7/25 Readings

Summary:
In the Project Muse reading the authors talk about the two important trends among America’s youth. The first trend they talk about is how America’s youth is increasing in amount of time they spend on electronic media and the second is how adolescents are engaging in number of unhealthy behaviors. Escobar-Chaves and Anderson have come up with five critical types of health risks in adolescents, obesity, smoking, drinking, sexual risk taking, and violence. All the statics in this article is both shocking and suprising. It seems to be that the five critical behaviors have been influenced by television, movie, video game, and music advertisements. If the government could control the advertisments then the five critical adolescent behavior statistics could be reduced. In the New York Times article they discuss how video games have both a cultural and historical significance. Games like Spacewar!, Tetris, SimCity, and Super Mario Bros. were part of the top ten most important video games. The article explains what the games are based off of and what they allow you to do. They say it’s going to be very had to preserve these games because of the technology we are faced with today.

Reaction:
My first reaction to the Project muse article was shocked. The statistics were crazy and some what scary to find out.
My first reaction to the New York Times article was kind of whatever but once I started reading it, I became more interested. I never really thought of video games that way and now that I know and understand a little more I find it interesting.

3 Questions:
1. Why did Mr. Lowood pick the video games he did for the top ten most important video games list?
2. What makes obesity, smoking, drinking, sexual risk taking, and violence the five critical behaviors in adolescents?
3. What causes adolescents to develop the top five critical behaviors?