First off, I want to say that I had a great time being in Mrs. Halfen's AP Psychology class. From the start I knew this class was going to be really interesting, and the class had definitely went above and beyond my expectations. It makes me a little sad knowing that the semester is winding down to a close.
What did you like about the class?
I think what appealed to me most was just learning about all of the different concepts of the human mind. Watching interesting videos and learning about psychology helped me to better understand my own thoughts and feelings. Psychology is also just a really cool subject. =]
What was your favorite activity or project?
My favorite activity in Psychology was taking the IQ test. It was interesting to actually take one and see what my score was.
What didn't you like about the class?
As the semester moved on, I think our pace slowed down a lot, and we seemed sort of rushed to learn the rest of the chapters before the semester ended. Hurricane Ike was probably the cause of much of that, but I still didn't like that whole "hurried" feeling.
What do you think I should leave out next year?
At the moment, I can't really think of anything that should be left out.
(Maybe take out all of those hard quizzes and tests? (Only joking of course.))
Do you have any suggestions or ideas for things I could do next year in AP Psych?
Same answer as above. =P
Do you have any suggestions or ideas for next semester in AP Econ?
I've seen those Monopoly board games in the classroom, and I really hope that we can just have times where we just sit down and play Monopoly. I really love that game. =]
Overall, I had a great time being in AP Psych, and I'm really looking forward to being in AP Econ next semester. Thanks for all of your hard work Mrs. Halfen!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Teens and Video Games
An article from the psychcentral blog virtually destroyed the idea that American teenagers that play video games are socially inactive and more prone to violence. The Pew Internet and American Life Project conducted a national survey, and the results disproved virtually all of the negative stereotypes about teens and videogames.
As an avid videogame player with lots of experience in many different types of games, I knew from the start that virtual games and physical violence had no correlation. When I'm playing a 'violent' game, I'm not fantasizing about blowing up the school or running over pedestrians. The thought that someone could think that violent gaming leads to violent actions simply astounds me (although I can only speak for myself).
The survey's results only back up my ideas. Virtually all of America's teenagers have reported playing some kind of videogame. Now, if every teenager in America were playing games, then why hasn't America drowned in social inactivity and rampant violence? The answer is simple: because there's no correlation between this digital medium and social disorder.
If anything, the video game industry has actually improved the lives of young adults. The survey reported vast amounts of social interactions among many different types of videogame players. About half of those surveyed reported to playing games in which they learn about moral, ethical, and social issues. And while our nation may be doing poor econimically, the videogame industry shows no signs of economic trouble.
I believe that the debate over video games and their effect on young teenagers has gone a long way, but is almost over. With the Pew Internet and American Life Project's survey results, it's only a matter of time before others can accept the fact that videogames are okay.
As an avid videogame player with lots of experience in many different types of games, I knew from the start that virtual games and physical violence had no correlation. When I'm playing a 'violent' game, I'm not fantasizing about blowing up the school or running over pedestrians. The thought that someone could think that violent gaming leads to violent actions simply astounds me (although I can only speak for myself).
The survey's results only back up my ideas. Virtually all of America's teenagers have reported playing some kind of videogame. Now, if every teenager in America were playing games, then why hasn't America drowned in social inactivity and rampant violence? The answer is simple: because there's no correlation between this digital medium and social disorder.
If anything, the video game industry has actually improved the lives of young adults. The survey reported vast amounts of social interactions among many different types of videogame players. About half of those surveyed reported to playing games in which they learn about moral, ethical, and social issues. And while our nation may be doing poor econimically, the videogame industry shows no signs of economic trouble.
I believe that the debate over video games and their effect on young teenagers has gone a long way, but is almost over. With the Pew Internet and American Life Project's survey results, it's only a matter of time before others can accept the fact that videogames are okay.
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