Broknowledge

"Who is this guy and why should you care?"

That's the question that usually runs through your mind the first time you read a new blog. It may have been out of pure curiosity that you decided to click the blog, or perhaps the silly name caught your eye. Maybe you read the description and decided you would give the blog a read out of genuine interest. Regardless, you're here.

I'm going to try to update as regularly as possible. I'll probably keep it to a weekly/bi-weekly thing, but it will just depend on how bored I get. I work in a parking garage in the mornings and it can get pretty boring, especially when I'm not doing homework/writing papers/etc.
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cEvery post, I'll write a little quip about whatever and then get on to the good stuff. The idea is to provide highlights or quips (historical, interesting, etc.) for four categories. Usually, it will be gaming, music, politics, and life, but sometimes I may substitute another category if I feel the information is worthy.

Gaming:

There are plenty of great things going on in gaming right now, but possibly the most exciting news is the "announcement" of the Xbox 720. With the Wii U flying off of shelves this season, both Sony and Microsoft are behind on what is now the longest stretch of time between console generations.

My thoughts? Microsoft's 360 has dominated since its release. As long as they're able to find that balance between affordability/quality, they'll be likely to succeed again. Console gaming has definitely come closer to its peak than ever before with this generation of systems. The differences between the next generation and the current generation is not likely to be as drastic as it has been in the past, due to the limitations of making cost-effective systems. [source]


Music:

Not everyone loves jazz, but everyone should learn about it. It is one of the only truly original American forms of music (American folk, R&B, and Bluegrass are others to name a few). The history of jazz is rich and full of a blend of affluent cultures. There is some controversy over the origins of jazz, as it developed from hundreds of years of slavery and the suppression of culture. However, I like to see it another way. Jazz is proof that you can never take music away. Music is the expression of the soul and jazz is all about channeling that energy into a physical form. To read more about jazz, you can check out this wikipedia article.

Just remember: it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.

Politics:

Ugh. We all hate politics. Even politicians. It's a big game. All of it.

However, saying "I don't like politics" is not an excuse for being willfully ignorant of what goes on in the world around you. No matter where you live, if you can, take a vested interest in the politics of your country. Pay attention, because if you don't, you may just find that you're being taken advantage of. Fact check, fact check, fact check. Never let anyone tell you anything and accept it as true until you've done your homework.

I'm going to be posting information that pertains mainly to American politics in the future. I'm going to try my hardest to keep the information nonpartisan (bipartisan and any word that emphasizes the fact that we have a two-party system in the US just pisses me off).

Life:

Ah, finally down to life. This is one of my favorite categories because I can pretty much talk about anything. Today, however, I'm going to talk about internet addiction. I major in a field known as communication studies. Essentially, it's the study of how we communicate and the media through which we choose to do so. I thought this would be an interesting first topic.

Internet addiction dates back to 1995, when a man named Ivan Goldberg proposed a new disorder likened to gambling addiction in which people are addicted to the use of the internet. It has not been accepted as a mental disorder as of yet, but has recently been accepted into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is a HUGE thing. It doesn't mean they've accepted it as a disorder, but that they're pushing for research into the subject.

At the mere mention of the name, I'm sure you did a quick eyebrow raise. "Internet addiction? That's silly." You may not even realize it, but you may be "addicted to the internet" according to Goldberg. Since the study took place in 1995, it is very outdated for the world of today, where the internet has integrated so deeply in our every day life. This, along with many arguments over the nature of the subject, is what has convinced the DSM that a comprehensive study into internet addiction is worth pursuing.

While internet addiction cannot be proven, reliability on the internet is a very real thing. Just walk outside and find one person who has not buried their face in a laptop or smart phone. It's going to be a challenge, I'm sure. The importance of internet addiction is that it brings up a very interesting question: "how much internet is too much internet?" The negative influences on your health, cognitive skills, and interpersonal relationship development are the primary concerns here. More recent studies into the subject go specifically into video game overuse, looking at games like World of Warcraft that require players to spend a great deal of uninterrupted time playing. (*cough* Neopets *cough*)

Now, don't get me wrong: I am on my computer WAY too much myself. I'm not preaching for you to go outside and play football or anything. The message to get from this is that the internet is a powerful thing and with great power, comes great responsibility.