Gleee!!!!

This week I was flipping through the channels on TV, looking for a good show to watch. Now… I just want to point out that I normally am not a big fan of Glee, but I decided to watch the episode that was playing for some odd reason. After watching the whole episode, I was pleasantly surprised by how much the story line revolved around the consequences of technology.

The episode opens with the Glee club stuck in a dilemma: they need to raise money for regionals and support their smart club members (I cant remember what they call themselves in the episode). With that in mind, Mr. Shooster decides the kids should throw a benefit concert to show off their talent and which will also help them practice for Regionals. Now Sue Sylvester, is not so happy with this idea and decides to implement a plan to destroy the clubs concert. Her plan begins by giving her team beepers.  When I saw those beepers being handed out, I giggled a bit because who uses beepers now a days?!! I can honestly say I was not expecting to see that old contraption pop up, but it was cool to see old technology incorporated in a modern day show.

Later on in the day, Sunshine, a girl from the competition side, comes to see the Glee club. She explains how she found out about the concert on facebook, asking them if it would be all right if she could perform in the show. When the club says no she explains how she has at least hundreds of twitter followers that will come if she is in it. With that being said, the Glee club agrees and she will be the ending act. Here the glee club has benefitted from technology by gaining sunshine and her followers to donate to the show. The Glee club gets excited that they might actually raise the money.

The theme of the show was centered on neglect. The people who use technology the most are people who are neglected in real life and are socially awkward (most of the time). This I thought was a great connection linking the theme to the technological aspect.

“We live in a culture of insults” was said by the new sub played by Gwyneth Paltrow. She explains how the Heckle club, the neglected children, have become ok with being insensitive because technology has allowed them to say rude things about other people who have neglected them and not suffer consequences.

Sunshine pulls out of the concert at the last minute, letting the Glee Club know over text. Sunshine exhibits how she also suffers by using technology as a way to show her insensitivity to others by not having to suffer from face to face consequences.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s character continues explaining that there are consequences, how one girl that they booed has been crying for an hour. She tells them that if they think about it, they can change those bad things into showing positive behavior and make a huge difference.

Watching this Glee episode opened my eyes a lot. I saw how technology can be used to sabotage a good thing, like killing kids dreams to going onto a trip to regionals. While at the same time I saw how technology can be used in a good way by attracting people to things and getting awareness. It is nice to see someone finally acknowledging the fact that we live in a society where people are becoming more insensitive and are slowly beginning to be ok with insulting people over the internet and not suffering consequences. But this episode brings this issue to the surface giving life to these consequences that are rarely seen. Being such an influential and popular show, I love how Glee incorporated that moral lesson to how technology can be hurtful and dangerous, but it can be used in such a positive way if used correctly. 

Wii-hab

Today I want to talk about this new rehabilitation program Wii-hab! Yup that’s right Wii- hab (isn’t it such a cute name!). Wii-hab was introduced in 2008 as a device to help with physical and occupational therapy programs as well as being known as an entertainment device. A more specific definition is “ the medical application of interactive video gaming devices to augment therapies of physical, cognitive, behavioral, and otherwise, under the guidance of a trained and licensed healthcare professional”.  

The first person to discover the resourcefulness of Wii in 2008 was a man named Bryce Taylor who implemented Wii into his physical therapy program. Realizing the great benefits this gaming device can have for the patient, he has spent the last couple of years studying Wii-hab and learning how the game affects different areas of patients who are receiving different types of therapy.

The public though should maintain the view that Wii-hab is not a replacement for therapy but it is merely used to enhance therapeutic ways because there are still many limitations of virtual reality.

Since Motion based video games have been available to society for the past couple of years, researchers have done testing resulting in the effectiveness of these types of games as being a positive factor in the therapy programs. However, due to many skeptics and limited funding, there is not many articles to further support these scarce findings. But that was a different time and place, and now many people are interested in researching how motion based video games can be used, resulting in more articles appearing in the future focused on this subject

          The current mode of Wii-hab involves Nintendo’s Wii but will soon have many competitors as other gaming devices are meant to surface soon. For example, Microsoft and Sony are in the process right now in developing their own type of gaming system which will become Nintendo’s main competitors: the Microsoft Kinect and Sony Move. 

             There are even interactive events related to Wii-hab. One is called Technopalooza: An Interactive Experience. The event is held inside the exhibit hall at the APTA Combined Sections meeting and will allow the attendees opportunities to meet and converse with physical therapists who have integrated Wii-Therapy into there programs. This is a great opportunity to open the eyes of the skeptics to the positive side of video gaming therapy and allow them an opportunity to learn in an interactive environment and see real life results.

As Wii-hab becomes more popular in society and more positive research about integrating video games into therapy emerges, the skeptics will lessen and more people will start to benefit from the advantages gaming has in programs. But with that being said, it makes me wonder what other kinds of technology devices out there have the potential to be useful in therapy? Or what new inventions are being created under the radar and are going to supersede video games? Or even replace therapy in general! Who knows, but for now don’t be a skeptic, embrace video gaming, because the world is constantly changing and being part of society we are forced to accept these changes. Don’t fight it, go with it J Until next time!

Banana.. Is Code for?!?

“MPICIMFP, so its been a pretty rough day but hey PAW text you later!” Now, I am sure most of you are thinking “What the hell does that mean!?!?”, I thought the exact same thing. This my friends, is an example of a text I found in my twelve year old sisters phone who she was “sexting”. After reading this text and discovering I have become way out of the loop with the whole “sexting” trend, I decided to do a little research to understand more. While I was googling “sexting” I found many interesting facts about this new trend and how it is extremely harmful, way more harmful than I ever thought.

I learned the basic fundamentals, I guess one could say, that “sexting” is when people, mostly teens, flirt with one another by sending nude or semi nude photos from cell phone to cell phone. Now people, especially teens, who are sexting trust the other person on the other end to not share this information publically, but sadly every person is betrayed. Some way or another and for some reason, that photo will eventually be shared to their close circle of friends, to their community, and eventually to the whole public. And not to put this sharing aspect on guys only, because I am sure girls do it too, but the male population is known to be the one to share the pictures publically.

It makes me sad though, because most people, who decide to sext one another, don’t think about the dangerous consequences that can stem from “sexting”. Yes, behaving provocatively and impulsively is not new among our society, especially with teens, what is new though is now these provocative and impulsive actions can now transform into haunting the person, resulting in serious damage.

While doing my little investigation, I found a video online which will perfectly show the consequences of what can happen if you text, post, etc. an inappropriate picture with someone.

The above video is perfect to illustrate the damage one little text can have.  The consequences can lead to jail time. For instance, in Wisconsin a seventeen year old was charged with holding child pornography when he was caught for posting naked pictures of his sixteen-year-old ex-girlfriend via the Internet. Or how in Rochester N.Y a sixteen-year-old boy got sentenced with seven years in prison for sharing a nude photograph of his fifteen year old girlfriend to his friends.

This new trend of “sexting” is increasingly growing to be an issue in society and causing problems. It has become crucial for parents, teachers, mentors, etc. to start talking to children about the consequences. Children need to start understanding that even though these pictures may not have immediate consequences; they can re-surface in the future to haunt them when they are applying for a job or college. I shared this information with my sister who was so appalled and freaked out she told her friends and they, to my knowledge, stopped. With that being said, its something to think about… Until next time!