Impact of Pro-Eating Disorder Websites

Impact of Pro-Eating Disorder Websites Kosalina Vignarajah Harithra Chandrasehar Abstract This paper examines the impact of pro-eating disorder websites as determined by the researches done on the area. During the course of this paper, we have critically analyzed the findings, methodologies and conclusions given in eight research papers while providing suggestions for our opinions on them. After the analysis, we have come to a conclusion that pro-eating disorder websites are harmful to both novice viewers and regular viewers as these websites negatively affect the self-esteem, perceptions of beauty and the patterns of thinking. However, these websites are also a forum through which people with eating disorders communicate, which acts a supportive network, and is therefore positive as well. Key words: Pro-eating disorder websites, thinspiration, Pro-ana/pro-mia. Kosalina Vignarajah Introduction Nothing tastes as good as thin feels is a quote which is often seen in pro-eating disorder websites (Bardone-Cone Cass, 2006). Pro-eating disorder movements or websites focus mainly on influencing individuals to practice disordered behaviors of eating (by sometimes undermining the harm it can do) and increasing the eating disorder behaviors overtime without seeking treatments from professionals. These websites claim that they are pro-ana and/or pro-mia (for anorexia and bulimia respectively) and that they represent a lifestyle choice rather than eating disorders (Csipke and Horne, 2007). The objective of this paper is to understand the impact of pro-eating disorder websites on people. This paper will mainly focus on why pro-eating disorder movements negatively impacts people already diagnosed with eating disorders. Additionally, this paper will have an in-depth explanation of pro-eating disorder websites, what these websites contain that benefits and negatively impacts the users, find appropriate approaches to reduce the consequences of these sites, the precautious steps that clinical professionals/therapists could take to help the victims, and the limitations and possible future studies will also be explored. Pro-Eating Disorder websites Pro-eating disorder websites are where individuals with anorexia or bulimia join together to feel like a community, share values and beliefs (Csipke and Horne, 2007). These movements are especially spread through websites have main three goals: the sites prevent from seeking professional help; increase the behavior of eating disorder, and using the guise of support to harm the users (Yom-Tov, Fernandez-Luque, Weber, Crain, 2012). Csipke and Horne (2007) have characterized websites regarding eating disorders into four main types: (1) eating disorder websites run by professionals concerned with health; (2) recovery sites run by people with eating disorders; (3) moderate pro-ED sites that consists of beliefs and quotes regarding being thin, and (4) severe pro-ED sites that consists of ANA creed or commandments which is similar to a movement and contains inspirational facts and information about maintaining a low body weight and looking thin. Most of these sites contain images and messages that motivate disordered behaviors; drugs that help induce vomit; chatrooms that include individuals that support each other; a disclaimer to warn people who accidently come across the site and sometimes information about the organizer of this site is given (Overbeke, 2008). Also most of the sites have calorie charts and BMI calculator to advice the users of the exercises to undertake, to reduce weight and to help hide the disorders from others (Csipke and Horne, 2007). Addition to sharing thinspiration pictures of thin supermodels, the users who have eating disorders find themselves more deep into these websites because of the identity that these sites provide. And in this way, they are taught self control on food consumption and encourage to diet or fast with other fellow chatters, this is one of the main defense statement of pro-eating websites (Csipke and Horne, 2007). The contents of these sites could be harmful and is a health concern, as explained below. Impact of Pro-Eating disorder websites Csipke and Horne (2007) concluded that there was a positive impact (without counting the motivation to diet together) on frequent users of the pro-eating website , who were supported emotionally found themselves connecting with other users who had the same view and thought than the silent users who were physically supported to maintain restricted eating behaviors. It is important to remember that a frequent user of the sites is not safe from disordered eating behavior, and also it is difficult for the users to come out of this behavior to recover because these sites gives them an identity. Despite giving sense of belongingness, clear identity, and practical information in regards to anorexia, the sites have negative impacts such as lowered self esteem, and self-efficacy of being perceived as overweight which leads to eating disorders (Overbeke, 2008). For example, Bardone-Cone and Cass (2006) stated that women who viewed pro-anorexia website showed an increase on their perceived weight and a decrease in how attractive they looked to opposite sex compared with women who viewed neutral sites, thus both the mood and the cognition of women are affected by viewing pro-eating disorder movement websites. Also users of pro-ana sites had a longer duration of illnesses and higher number of absenteeism of school due to health concerns (Overbeke, 2008). The impact of pro-eating disorder on eating disorder is a topic that requires more attention in the future, especially the role the sites play in helping to maintain and increase eating disorder behaviors, an explanation of these popularities despite the negative impact and the reasons for why the individuals continue access these sites (Overbeke, 2008). Approaches to Reduce the Impact of Pro-Eating Disorders Websites A better approach can be taken to prevent these sites causing more harmful effects such as a censorship to shut down these sites from stopping the frequent users and also the users yet to connect with the site members (Csipke and Horne, 2007). Parents should also educate themselves and their children with media literacy that gives a critical evaluation of the media and its messages and it is wiser to use block technology at home computers if the children were alone with a technical device or else place the computers in public area of the house (Bardone-Cone and Cass, 2006). It is the duty of the parents to be aware of their childrens health to not only check for eating disorders but to also prevent from other diseases. Yom-Tov et al. (2012) illustrated that some of the countries like Israel has taken the precaution of these harmful sites and have banned advertisements containing severely underweight models. On the other hand, the online servers (e.g Yahoo, MSN) have taken it upon themselves to create awareness for the harmful drugs used for eating disorder. Overbeke (2008) suggested that by understanding the factors that influences the popularity of these sites, professionals can take relevant steps to prevent popularity of these sites. Clinical scientists should defend against statements such as these where pro-Ana movements is compared with homosexuality, that given time pro-Ana movements will be considered as a chosen lifestyle as homosexuality is considered today (Overbeke, 2008). Treatments could include acknowledgement of these sites and how to address these issues with clients to prevent relapse and help acquire a healthy eating behaviors by letting the clients know about the influence these sites have on their health (Csipke and Horne, 2007). In addition to above mentioned precautions that parents and therapist could take, there are some areas of studies that require the attention of researchers to study on. For example, The ambiguity of pro-Ana makes it difficult for the researchers to study on it because different meaning is given to pro-eating disordered movements by many and most of the studies are pilot or descriptive studies that are not evidence enough to make conclusion from to check the real impacts (Overbeke, 2008). Therefore, Yom-Tov et al. (2012) emphasized that future studies can focus on interventions where warnings about the content of the sites should be clear, understandable to any user, and importance should be given to adhere to these warnings to avoid being caught up in problems that may lead to eating disordered behavior. As mentioned above, the use of blocking from the internet servers for these sites is necessary because a caregiver cannot monitor the users all the time, and parental control software should be present for the users especially to avoid the first time users attention towards these sites. Harithra Chandrasehar â€Å"E-Ana and e-Mia: A Content Analysis of Pro–Eating Disorder Web Sites† is an article by Borzekowski et al. analyzes the content shown in a one hundred and eighty pro-eating disorder websites. According to the article, pro-eating disorder websites are often defined by their urging of viewers to use unconventional and dangerous methods to lose weight such as using laxatives. The article also mentioned that 79% of the websites were interactive thus giving viewers a forum, and that they contain â€Å"thinspiration†, tips and techniques to lose weight, and â€Å"reverse triggers† – pictures of morbidly obese people (Borzekowski et al. 2010). What was most fascinating was the details accumulated regarding the sites such as them being very easy to understand as they were compiled in eighth grade English which aids its ability to cater to its audience, and more importantly, that most of the sites had themes – including bringing control to life t hrough eating-disorders, isolation from those who they think are fat and impure, and as artistic transformation (Borzekowski et al., 2010). A drawback of this study is the unavailability of information regarding the â€Å"underground† websites which are pro-eating disorder, as they may contain the most damaging information, as opposed to what is found in the public domain. The article titled â€Å"Potential risks of Pro-eating disorder websites† claims that despite the negative out-cry against them, that there are currently around five hundred websites which are pro-eating disorders currently on the internet, and that around 200-400 users will be accessing those sites at any given time, while also mentioning that those who view these websites can be girls of twelve years or younger. This article also shed light to three important factors which seem to carry the most risk to those viewing a pro-eating disorder website. They are; â€Å"Operation under the guise of support†, â€Å"reinforcement of disordered eating, and â€Å"prevention of help-seeking and recovery† Interestingly it also mentions that not all pro-eating disorder websites are anti-recovery as some websites encourage the users to seek help when their eating disorder progresses (Rouleau, von Ranson 2010). This does confirm the fact that eating-disorder websites are a fo rum which provide support and comfort too. However, it is also possible that the triggers in the website may discourage people from seeking help, despite the disclaimer in the beginning of the page. A suggestion to counter these pro-eating disorder websites would be to have a website which appears along with the pro-eating disorder websites, which is run by completely recovered individuals who once lived with eating disorders, who can understand and even guide a person to seek help. The site can even be monitored by clinicians. The research titled â€Å"What does viewing a pro-Anorexia website do? An experimental examination of website exposure and moderating effects† seems to be a remarkably well-thought out study. It is also a study that has been cited by many research articles discussing this topic. Technically, the article seems to be quite flawless as it covers every aspect necessary, including a pilot study, the randomization of participants, explanation of methods of testing used, and the explanation of results. the results of this study determined that viewing a pro-anorexia website made a significant impact on the participants compared to those who viewed the control websites in terms of a negative mood, low social self-esteem, low appearance self-esteem, higher likelihood to exercise and think about weight in the forthcoming days. This study was a critical point in the research of pro-eating disorder websites as it showed the immediate after effects of viewing one. Unfortunately, it has not followed the participants out of the lab and analyzed how these websites affect their life after the initial viewing – despite the debriefing they received and the availability to psychological help. (Bardone-Cone, Cass 2007). It would be interesting to know whether any of these participants returned to viewing these websites, and to understand what drew them to it as they are considered first-time viewers, (and should technically have no reason to search for companionship in an eating-disorder website which is the reason given by many people living with eating disorders when asked why they access these sites), and whether viewing these articles and images are as damaging as they were the first time, or if the effect of it reduces each time through desensitization as the Bardone-Cone and Cass study suggests. It would also be interesting to know what changes will occur in the results if the subjects were male, or if they were from a culture that appreciates body fat, or even if it were someone who is obese and having a good self esteem. The variations of the sample are quite necessary as these sites are quite freely available on the internet, and therefore it is important to find out how different people react to these websites, as opposed to only considering the stereotypical relationship between women and anorexia. However, it would be quite dangerous to expose people to sites like these without having a good understanding of their psychological state, as eating disorders can be hidden for so long, and disguised as many other less harmful things that it may be difficult for the researchers to notice changes in a participant unless it is a long term study. The final article â€Å"disordered eating in a digital age† is a questionnaire/survey which was linked to pro-eating disorder websites, which was answered by those accessing the site. The results were then analyzed to determine the harm caused, and although it has been impossible to determine the causality of many of these negative symptoms including low BMI, low quality of life, co-morbidity of illnesses along with psychological diagnosis, and an alarming twenty one sick days in a month of thirty days, but its strongly linked to eating disorders and these websites (Peebles et al. 2012). However, this research had a response rate of less than 40% which is not an adequate sample, while only English websites were accessed. However this study was one of the best online studies conducted in this area, was well analyzed, and the article contained the survey for references which can be helpful to the reader. Conclusion The articles above show comprehensive details about pro-eating disorder websites. Upon careful reviewing of both articles and some of these mentioned websites, it is easy to understand that there is a completely different mind-set attached to those who have purposely disordered eating habits. It seems to be like they think that they have a higher purpose, a better understanding and purer image of the human body. Their mentality seems like that of a cult, a united front with adherence to a strict regime, but it’s members breaking down within it unable to cope up with the stress and the difficulty, but struggling each day, because if they don’t, their entire belief system and the purpose they have assigned to themselves may fall apart. Perhaps one of the most ethical ways to help these people who may not acknowledge that they require it is by doing more research about pro-eating disorder websites which helps develop their dangerous bonds and by matching each of it with a less harmful blog/website run by clinicians but is suitable and accessible to the general public. Another such proactive action would be having a minimum standard guideline that these pro-eating disorder websites need to adhere to, required by law, where the harm is detailed and the ways to get help are found, like the warning that is mandated on packs of cigarettes. It is best if these websites can be closed down by all internet servers as a matter of public safety, and encourages instead a forum or web pages which speak creatively about the struggles of beating eating disorders and victory. In the case of research, it would be best to do more studies with diverse samples, and to do studies which assess the long term effects of these websites. It would be also interesting to have a research perspective about why these websites should exist, and it would be ideal if this research could be conducted by those who believe in the pro-eating disorder movement as it would be a good way to understand each other, with the basis of science. References Bardone-Cone, A. M., Cass, K. M. (2006) Investigating the Impact of Pro-Anorexia Websites: A Pilot Study. European Eating Disorders Review 14, 256-262. Bardone-Cone A M. and Cass K M. (2007) What Does Viewing a Pro-Anorexia Website Do? An Experimental Examination of Website Exposure and Moderating Effects, International Journal of Eating Disorders 40:6 537–548 DOI 10.1002/eat Borzekowski D LG, Schenk S, Wilson J L, Peebles R (2010) e-Ana and e-Mia: A Content Analysis of Pro–Eating Disorder Web Sites. American Journal of Public Health, Volume 100, No 8. Csipke, E., Horne, O. (2007) Pro-Eating Disorder websites: users opinions. European Eating Disorders Review,Volume 15, Issue 3, pages 196-206. Overbeke, G. (2008) Pro-Anorexia Websites: Content, Impact, and Explanations of Popularity. Mind Matters: The Wesleyan Jounral of Psychology, 49-62, Vol. 3. Peebles R, Wilson J,Litt I F,Hardy K K;Lock D (2012) Disordered Eating in a Digital Age:Eating Behaviors, Health, and Quality of Life in Users of Websites With Pro-Eating Disorder Content. Journal of Medical Internet Research 14.5 Rouleau C R, von Ranson K M (2010) Potential risks of pro-eating disorder websites, Clinical psychology review 31- Elsevier. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2010.12.005 Yom-Tov, E., Fernandez-Luque, L., Weber, I., Crain, S. P. (2012) Pro-Anorexia and Pro-Recovery Photo Sharing: A tale of Two Warring Tribes. Journal of Medical Internet Research.

“Simplicity” by William Zinsser

William Zinsser in his essay, â€Å"Simplicity,† describes the tendency people have to inflate their own words. A majority of us think that something is missing if a word or sentence is too simple causing us to add unnecessary information only to confuse our readers. Zinsser shows us examples of this in everyday life such as a simple letter, or a brochure by an insurance company, where the corporation uses a statement that overuses vocabulary to express something so simple. Zinsser observes that, â€Å"Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can’t exist without another†,(Zinsser 175) His opinion on the key towards becoming an excellent writer is to take every sentence and to shorten it so that each word has its set function. As a writer, he believes the more clearheaded one is while constructing a piece of work, the better result they will receive. Writing is not as easy as it may seem. It can take several trials of perfecting one’s work and more importantly revisions of one’s thoughts like Zinsser’s writing. The more conscious you become to your writing allows the writer to easily express their words and in society, good writing seems to be what lacks the most. Zinsser believes that a clear mind can positively impact your writing like a clear mind can affect your performance in everyday life. Sometimes, the more homework I have and the more hours I work, seem to build to my stress and negatively affect me in school. My weekly schedule is one that at times is pretty hectic. With school, work and friends, sometimes the juggling of the three seem to reach a boiling point. I currently work at a waitressing job in which the night shifts are usually the ones that benefit me the most. I attend school at Hunter College 4 days a week. Mondays and Thursdays from 8 am to 4 pm, while Tuesdays and Fridays are from 11 am to 1 pm. My work schedule is for the most part from Tuesday, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (mid day to late nights). Going to school four days a week and working 5 days a week is such a hassle in my life. I try to fit my social life in as well yet, sometimes it seems impossible. That’s when I realize by not going out I might be jeopardizing my friendships. Working almost five days a week doesn’t give me enough time for myself or the ability to focus more on school. I come home so late that I usually stay up studying till 2 or 3 in the morning but have to wake up by 6 am. I run on 3 or 4 hours of sleep which doesn’t give me enough energy to function at my highest capability. About two weeks ago I reached a point in my life in which I was beginning to feel like a robot. On a Friday night, I came home from a long day at school, immediately headed to work knowing that I had two tests to study for Monday. Now I was scheduled to work the whole weekend on night shifts that I was struggling to figure out how I could possibly fit in time to study. I tried my hardest to study in between work breaks, but the environment around me was pretty hectic, that I accomplished nothing. On Saturday and Sunday, I woke up a little earlier to study, but time was passing by so fast that on both days I only accomplished an hour or two to memorize some material. I would rush each day to start getting ready for work and to call my cab to get there on time. That Sunday from work I got home at 2 am and studied an hour for history, until I fell asleep on my books. I instantly woke up, almost late for school, just in time to make it to my English class. I was so tired that I was straining to make my eyes remain open. I had a few school breaks in between my classes, but I knew that I couldn’t memorize all these material for two different subjects the day of the test. Taking both of those tests, made me realize that not only did I fail, but I needed to make some changes in my life. My first priority is attending and excelling at school and juggling too many days at work with school is almost impossible to do. I knew I had to change my work schedule so that I have enough days to study and nights to rest in the future. In the end I knew it would work out even if I cut back on days to earn money, because my body and mind need to properly rest. We don’t seem to realize but sometimes there are many unnecessary things we do that can easily be adjusted. Either working too much or spending time doing other activities can take up a lot of our energy. As Zinsser illustrates simplifying one’s life or one’s writing is possible and necessary at times, and if we all learned to do so life would be much easier.

Movie Review Jake Get Of The Car Now ! - 786 Words

â€Å"Jake get in the car NOW!!!!!† I said *car door opens and shuts* â€Å"What is that thing it’s so damn big, hit it the gas hurry !!† said Jake â€Å"Hurry!!!!!† *boom BOOOOM* * car screeches on the pavement*. â€Å"Faster it s catching up to us† screamed Jake â€Å"How?! we’re going 60 mph,† I said, â€Å"I don’t know how that thing is so fast, but just do it !† Jake said â€Å" just don t look directly at him ok† I screamed â€Å" Yes I get that just keep driving,† said Jake. We can t keep driving forever, I see this house up ahead a light is on, so I m going to go through this small road try to get off for a couple of minutes then we go I asked Whatever I don t care dude Jake Said. *knocking noises* â€Å"Hello anyone please help us please open up why won t do†¦show more content†¦Jake!! What did you do to Jake I yelled It s been so long since I ve had 2 fresh meats, Oh my luck is amazing said Arthur Wait what did you do t-- I stuttered. â€Å"huh what’s happening, oh god what is that smell, why am I handcuffed to a pole, WHERE IS JAKE!!† I screeched. â€Å"Oh god please no plea----† â€Å"huh Jake, JAKE!!!!† I yelled â€Å" WHERE ARE YOU ARTHUR, SHOW YOURSELF NOW !!!!!!!!†. â€Å"Oh Hello, Michael how’s the pole, said Arthur It ll be great when I shove it up your A**, What the hell did you do with Jake I said That wasn t very nice to say, and oh him, he ll become what he ate, just like all mothers say, said Arthur. Wait wha--- YOU SON OF B****, I ll kill you, I ll kill you I screamed at him. Hey wanna know a secret I m a cannibal GET USED TO IT!!!! Hey Hey don t hurt yourself I still have to prepare you I don t want you all bruised up. Awww I have to use the bathroom, give you a minute to reminisce about life think how you got here. The smart ones always taste better. Said Arthur BURN IN HELL YOU MONSTER I Screamed oh god what am I gonna do, KEYS Thank you, Jesus. Just jam it in the handcuff please work, please work S*** doesn t fit said my screwed self. Hello again ,and goodbye to those keys, said Arthur The hell you think you were doing, even if you did get

What Kind Of Effect Do Games Have On Players - 1406 Words

What kind of effect do games have on players? While most would argue, games actually teach players how to solve real world problems. It’s true because I created a game that does exactly that. My game is called Anti-Procrastination and it prevents people from procrastinating. In the essays ‘What Exactly Is a Game?’ by Jane McGonigal, ‘What Kids Learn That’s Positive From Playing Video Games’ by Marc Prensky, ‘Gamers Have Skills. Let’s Tap ‘em.’ by Jane McGonigal and the video â€Å"Jane McGonigal: The game that can give you 10 extra years of life† it explains how games create real world learning. My game teaches different types of real world learning such as how to not procrastinate, time management and it creates the habit of productivity. My Game The first step of my game is to create a to-do list of tasks you need to complete in that day. This will be your ‘level selection’. Each task has an amount of points you award yourself with if you complete it, but you also need to time yourself. A few ways to time yourself is to choose a song/playlist or the old-fashioned stopwatch. If you fail to complete the task in the time allotted, there is a consequence. Make the consequence hard, such as giving away something valuable. It will push you harder to complete the task. Before you even start the game, you must turn off all distractions. After you finish the entire ‘level selection’, you count up how many points you have and determine what reward you deserve. If you fail to completeShow MoreRelatedThe Video Gaming Industry1209 Words   |  5 Pagestechnology advances we have made are remarkable. Video game consoles and how we as a society play them has changed dramatically since the beginning of gaming in the 1970’s. Over the last decade there have been many arguments concerning video games such as too much violence, obesity, addiction, social wellbeing, and many other health related issues. Video games also have some advantages to include hand eye coordination, a strategic mind set, educational and teach life lessons to the players. However, videoRead MoreVideo Game And Violent Video Games1574 Words   |  7 Pagesdevelopment of the internet in recent years, game and violence game have become companions of young people. We could not deny the fact that video game already has strong attraction for many people. Especially in today’s society, when work pressure is growing, gaming is an effective solution to relieve tension, dispel feeling of fatigue, anxiety. Playing the normal video game, which it not include any violence scenes, plus regulatory reasonable playing time can help players relaxed and balanced in terms of psychologicalRead MoreNegative Effects Of Video G ames943 Words   |  4 PagesWith the rising popularity of video games people of all kinds are forming completely different opinions on the growing entertainment platform. Some argue that interactive brain stimulation increases hand-eye coordination and focus. Others say it has a negative psychological effect on their child and influences them to partake in aggressive behavior that they would otherwise not become involved in.CBN explains that Grand Theft Auto III (GTAIII), a rock star game, releasing shortly after 9/11 raisedRead MoreOnline Gaming Is A Fast Growing Past Time986 Words   |  4 Pagesplayed offline video games are moving to playing games online with their friends and family instead of in the same room. Part of the reason for this change in video game playing is the distance between each other, and the times people are available. Because of this new platform for gamers to use, there are changes in communication. My question is, how do the relationships outside of an online game effect the interactions of the players during game play? What I mean by this is what exactly is the speechRead MoreVideo Games Effects On Entertainment Industry949 Words   |  4 Pagesvideo games have been a massive impact and phenomenon on entertainment industry. People from different ages playing video games from different types of consuls and games, and the sales from this industry is growing. What is makes different from video games than another entertainmen t industry is video games encourage people in different levels to have more attention and focus more emotionally and physically on the screen. There are different games that are made to appeal the gamers and have theirRead MorePhysiological Responses And Match Characteristics Of Professional Tennis Players During A One Hour Simulated Tennis Match1749 Words   |  7 Pagesmatch characteristics in professional tennis players during a one-hour simulated tennis match. Journal of Human Kinetics, 50(2), 83-92. Tennis is one of the few games that has no time limits and players should keep their physical form at the highest level when entering to play tennis tournaments in order to achieve the best possible results. The researchers of this article mostly focused on how tennis players responded to physical activity, which they have experienced while playing a tennis match forRead MoreVideo Games Effects On Problem Solving Skills1524 Words   |  7 PagesVideo Games Effects on Problem Resolving Skills There has been quite a bit of research done on the subject of video games and their relationship to aggression but although the spectrum is growing there is much less research done on video games in their connection to academic performance. Throughout the last two decades a huge portion of text has recorded the advantageous properties of video games on numerous engagements (Novak Tassell, 2015). Also over the last two decades’ video games have becomeRead MoreThe Impact of Computer Games in the UK Essay1561 Words   |  7 Pages High technology has conquered our world and it cannot not to have any impact on people who use it. Children are those who may suffer most because they are â€Å"screen addicted† from a very early age. According to Thomas (2011) an average modern child spends four hours thirty minutes in front of the TV or computer each day which includes one hour fifty minutes online and two hours forty minutes watching television. However, Trybus (2014) clai ms that gaming technology may help significantly in the educationRead MorePositive Effects Of Video Games Essay889 Words   |  4 Pagesplaying video games. From five or six-year-olds, all the way up to 40 or 50-year-olds. Ever since video games were first created, people have been fascinated with them, and spend hours upon hours playing them. It may be common to hear people say that videogames are a waste of time, video games rot your brain, or video games cause you to become violent, heartless criminals. This may be true in some cases; however, though it may not be known to most people, there are many good effects of playing videoRead MorePlato Republic And Video Games Essay1102 Words   |  5 PagesRepublic and videogames offer people a unique outlook on Justice. Video Games especially role-playing games allow players to create their own justice (or lack of justice). Through the player’s choices justice either reveals itself in unexpected ways or it simply does not exist , and all is controlled by what the player chooses. The same can be said for The Republic it may not be a videogame in the same sense but it is still a mind game. Socrates and the interlocutors are creating a city with their minds