left for DEAD?

Probably one of the most amazing invention of the 20th century would have to be the Internet. According to the latest survey by Internetworldstats.com, 2,421,800 Internet users as of September/2005, 66.3% of the population in Singapore have access to the Internet! Hence, it’s to say one third of Singapore is wired with the world. The convience which the Internet brings is boundless – Emails, Stock Exchange, Word Processing, Movies, Games, just to name a few.

Sadly, with improving technology it also brings forth new dangers. For example, Gaming Addiction. Video game addiction, is excessive or compulsive use of computer and video games that interferes with daily life. Instances have been reported in which users play compulsively, isolating themselves from, or from other forms of, social contact and focusing almost entirely on in-game achievements rather than broader life events. Hence, these people who are addicted to online gaming, spend most of their time at home and the community to them is no longer a physical structure of people, buidlings or anything which is physical.

A report cited a 2005 Entertainment Software Association survey of computer gaming players, and noted that players of MMORPGs were more likely to play for more than 2 hours per day than other gamers. In its report, this 2 hour per day limit to define “gaming overuse”, citing the general guideline of no more than 1 to 2 hours per day of “screen time”. More and more people are addicted to online gaming and the addiction is not only exclusive to children, but grown up adults alike!

This form of addiction has seriously consequences. From developing abnormal social etiquette to even health deterioration. There are many instances where children and adults died while playing online computer games. The reason of death is commonly cited as similiar as to the Economy Class Syndrome – where the lack of movement prohibits the flow of blood from normal circulation. This is as addicted online gamers usually will be glued to the screen for tens of hours to even days. Only recently, a man from china dies from online gaming.The man, who was only identified by his gaming alias “Zhang,” is what China has come to classify 2.6 million of its 20 million under-18 youth: gaming addicts. Though Zhang’s death was attributed to his 330 pound obesity, I think the cause of death might also be linked towards his perpetual online gaming addiction.

What are your thoughts for online communications?
Are online gaming addictions common in your friends too?

when love hurts.

Many of you might have known by now that singer Chris Brown, assaulted his girlfriend Rihanna. It was reported that the 19-year old pop singer attacked his 21-year old girlfriend after a Grammy party on February 8th. Afterwhich, Rihanna was so badly beaten up, till she cannot perform for the Grammy Awards the following day. Why is this happening to a couple who had been dating for the past 6 months? In my opinion, her boyfriend and her, did not clearly define their relational boundaries when they started off.

According to Knapp’s Model of Relational Development, there are 10 stages in defining a relationship. Five for building up a relationship and five for dissolving a relationship. Of which, those stages can be non linear and skip around, but they should be clearly defined within the boundaries. In the case of Rihanna and her boyfriend, they might have a very brief Initation stage, where the two person made contact. Prehaps by a surge of raging hormones, they skipped the a stage and went straight to the third, which is Intensifying. Then, probably with all the tabloids reporting, they might be forced together. Hence, rushing into the Integration stage. Then, it went on for a couple of months. However, even when trouble brews within themselves, they are to put up a front, as they are awarded tremendous attention by the paparazzi. With minimal fundations in the developing phase of the Coming Together Stage, it might be one of the factor that shortened their ‘Honeymoon’ period. When Chris Brown allegedly assaulted Rihanna that night, it might had been one of their first major disagreements. Brown, 19, might not have any awareness of anger managment and lashed on Rihanna. Hence, pulling their relational development from stage 4, down to near stage 10, which is Termiation. Rihanna made her stand, by going to the police and reported Brown for assault, thus signing the end of the relationship.

Rihanna made her stand, by reporting the assault to the police. This incident is just an amplified example of one such domestic violence case, as it happened to two celebrities in Hollywood. There are so many more unreported cases of domestic violence around the world, especially if the society favours male domimance. In Singapore, 61 per cent of women, if affected by domestic violence, claim they would confide in a friend, yet a much smaller proportion would turn to official authorities such as 30% to the police and 23% to a support group. Thus, the majority will carry on in the Stagnation phase, where their relationship with their spouses do not grow nor dissolves. Hence, many just carry on with their lives, citing different reasons, yet they might be consistently faced with the danger of domestic violence.

So my point is, will you carry a relationship in stagnation even you are being domestically abused for the fear of losing what you value?
Or, will you be like Rihanna, and take a stand against it?