Teachers' Perceptions of Video Games: MMOGs and the Future of Preservice Teacher Education

This is an interesting article on MMOGs from the latest issue of Innovate. Check it out.

Teen Girls and Depression - A Youthworker's Response

In reading the postings on Thirteen, the question of 'how do youthworkers respond to teen girl depression' became an apparent deep question that requires further discussion. Apparently, depression affects at least one in ten girls each year!

As a result, I have created an additional posting to discuss possible solutions to this issue.

Major Janet Ashcraft (MA, Counseling) - a colleague of mine at Project 1:17, and a trained counselor - is going to post suggestions on what to do/steps to take when you see this issue emerging in your after-school program or youth group.

In the meantime, I would recommend reading Mary Pipher's Reviving Ophelia: Saving the selves of adolescent girls.

Thank you, Janet for being willing to comment on this critical topic.

Steve

Update: February 8, 2006
I just received a couple of additional links from Janet. Here they are:

National Institute of Mental Health on Teen Depression

Chirstianity Today Article on Cutting

Reflections on the Movie 'Thirteen'

This past week, we viewed the controversial film, Thirteen as part of our curriculum in media studies. The film portray's a young teenage girl who is struggling with issues of identity, peer pressure, and family conflict. She also explores strategies for dealing with the pain and dysfunction of her everyday life through drug experimentation, cutting herself, changes in her physical self through piercings etc.

The film is loosely based on the life of co-writer Nicki Reed.

Also, the musical anthem of the movie is a song by Katy Rose called, Lemon. Check out the lyrics!

You might be interested to know that
They've clipped my wings again
Tore them apart and then
Left me
No use to fly away to
My yesterday
Of freedom
My eyes died back that day
Seeing the hurt I may have done
Beat my instead of them
Pain is my only zen
Of fun

I'll go where secrets are sold
Where roses unfold
I'll sleep as time goes by

So hurting here is where I belong singing a song
Blood on my hands to stay strong
The flowers in the graveyard are all gone
I don't belong
There is no right to heal the wrong
Soup's on hot feelin' like a do or die
I can't throw up don't think I even want to try

You still can't make me cry
You've pinned this butterfly
Down
My fire's burning out
Kill my flame without
A frown
And starving hurts the soul
When you're hungry for
Some love
So if I close my eyes
I can really fly
Above

I'll go where secrets are sold
Where roses unfold
I'll sleep as time goes by

So hurting here is where I belong dreaming a song
Blood on my hands to stay strong
The flowers in the graveyard are all gone
I don't belong
There is no right to heal the wrong
Soup's on hot feelin' like a do or die
I can't throw up don't think I even want to
Tryyy- tryyyy- tryyyyyy

In the comments section, I invite you to offer your 'take' on this film. What is it really all about? Is this a realistic reflection of the struggle of teen girls? How would you respond if these teens were part of your youth group or after-school program?

Also, check out Walt Mueller's review from the Center for Parent and Youth Understanding.

Harnessing the Potential of New Media Spaces

We live in an age in which sociologists are recognizing a symbiotic relationship between emerging generations and new media. ‘Screenagers;’ ‘Net-Gen;’ ‘Cyberkids;’ ‘Digital Kids;’ ‘Generation @;’ and even ‘the My-Space Generation’ are some of the terms used to describe children and teens today. While I might not be a fan of traditional generational theory, they are on target when they identify that media has played a defining role in the lives of children and adolescents during that past 15-20 years.

A 2006 report from Business Week reports that 87% of American youth use the internet. 65% instant message (IM). 44% go online every day. (Note: Listen to the Podcast developed with this report). The Kaiser Family Foundation’s latest report on Media and Kids identifies that even the ‘digital divide’ - that separates the ‘technological haves’ from the ‘have-nots’ – has been radically reduced. For example, MIT is currently developing a laptop that would cost only $100 to purchase! Teens and kids interact with media at school, at home, at church, at their community centers, in cars, and even while walking down the street! Even when working with kids in community centers, we have seen kids carrying Gameboy SPs and MP3 players!

What are these new media? They can be anything from the free virtual diaries known as blogs/my space/xanga sites; to MUVEs (Multi-User Virtual Environments) and MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games); to convergence media/technology like PSPs (a handheld game console/internet/music sharing/movie watching/communications device) and IPods (music/movie/photo-sharing/internet device).

What are the implications of this reality for youth work in Salvation Army Corps and Community Centers? I would argue that these new media spaces serve as an excellent virtual meeting space which has the potential to be transformational. For example, blogging encourages a child (like writing) to become a producer of media. Blogging can also be a means by which a person can reflect on everyday life. A MUVE requires collaboration and communication skills to be developed. Inevitably, conflict resolution and critical problem solving skills can be cultivated in such learning environments. We are at the point in history where games are becoming more about virtual social networks than they are about individual game play. Online games can even provide a space where there is the potential for ‘play therapy.’

However, this potential is dependent upon what is done with such spaces – in much the same way as a gymnasium has the potential to transform lives depending upon what curriculum is facilitated within its’ walls. This in turn is largely dependent upon how the youth worker/coach/gymnasium facilitator makes use of this opportunity. The potential of new media spaces can be harnessed through acquiring what is known as media literacy skills; and the cultivation of cognitive and social apprenticeship skills. Part of our training at Project 1:17 seeks to develop these skills and help our youth workers find ways to maximize this potential for the sake of the gospel; and thereby increase the future possibilities available for at-risk children and teens.

Cool Hunting - The Colonization of Contemporary Youth Culture

Three years ago, youth culture specialist Douglas Rushkoff produced a documentary called The Merchants of Cool. In this documentary he explored the feedback loop between youth culture and consumer culture (in particular media conglomerates).

[For those who have not seen this brilliant doc. this can also be viewed online. Also, check out this interesting interview].

Five major themes emerge in the documentary:

• The Clout of Media Giants
• The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Media and Teenagers
• Where Are the Adults?
• What's this Doing to Kids?
• The Coarsening of Culture

Rushkoff wrote about this subject in Coercion where he says, "The techniques of coercion have advanced so far over the past several decades that we no longer live in a world where the best man wins. It's a world where the person who has made us believe he is the best man wins."

When I first viewed this documentary, I found myself most shocked by the thought that no matter what a person does, it seems impossible to resist the lure of the advertizing industries, but is this so? Do we all need to simply concede to whatever the latest and greatest trends are? Or is it possible to resist? Or is there a third alternative... One where there can be a negotiation between producer and consumer - making the consumer in essence a co-producer?

Robert McChesney graphically refers to this as the colonization of today's youth culture - exept the tanks and guns are media. I would tend to agree with McChesney that this seems to be the intention of most of the media industry, it doesn't mean that this automatically means that concession is automatic or enforced. To build on the colonial metaphor, colonization does not mean that everyone hegemonically follows the ideologies imparted by the colonialist. Some do. Some are involved in anarchic resistance. Others are involved in what Paulo Freire calls limited co-operation - a critical, dialogical posture of negotiation - which recognizes that there are both winfalls and pitfalls with any political system. A youth culture that is critically conscious can accept or reject the ideas being propogated by media industries... However, the imperative word remains 'conscious.' Merchants of Cool is a documentary which serves as a loud speaker to awaken the giant - a gauntlet which challenges today's teens to recognize their power and influence.

I would really recommend this documentary to anyone who is seriously interested in exploring the relationship of media and youth culture - particularly as a launchpad into further dialogue and research.

[NOTE: For Project 117 students - but others are invited to participate]
1. Read Malcolm Gladwell's article.
2. Explore the Frontline sight in further detail.
3. Take one of the major themes from Merchants of Cool and post your reflections/insights/additional links.
4. Finally, is it possible to escape this type of cool-hunting by consuming "Christian alternatives?" Where does Christian merchandizing fit into this?

I'm Back!

Hi friends,

It has been quite some time since I last wrote in my blog. We have, during the past month, visited my family in Canada for a week. We are also currently in the middle of a two week vacation with Sharon's family from South Africa. During this time, my 'blog hat' has been put on the hanger as I have been busy wearing the hat of son/son-in-law!

We have had quite a bit of excitement in our lives these past couple of weeks. My dad ended up in the hospital dehydrated; and my father-in-law also wound up at the emergency clinic with kidney problems... Both are alright now, but it has been quite an action-packed vacation!

Things are beginning to calm down now as we prepare to transition back into the post-vacation world of reality! No more classic movie binges with Buster Keaton and Cary Grant. It's back to writing syllabi and jumping into studies.

Summar, (my younger daughter) just lost her second tooth - which she was completely thrilled with! Skyela is continuing to grow up before our eyes - reading some great books (I don't know where she gets that from!) It has been great having some concentrated time together as a family. I am blessed with the most awesome family!

Well, I must run for now. I'm off to visit West Point with my father in law!

Steve