Cigarettes

This, perhaps, is the most and only logical reasoning behind the lasting Of the cigarette industry. However as the product develops and more information is exposed to the public, calls to end the public distribution of cigarettes have grown louder and spread into the world of politics more and more prominently (Strobe). In order to help improve the health of people and to abide by moral standards, cigarettes should be legalized. When cigarettes were first introduced, they became extremely popular, primarily due to the addictive traits of the chemicals in the smoke.However, his had been a time before further research revealed an astounding number of other harmful chemicals within each cigarette, including components found in rat poison and house cleaning agents. Furthermore, not many had known of the existence of tar and nicotine, which cigarettes are known to create and contain a lot of, respectively. Tar build up is now commonly known to be a leading cause of health problems in ciga rette users, and nicotine is known as the addictive, artery-sealing leading component in cigarettes. Even further than the harm being done to smokers, second-hand smoke is also an absurdly active health problem.The effects of second hand smoke are exemplified by the fact that the damage done by this source IS done to non- smokers, punishing those who chose not to use cigarettes. Banning cigarette use will undoubtedly increase the overall health of the American people, even if the former smokers believe they are suffering. Another point to be observed in the existence of cigarettes as a commercial product is the moral aspect of it. Tobacco companies are completely aware of all the health risks imposed on smokers, yet they merely see their customers as income.Tobacco companies intentionally use extremely toxic chemicals simply to increase the addictive qualities of their product, completely disregarding the value of human life for the value of their economic sustainability. Advertisin g by tobacco companies are also morally wrong, as recently it has been observed that certain advertisements are meant to target younger groups. This is meant as a marketing strategy, as getting younger customers â€Å"hooked† means a longer lasting stream of income from a large group of individuals. This is yet another example of the inhumanity displayed y tobacco companies.While their industry is not the only example of a disregard for human health for economics, it is definitely one of the more prominent in today's society. To take one step in a positive direction to address the â€Å"risk anything for the economy† attitude, cigarettes should be legalized. The one positive that may have resulted in the formation of cigarettes is that the economy does, in some portion, rely on these large industries for a source of international wealth. However, the economy should not take a front seat over the well-being of the populations.Also, the existence of these massive commerc ial industries are restricting the legalization process of far more beneficial alternatives, such as cannabis, or marijuana. Because of the fear of losing revenue, tobacco companies have attempted for some time to prevent the legalization of marijuana, which is known to have several positive effects and very few negatives. The existence of tobacco corporations effectively prevents further processes to allow use of this beneficial plant, in addition to lowering the cost to arrest those that possess marijuana.Therefore, the one positive created by the existence of the tobacco industry has created even more negatives. Due to the overwhelming health detriments and lack of morality, cigarette use should indeed be banned. The existence of the tobacco industry has created a multitude of problems, including the closing of doors leading to brighter alternatives. This opinion is also spreading among the popular opinions of those in control of the media, further supporting the case that cigare ttes are obviously poison, both literal and figurative.

Campus Involvement essays

Campus Involvement essays Once again, as the fall semester rolled around this school year, I was busier than the previous year. I have always been involved in student life, and each semester since I have attended Lee, my involvement seems to grow, as do I. My first semester, I was a senate member in the Student Leadership Council (SLC), and I played intramurals. The next year, I was a cabinet member of the SLC. I was stretched beyond belief compared to my previous leadership experiences, but I was very happy. This year, once again I am involved more than ever and being stretched more than ever as I am the Residence Director (RD) at Tharp Hall as well as a senate member on the SLC. My job is more than a student job. The job is a staff job with staff benefits. Being a RD is hard to define because the job is always changing, as am I. Being a RD includes everything from reporting maintenance requests, enforcing school rules, promoting spiritually enriching activities, to providing social activities, cr eating an academic but yet fun living environment, working through conflicts, coping with emergencies, doing reports for Marchese, Tilley, McClung, and others, doing my special duty", etc. The list grows every day. I got involved in Residential Life for several reasons. The first is that someone asked me to apply. The benefits were good so I tried it. The second reason is that I knew I wanted to be involved, but I did not know in what at the end of last year. I did not want to continue my position as Secretary for Community Service, but I did want to continue to be involved and challenged somehow. The third reason is because I was hired to encourage community service in the dorms. I really enjoy working with groups of girls, but until now I have never had the opportunity to do so formally. I feel the Lord has definitely placed me here for a reason. Since I have been a part of Residential Life as well as other leadership positions, I ha...

SAT Writing Vs. ACT English - Complete Comparison

SAT Writing Vs. ACT English - Complete Comparison SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you wondering about the difference between the ACT English and SAT Writing sections? Do you want to know how the two sections are similar? Are you trying to figure out which section would be better for you? (Or maybe you just love reading my guides?) In this article, we will compare and contrast the ACT English and SAT Writing sections. We'll compare their formats and content. Reading this post can inform your studying and help you decide whether the ACT or SAT would be a better match for you and your abilities. For a more thorough breakdown of each individual section, check out the articles about what's actually tested on ACT EnglishandSAT Writing. We'll be covering a few major points of comparison. Within test content, we'll discuss differences in the essay, multiple choice format, and multiple choice content. We'll end with advice on how you can decide which test is better for you. Essay? ACT English=No Essay You do not have to write an essay for the ACT English section. However, there is an essaythat comes in the last sectionof the ACT Plus Writing test. This essay score is NOT included in the calculation for your composite score. You can choose whether to register for the ACT (no essay) or the ACT Plus Writing. Keep in mind that some colleges require you to take the ACT Plus Writing. SAT Writing=Essay You do have to write an essay for SAT Writing. The essay will always be the first section of the SAT, and it accounts for roughly 30% of your overall SAT Writing score. The SAT Writing essay is a 25 minute persuasive essay. Even though many schools don't require SAT Writing, you have no choice in whether to take the essay or not. For more information about the SAT essay, learn about the different types of essay prompts and how to train the SAT essay. Multiple Choice Formats ACT English There is one section. You have 45 minutes to answer 75 questions. This amounts to just 36 seconds per question! SAT Writing There are two multiple choice sections. There is one 25 minute section with 35 questions and one 10 minute section with 14 questions, for a total of 49 questions. This amounts to 43 seconds per question. You may have to take an additional writing section, but then one of the writing sections will be experimental and won't have an effect on your score. Make sure to put in maximum effort on all sections because you won't know which section is the experimental one. So you're saying there's a chance!!! Types of Multiple Choice Questions ACT English In the one ACT English section, there are five passages, each of which is accompanied by multiple choice questions. Even though each passage has many questions associated with it, most questions are independent of one another and test different grammar skills. Here's what the questions look like. Mostquestions correspond to a numbered portion underlined in the passage. Some of these questions are explicitly asked and some expect you to find the best change for the underlined portion of the passage. Also, there are questions thatcorrespond to a numeral in a box in the passage. Here is an example of each type of question: SAT Writing There are three types of questions on the SAT Writing. Each question type is grouped together and the order is always the same. Improving Sentences Improving Sentences is the first question type. There are 25 total sentence improvement questions. In these questions, a portion of a sentence will be underlined and you have to decide which answer choice is the best improvement of the underlined portion. Answer choice A will be identical to the original. Here is an example: Identifying Sentence Errors The next question type is identifying sentence errors. These questions always follow sentence improvement on the 25 minute writing section, the only section in which you can find them. There are 18 total identify the error questions. In these questions, you have to choose which portion of the sentence is incorrect. Answer choice E will always be "No error". In case you were wondering, the answer is B. Paragraph Improvement The last question type is paragraph improvement. The paragraph improvement questions are always the last questions on the 25 minute writing section, the only section in which you can find them. There are 6 total paragraph improvement questions. In paragraph improvement, there are questions pertaining to improving individual sentences within a passage and questions about improving the passage as a whole. Key Similarities in Multiple Choice Content Even though the ACT English and SAT Writing sections look very different, they're more similar than not in terms of what they test at their core. You Need to Know Grammar!!! Both ACT English and SAT Writing test your knowledge of grammar and specific grammatical rules. All three question types on SAT Writing have questions related to grammar. To review the specific grammar rules thatare tested, check out these articles on grammar for the ACT and SAT. Here are examples from the ACT English and SAT Writing sections that test proper pronoun usage: ACT English SAT Writing Explanation: In the ACT example, "they" is an unclear pronoun. Every pronoun must have a clear antecedent. The correct answer is G. In the SAT example, B is incorrect because the pronoun refers to "workers". Because the antecedent is plural, you must use the plural pronoun "their" instead of the singular pronoun "his or her". You can see how the same grammar rule is tested in both tests, even though the format is different. This is typically true across most of the grammar rules tested on both tests. Writing Style Questions Beyond grammar, ACT English and SAT Writing also have questions related to writing style. Often, these questions will test your ability to make a sentence more concise or less awkward. There are SAT Writing style questions on both the sentence improvement and paragraph improvement subsections. Here are examples of style questions from both ACT English and SAT Writing: ACT English Explanation: Due to the word "maybe", "might possibly" is unnecessary and redundant. The correct answer is J. SAT Writing Explanation: "That" is unnecesary. To make the sentence more concise and less awkward, the correct answer is C. Pleasure reading Organization Questions Both the SAT and ACT have questions related to sentence organization. Often, you will be asked where a sentence should be placed to most logically fit in a passage. In SAT Writing, the organization questions are in the paragraph improvement subsection. Here are examples of organization questions on ACT English and SAT Writing: ACT English SAT Writing Key Differences in Multiple Choice Content Despite these similarities, SAT Writing and ACT English are also different in clear ways.How you feel about each of the below can help predict which section you're likely to do better in. The SAT Focuses More on a Few Specific Grammar Rules The SAT Writing section tends to repeatedly test a limited number of grammatical rules. Perhaps the rule tested most often on SAT Writing is subject-verb agreement. Check out this question related to subject-verb agreement from an actual SAT: Explanation: In this sentence, the subject is "Prime Minister", a singular noun. However, the verb "have argued" is plural. In order for the subject and verb to agree, "have argued" should be changed to "has argued". The answer is C. In contrast, the ACT doesn't emphasize subject-verb agreement as much in its questions. More ACT Questions Related to Vocabulary and Idioms While the ACT does not test you on the hard vocabulary words that you find on the more difficult SAT sentence completion questions, there are ACT English questions that require you to know how to correctly use certain words. Also, there are a number of ACT questions that test you on your knowledge of idioms. Idioms are phrases that don't correspond with a specific rule. Idiom questions can be difficult because you need to be familiar with the exact phrases that appear on the test. Questions related to word choice and idioms also appear on the SAT Writing section, but there are more of these questions on ACT English. Here is an ACT English question that could test your vocabulary: Explanation: Here, the answer is J. Peril means danger, making the word "dangerous" redundant and thus unnecessary. This question would be very difficult if you didn't know the meaning of the word "peril". This is an example of an ACT English question about a prepositional idiom: Explanation: The correct phrase is "sat across from" so the answer is D. ACT English will test your knowledge of particular phrases and knowing which preposition to use in a given phrase. The ACT Tests More On Punctuation Roughly 10-15% of ACT English deals with punctuation. Rules regarding commas, apostrophes, semicolons, colons, parentheses and dashes can be tested on the ACT. Punctuation questions are rare on the SAT. This is an ACT English punctuation question: Explanation:The correct answer is A. The comma correctly separates an independent from a dependent clause. Answer choice B would create a sentence fragment. Answer choice C incorrectly uses a semicolon, which should separate two independent clauses. Answer choice D is a comma splice. These types of questions are very common, which makes clear that the ACT believes understanding punctuation usage is important for mastery of writing. Most of the questions related to punctuation on the SAT Writing have to do with run-on sentences. You should know the general rule that a semicolon can correctly separate two complete thoughts whereas a comma cannot. Who doesn't love punctuation? More ACT Questions Involve Reading Comprehension ACT English has two types of questions thattest your reading comprehension: strategy and organization questions. Strategy questions ask you to determine the effect of adding, deleting, or revising sentences from a passage. Other strategy questions ask you to judge the relevance of statements within the context a specific passage. Organization questions test how well you can organize ideas and sentences within a passage. Here is an example of an ACT English strategy question: Explanation:In order to get this question right, you have to understand the purpose of the sentence given its placement within the passage. Here, the author is providing evidence showing that people can be friendly on the subway. The correct answer is H. Paragraph improvement questions in SAT Writing also contain strategy and organization questions, but there are far fewer of these types of questions on the SAT. The ACT English Sentence Is More Likely to be Correct More ACT English questions have a correct "NO CHANGE" answer than SAT Writing questions have a correct "No error" answer. Generally, only about 10% of the SAT Writing identify the error questions can correctly be answered with "no error". Similarly, only about 10% of sentence improvement questions can correctly be answered by not changing the sentence at all (answer choice A). Meanwhile, on the ACT English section, the correct answers tend to be distributed roughly evenly between all answer choices. This can help influence your guessing strategy when you have no idea what the answer is. Which Is Better For You The million dollar question is figuring out whether you'll do better in SAT Writing or ACT English. If you're having major problems with this section on either test, then it might be holding your composite score down. Ifyou change to the other test and it's a better fit, you might be able to raise your composite score. General Tips Since SAT Writing relies more on knowledge of a few specific grammatical rules, those who are able to learn and understand those rules may prefer the SAT. We'll be covering more of the rules that appear more often on the SAT in an upcoming article. In my opinion, possessing an intuitive grasp of English, meaning knowing what â€Å"sounds right† may be more beneficial for ACT English.The SAT Writing intentionally makes sentences sound awkward, even when they’re correct, just to test your knowledge of grammatical rules.If English is not your first language, you may prefer SAT Writing because it relies more on specific rules and less on an intuitive grasp of English. If you’re particularly strong at reading comprehension, you may prefer ACT English because there are more questions which test your reading comprehension skills. Practice Both and Compare Your Results Instead of speculating or assuming, you can take a practice SAT Writing section and a practice ACT English section and compare your results. You may find that you score significantly higher percentile wise on one of them. Keep in mind that this is only one section of each test, and that you will also need to weigh whether you're better at SAT Math vs ACT Math, and SAT Reading vs ACT Reading. Furthermore, the ACT has a Science section to consider. Be strict about evaluating your performance. What's Next? Are you still struggling to decide if you should take the SAT or ACT? Read this article to help you make the decision. Also, find out how to improve your SAT Writing score. Better yet, learn how to get a perfect SAT Writing score. Did you know that ACT Writing is changing? Learn about the new enhanced ACT Writing test. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The Music Industry and Copyright Issue in The Digital Phase Essay

The Music Industry and Copyright Issue in The Digital Phase - Essay Example Warner Music Group captures 27% of market share, which makes it the 2nd largest in the world. Sony Music Entertainment captures 14% of the world market share after it formed Sony/BMG following a merger with Bertelsmann, which was later dissolved in 2008 with Sony now operating as Sony Corporation’s subsidiary. EMI, which is based in the UK, has a 5% market share and is the smallest of the major record labels. While these four record labels dominate the music industry, there are independent companies that require mention. These companies include Koch, EDC, Zomba, Edel Music, and Bad Boy Entertainment (Morton & Koufteros, 2008: p502). Nature of Problem Over the last decade, the recorded music industry has been shrinking. Although it has been shrinking, consumption of music is higher than it was ten years ago, especially led by technological advances and new models of business. Every major record label has reported losses on a consistent basis over the last decade and, unless the re is a radical action, the trend is unlikely to stop (Altschuller & Benbunan-Fich, 2009: p52). Sales of physical CDs have declined to half of what they approximately were in 2000 with sales of digital music on the internet unable to cover for this particular decline. Revenue fell by 6.2% in 2010 as digital music sales expanded physical CD sales fell, and music piracy on the internet was made worse by consumer sentiment and poor economic conditions. Since the late 90s and early 2000s, technology has had a major effect on most industries. Illegal file sharing and the advent of MP3 technologies has had a negative effect on their revenues and is now regarded the beginning of the music industry’s decline (Altschuller & Benbunan-Fich,... This "The Music Industry and Copyright Issue in The Digital Phase" essay outlines how the Internet has changed music business. New services that were earlier unavailable to the consumer because of technological limitations have now become viable revenue streams, although they are not viable. The new products and services created for the music consumer include mobile services, streaming services, subscription services, and digital downloads (Mertens, 2010: p665). Digital downloads have accounted for approximately 50% since 2010, of total music sales, which is representative of more than 60% of the total business on the digital platform. Currently, iTunes is the major player in this market, which accounts for approximately 70% of worldwide sales of digital distribution. At a price of $0.99 compared to $13 for physical sales, this has had a negative impact on revenues. Subscription services give the music consumer the option of getting as much music as they want during purchase. The mus ic consumer will pay the service provider a fee in exchange for the ability to listen, as well as download the number of tracks they wish. However, this model is disadvantageous to the consumer since; even though, they pay a fee for this music they do not have ownership of the music once the subscription expires (Mertens, 2010: p665). Major players in this sector include Rhapsody and Napster. Streaming services, while offering the consumer the ability to listen to the music they want drastically reduces the revenues of the music companies.

Comparing the 1962 Version of The Manchurian Candidate with the 2004 Essay

Comparing the 1962 Version of The Manchurian Candidate with the 2004 version - Essay Example The movie-making industry is inseparable from the political and historical conditions, in which it operates. Even fantastic movies and horrors cannot escape the dramatic influence of historical and political realities. The Manchurian Candidate was first created in 1962. Featuring Frank Sinatra, the movie was a compound product of multiple historical, social, and technical influences. The fear of Communism, the rapid spread of McCarthyism, and the Cold War altogether contributed to the development of a sophisticated vision of war, which, taking place thousands of miles from the American continent, profoundly alters the American political landscape. On the social background, an evolutionary nature of a social role a woman plays in the society is evident. At first, in the version of 1962 year, the main character was a manipulative woman, but there was no essential political influence of this heroine. In the version of 2004 year, this character becomes a Senator. Therefore, it is clearly seen that social factor has contributed greatly to the social accents set in the new version of the film. Moreover, there is a lack of sensual transfer of intimate relations between the main characters. Thus, for example, Lansbury’s character kissing Shaw inspires the audience and creates a romantic atmosphere. In the modern version there is no such kind of a romantic aura between the characters. Political Differences-The concept of â€Å"fear† is integrative for both films. Two great powerful machines that are consuming contemporaries are presented with the same powerful manner: in the first version of the film there is an atmosphere of fear in the face of communism and in the second film the characters are afraid of being absorbed by a powerful corporate machine. Therefore, it is evident that historical events and periods of films’ creation influenced the main conceptual framework of both film versions. The influential and powerful factor of fear in the face of communism (in 1962 version) was substituted by another fear factor in the version of 2004. Another political factor that is rather controversial in the modern version is the way assassination is represented. A great emphasis is made on a â€Å"programmed nature† of assassinator’s mind. At this point we can see an intricate interconnection between political and technological factors. This i nterpretation of assassination is justified in the modern version as it is strongly backed up by the modern technological developments. Moreover, another explanation is provided. The matter of natural/unnatural changes of human behavior is explained in terms of technological advancements or as a result of mental disorders. This director’s intention can be interpreted in the following way: whether modern technologies are able to re-program human mind or not, the latter would be either way perverted by his own psycho. The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is probably one of the brightest and memorable products of the American moviemaking industry. Featuring Frank Sinatra, The Manchurian Candidate is a movie, where â€Å"the stepson of a presidential candidate turns out to have been a prisoner of war who underwent interrogation at the hands of Chinese communists† (Delgado 23). The soldier is brainwashed and programmed to assassin a Presidential Candidate.

Human Trafficking Case Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Trafficking Case Study - Research Paper Example Men are also very susceptible for trafficking. They are mainly trafficked by worldwide criminal organizations. There are several cases in which human trafficking takes place. Some of the cases are whereby people are convinced into going to other countries with the promise of getting better jobs and comfortable lives. Mostly, it always turns out to be untrue. This context discusses hundreds of workers from Thailand being promised high wages by the California based company named Global Horizons Inc and instead paying them little to nothing while treating them like scum, taking their passports on arrival and threatening deportation (Bureau of National Affairs, 2007). Human trafficking is one of the most dangerous forms of discrimination. Thailand experiences major challenges as a source, passage and destination country on human trafficking mainly women and children. The tendency of trafficking for enforced labor is rising in level in the agricultural, construction and fishing organizati ons. Human trafficking is a modern correspondent of slavery (Crawford, 2009). Opposing their will, thousands of people around the globe are enforced to work for the benefit of other people. For instance by becoming beggars, prostitutes, working in sweatshops, unintentional servitude or even turning into child soldiers. People that are trafficked are usually enslaved or in circumstances of debt oppression that are deceitful and oppressive. Traffickers will carry away or mistreat the fundamental human rights of their victims, who most possibly have been tricked and enticed by fake promises or physically enforced into their circumstances. Trafficking is a regular practice to convince people to leave their homes and move to neighboring countries that are wealthier where they can work in services like domestic services, adult care or waiter and waitresses in restaurants. Upon advent, their passports, visa, and return permits are taken away from them, efficiently; these people are impriso ned, either bodily or financially or psychologically. The trafficked people are made to labor as household slaves or as agricultural or industrial unit workers, in slave-like circumstances. The trafficked people virtually do not see their money that they earn, and finally they are sold. Because every person wants to have a good life, people get easily lured when being promised a good life, which in turn never comes to be true and instead they turn out to be slaves when they are taken to the foreign countries. Once passports and other legal documents are taken from these people, they become helpless since they are threatened in several ways. There are various causes for human trafficking. People around the world, benefit in satisfaction and in price of mistreating others. Poverty and worldwide inequalities in the rule of law are situations in which human trafficking, like HIV/AIDS and other killers of the underprivileged, thrives. In regions of the world that are poorer where learnin g and employment chances are inadequate, are the most susceptible in society. Runways, immigrant, or people who are displaced are the most frequent sufferers of human trafficking. People who are looking for chances and access to other countries may possibly be taken by traffickers and deceived into believing that they will be liberated subsequent to being smuggled across the boundary. Global Horizons Inc is farm labor contractor which is Beverly Hills California based. Global Horizons is challenged to have engaged in a pattern or performance of

Why do people play computer games

Why do people play computer games Video and computer games, like many popular, entertaining and addicting kid activities are looked down upon by many parents as time-wasters, and worse, parents think that these games rot the brain. Also, the media and some experts readily blame violent video games as the reason why some youth become violent or commit extreme anti-social behavior. But many scientists and psychologists find that video games actually have many benefits. Video games may actually teach kids high-level thinking skill that they will need in the future. Video games give your childs brain real workout. In many video games, the skills required to win involve abstract and high level thinking. These skills are not even taught at the school. Some of the mental skills trained by video games include hand-eye coordination, fine motor and spatial skill. In shooting games, the character may be running and shooting at the same time. This requires the real-world player to keep track of the position of the character, where he/she is heading, their speed, where the gun is aiming, if the gunfire is hitting the enemy, and so on. All these factors need to be taken into account, and then the player must then coordinate the brains interpretation and reaction with the movement in their hands and fingertips. This process requires a great deal of eye-hand coordination and visual-spatial ability to be successful. Researches also suggest that people can learn iconic, spatial, and visual attention skills from video games. There have been even studies with a dults showing that experience with video games is related to better surgical skills. Also, a reason given by the experts as to why fighter pilots of today are more skillful is that the generations pilots are being weaned on video games. Sometimes the player does this almost every second of the game giving the brain real workout. According to researchers at the University of Rochester, led by Daphne Bavelier, a cognitive scientist, games simulating stressful events such as those found in battle or action games could be a training tool for real-world situations. The study suggests that playing action video games primes the brain to make quick decisions. Video games can be used to train soldiers and surgeons, according to the study. It can test your hypothesis and Inductive reasoning based to James Paul Gee, Professor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he said that playing video games is similar to working through a science problem. Like students in a laboratory, gamers must come up with the hypothesis. For example, players in some games constantly try out combinations of weapons and powers to use to defeat an enemy. If one does not work, they change hypothesis and try the next one. Video games are goal-driven experiences, says Gee, which are fundamental to learning. Simulation, real world skills. The most well known simulations are flight simulators, which attempt to mimic the reality of flying a plane. All the controls, including airspeed, wing angles, altimeter, and so on, are displayed for the player, as well as a visual representation of the world, and are updated in real time. Video games introduce your kid to computer technology and the online world. You should recognize that we are now living in a high-tech, sophisticated world. Video games make your kid adapt and be comfortable with the concepts of computing. This is particularly important for girls who typically are not interested in high technology as much as boys. Video games allow you and your kid to play together and can be a good bonding activity. Some games are attractive to kids as well as adults, and they could be something that they share in common. When your child knows more than you, he can teach you how to play and this allows you to understand your childs skills and talents. Finally, and this is controversial, violent video games may act as a release of pent-up aggression and frustration of your kid. When your kid vents his frustration and anger in his game, this diffuses his stress. Games can provide a positive aggression outlet the same way as football and other violent sports. Video games also can teach important skills or address serious issues, Organizations such as Games for Change promote the use of games for education and social action, and often involve kids in the creation of games they can use to express themselves on important issues and current events. Some medical professionals, such as Doctor Kourosh Dini, also feel that age appropriate multi-player video games can allow children to learn how other people think. A key aspect of empathy. Games can also help a child become more comfortable with new and ever progressing technology. Recent studies have shown that video games can have a positive or negative effect on how players behave. Depending on the content. Pro social games can increase empathy, co-operation, helping and emotional awareness, while violent games can diminish these traits. Video games are not all violent, but most of them are, and many of them are pretty gruesome. It has been estimated that up to 89% of games contain some violent content. People are concerned that violent games might be causing young people to become violent and there is some evidence to support this. Studies have shown that violent games can increase physiological arousal, increase aggressiveness thoughts and emotions, increase aggressive behavior, and reduce helping behavior (where people become less likely to help other). These effects seem to be stronger in young people who already tend to be aggressive. It has been argued that more hostile or aggressive young people will be attracted to violent games, and that it is not the games causing the problem. However, even taking into account the persons hostility, it is clear that exposure to violent games causes increased aggressive behavior (as indicated by things like the degree to which they get into physical fights or argue with teachers). Desensitization to violence has been suggested as part of the problem. Desensitization is when someone gradually begins to feel that violence is normal. When games reward players for doing violent actions, it is easy to see how this could happen. For most teens, playing video games is just another recreational activity they enjoy with friends. The concern is when video game playing becomes an addictive or isolating activity. According to a Harris Interactive poll released in January of 2007, 23% of gamers surveyed reported that they felt addicted to video games. Some teens are heavy users of only role-playing games (RPGs) such as World of Warcraft and multiplayer games such as Call of Duty in which they interact with other players in real time. Students will often neglect schoolwork and other aspects of their daily lives when they become immersed in these games. While it remains unclear whether this can be termed an addiction, the American Medical Association has identified video game overuse as a behavior, and may include it in a future edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Children who are heavy users of video games may also be getting less exercise and develop poor eating habits. Make sure that your teen is getting outside and not snacking too much on unhealthy foods while gaming. If you are concerned about the amount of your time your teen is spending on video games, keep in mind that it is normal for young people to throw themselves enthusiastically into hobbies. Consider the effect your teens gaming is having on his or her life. People can become addicted to games. Young gamers have shown similar symptoms to people who have drug or alcohol dependence. An ability to stop playing, and withdrawal symptoms (anxiety, agitation) if they go without access to their gaming fix. Gamers also report that they play games to escape things like family or personal problems. In a similar way to people who use drugs or alcohol to escape their problems. There have been reports of adults that play so much they neglect their families. There are even support groups for family members of people with an addiction to one game in particular. Computer gaming is much maligned at times for the level of violence in some games and for the amount of time that is claims that could be put to more productive uses. Some advantages of gaming are that it has educational applications, increase visual processing of information and teaches problem solving skills. Violence in games has an unquestionable negative effect on players, making them more likely to be violent themselves, according to Craig Anderson of the American Psychological Association. He points out that experiments in the lab and in the field, and longitudinal and cross-sectional studies have all shown this to be true. The interactive nature of the games makes them more influential in teaching violence that more passive media like television or books. Time spent in front of the computer has increased fir kids 8 to 18, and media use now stands at an average of 7.5 hours per day, taking into account computers, televisions and other media, as reported in a study by the Kaiser Foundation. Much of the time is spent multitasking or combining TV and video games, for example. Half surveyed said they had a computer game console of their own on their room. In addition time spent reading has decreased. Games have educational uses, for example, teaching economic skills like negotiating and purchasing strategies, and are used in college level economics courses to do so. For example, many games allow players to accumulate points or money and then purchase things that will advance their interest in the game. These features simulate markets, and in fact can become commodities outside the game. Gaming teaches problem solving skills. Players are given a set of rules to follow and must figure out the best strategy for achieving the goals set in the gaming context. If the game has multiple players or teams, the problem solving is done in a social context, which teaches people to communicate and cooperate. Computer game addiction generally refers to an excessive, unhealthy amount of playing computer games. Rather than engaging in the real world, an addicted user devotes the majority of his or her time to gaming. The addicted gamer often isolate him/herself from others, ignores more important responsibilities, and is often obsessed with obtaining higher status/rankings/achievements in his/her favorite computer game. According to the DSM-IV (the current manual for classifying emotional, psychological, and mental disorders), No. Although there have been calls from some mental health professionals and parents to recognize computer game addiction as a real disorder, it has not been granted official diagnostic status. As more research on the effects of excessive gaming is conducted, many believe that it is only a matter of time before computer game addiction is classified as a compulsive behavior similar to gambling addiction. Because there is no official diagnosis of computer game addiction, there is obviously no universally agreed upon list of symptoms. Psychologists and other mental health professionals initially adapted the diagnostic criteria for gambling addiction and used this as a rough assessment tool for computer game addiction. This classification approach is rarely used today and for better or for worse, it is essentially up to the individual researcher or clinician to define the symptoms of computer addiction. Depending on the research methodology and the definition of computer addiction used, estimates range from 2 to 10% of all children who play video games. More accurate and consistent estimates should be possible if formal diagnostic criteria for computer game addiction are introduced. Because computer game addiction is a new development in the world of mental health, treatments are not as well established as those for depression, anxiety, anger, and etc. most interventions take a cognitive-behavioral approach, which involve changing how the addict thinks about the addiction (for example, recognizing cognitive distortions designed to convince the gamer that it is not a problem), and simultaneously changing his/her behaviors (for example, setting strict limits for play, taking care of other responsibilities before gaming, using game blocking software of devices, and etc.) treatment can take a variety of forms including: Individual therapy Individual therapy with a psychologist who specializes in treating computer game addiction or who has experience with addictions in general. Treatment is tailored to the individual player and is based on established psychological principals and interventions. Family therapy Especially if the addicted player is a child or younger teen. Computer game addiction almost always affects other family members, and the chance for recovery is increased if these members are involved in treatment and are working together toward mutually agreed upon goals. Wilderness therapy Wilderness therapy in which the addicted gamer enters an outdoor treatment program focused on survival skills, team building, goal setting, and developing self-confidence. The programs typically last at least thirty days and the participants have absolutely no access to video games and limited access to other technologies. Although somewhat similar to the symptoms of computer game addiction, the negative consequences of excessive gaming are often divided into five main categories: Social Consequences As a computer game addict spends more time gaming, he/she tends to spend less time interacting with others in person. As such, he/she may lack face-to-face human contact, experience isolation and loneliness, and the loss of friends or relationships. Academic/Career Consequences Children and teens that are addicted to computer games very often experience falling grades and decreased academic performance and dedication. Completing homework, studying for tests, and efforts during school become very low priorities. Adults who are addicted to computer games may experience a similar deterioration in work performance, job dedication, and career aspirations. Financial Consequences Adults and teens may spend large amounts of money on new games, expansion pack, micro-transaction, service fees, and computer upgrades. In extreme cases, jobs may be lost due to poor work performance, playing while at work, and frequent absences. Family Consequences Computer game addiction often leads to deterioration in family relationships. Tension and conflict between family members escalates as requests to cut back or stop are ignored. The addicted player may initially deny that a problem exists, try to hide how much he/she plays, and accuse the other of trying to control his/her life. Parents of addicted children may disagree on how to address the problem. Which may lead to frequent arguments and conflicts. Health Consequences Computer game addicts may neglect personal hygiene, have poor sleep habits, give up healthy physical activities, and may make meal decisions based on quick and easy preparation so that gaming is not interrupted rather than dietary needs. Emotional/Psychological Consequences Those addicted to computer games may experience depressed mood, low self-esteem, social anxiety, low frustration tolerance, anger, and feelings of guilt and shame for not being able to control their gaming habits. Of note, it seems likely that difficulties in other areas can cause and be caused by computer game addiction. Is computer game addiction different from video game addiction, online addiction, and Internet Addiction? Yes, because computer game addiction refers to excessively playing games on a PC. Most often these games are of the MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) or the FPS (First Person Shooter) genre. Competing online with and against other players is a significant factor in what makes these particular genres more addictive than others. Video game addiction refers to excessive play on computer, home consoles, or handheld system. The terms Internet addiction and online addiction are occasionally used to describe computer game addiction, but more appropriately describe excessive web surfing, email checking, instant messaging, Facebook use, or downloading movies, images, or music Do you think it is okay to play computer games? Yes, most people can and do play computer games but in moderation. They play games for casual entertainment, as a way to relax, and to socialize with friends. However, there are those who are far more likely to become addicted to computer games. For these people, certain games (very often Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)) appear to present a high risk for addiction and may need to be avoided or banned in order to prevent unhealthy gaming habits.