomes. The internet’s role in Obama’s campaign is the perfect example.
Having the right people involved and already supporting your project is also essential to success in regard to optimizing the effectiveness of one’s social networking tools. Facebook, commonly used by the younger face of the country, was a great resource for Obama, especially by allowing the gentleman involved so deeply with Facebook’s development and popularity to assist in further flooding the internet with resources for voters to access to get to the central goal ~ presidential candidate Obama.
Time, effort and energy was spent on strengthening and even perfecting the social networking aspects of the Obama campaign. While McCain’s site and registration for said site was a poor excuse for an attempt to compete, Obama had things that made viewers, listeners and citizens alike interested in visiting his sites. With the incorporation of the MyBO (literally My Barack Obama), access seemed constant and near limitless as opposed to the distance McCain seemed to maintain from his platform to the people.
A big aspect of Obama’s successful campaign was because he was able to outdo his opponents in this aspect, which became one of the most important, in this election. In the age of computers, internet, electronic documents and the endless information highway at the youth’s fingertips, these factors needed to be taken into account – Obama did so, used it, and dominated over McCain by simply always allowing himself to be where voters would be as well.
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