I would like to start off with saying WOW! This powerpoint very well exceeded my thoughts of what a powerpoint is to look like. Over the years I have seen my fair share of them and have made them myself, but never have I seen one that is so interesting. I really enjoyed the way the information was presented and it had me sitting on edge for which direction it page was going to go to next. It was definitely a well produced piece of work. I did not feel overwhelmed with all the information presented and it stimulated my thoughts about the topic.
When I was younger, I would always spend my time on the computer using these social online games. I would venture off into worlds like Neopets and Sissyfight, where there were goals to the game, but creating friends within them was a given. Through interactions with others, I would learn about strategies that would advance me further in the game. I was surprised to see the statistic that now 905 of youth are using these games. When I was younger, not that many of my friends would be using them so I was forced to make new friends through these games that shared this interest. However when I think about it while I babysit, one boy loves to be in these virtual worlds and is constantly communicating with others as he is playing them. Even with the games that don’t have a social chat component, he will call his friend and they will log on together and play it step by step. This proves that playing the games on the computer is not an antisocial activity, in fact it promotes socializing.
One concern my parents always held with me going into these games and chatting with others was the safety component. I even remember we had a family meeting that put in place “rules” that we had to follow while on the web. The list included items such as do not give away your full name, your address, stay off inappropriate sites etc. But I have to say that I found the websites themselves did a few things to enable safety within the games. While chatting they would be blocking certain words that were inappropriate or kicking you off if you did something that was against the rules. However, they at the same time were asking me to create login names where I was to give specific information and I am sure this information was used for research purposes. Being exposed to this while I was younger will better prepare me for ensuring that my children are safe while using the web. It is only a give that companies will use these as a way to market children, as many more children are not accessing the web. In terms of safety, I still believe parents need to be monitoring and educating their children.
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