The Game About Blox got Blocked, and it Shouldn't.
By Ryan Ferrer, 21'
Recently in Dunellen High School, a form of student activity has now been deemed as unwelcome by the State of New Jersey, and I’m not pleased about it.
Now, I’m a regular student. My grades are optimal, I work throughout the week, and happen to enjoy technology. Similar to other students, I’m not the best in physical education. I try, but it doesn’t work out for me. Physical Education is meant to function as a time for students to let loose, but what about me, an introverted teenager who can live with himself and his own devices, or the many other students who outright prefer a more calm lifestyle?
Well, at first I would just relax and play some games on our school-assigned Chromebooks. No harm in that, right? Wrong, many games were blocked late in 2017, the first year we acquired them at DHS.
Students were evidently upset at this decision, as when asked about his opinion of when the Chromebooks were initially banned playing games, DHS Sophomore Robert Kimble replied with: “I was unhappy about this because it meant that once I was done with my work, I could not relax and take a break.” Another sophomore at DHS, Isaac Lopez, was asked the same question and replied with “... I thought it was cool because one could play games but once games started to get blocked I started to dislike the banning very much.”
“I wanted to go to Mr. Santiago’s room to play games in order to have fun and spend time with my friends who also go there.”, Mr. Lopez said, a frequent visitor in Mr. Santiago’s computer lab. He stated: “...playing with the computer makes people bond easily because of people being in the same room and the ability to play with one another.”.
People may wonder, “Why can’t they just play together after school?!?”. Well, Mr. Lopez offers his reasoning, saying “I wanted to go to Mr. Santiago’s room to play games in order to have fun and spend time with my friends that also go there.” Mr. Kimble adds his two cents to the conversation, saying “Unlike the computer I have at home, the Apple computers in class actually have decent specs and can run Roblox without lag.”
Lag can simply be described as a low signal during a tv show, causing it to appear slow. This can serve as detrimental for video games.
I personally never went to his room in order to play on “a better computer”, since my personally-built PC was outfitted with specs that would outclass the iMacs in terms of versatility.
“There are plenty of generalized solutions for chronic stress that permeate the internet, but at the end of the day, to each their own. One person’s ideal relaxation technique may be uncomfortable or downright irritating for another.” Claims Johanna Sisneros, a writer at The Daily Nebraskan, who wrote the article, “The effects of stress on your body and how to deal with it”.
Statewide Ban on Video Games in School: Why This May Benefit Students
By Thomas Askew 21'
In February of 2019, the state of New Jersey issued a ban on multiple gaming websites on school computers. This newly implemented ban affects all schools by switching the power of restriction from the district to the state. Their goal is to improve both the education of the students and the safety in a school environment.
As the video game industry becomes larger and larger, getting a revenue of 24 and a half billion dollars in 2016, a new problem burgeoning in modern society is the possibility of video game addiction. The competition and reward style of video games is much more addictive than people comprehend, which is gradually becoming a large distraction in students’ lives. This distraction is breeding conflict in their school life. Those who are addicted to video games often get lower grades than their peers. Furthermore, video game addictions affect the same part of the brain as alcohol and drug addictions, which is why medical specialist recognize this as a disease that needs treatment.
Video games are not just distractions at school but in all aspects of life. 41% of all people who play video games say it is to escape from the real world. Furthermore, it is believed that using video games in the classroom limits a student’s attention span.
Regarding the ban on several video games, including Roblox, sophomore Kraig Bubenick said, “It is a pretty understandable and reasonable argument. Gamers in the classroom may use video games during class and distract them from doing classwork.”
Recent studies also found that many video games incite violence. Students who play video games often have decreased activity of areas of the brain that are responsible for self-control which results in an increase of emotional outbursts.
Another motive for banning these websites is that it improves school safety. For example, one video game, that was banned, was Roblox. Roblox is a video game that is notorious for cyberbullying and online predators, and sometimes, censored chat boxes may not be enough.
The state hopes that by banning these websites, they will make the classroom a safer and more educative environment for the students.
In regards to the benefits of the state banning video game websites, Computer Applications and AP Computer Science teacher Mr. James Santiago said, “I like that the state now is in charge.”
By switching the responsibility of restriction from the district to the state, the state is now held accountable for anything a student may discover upon the internet.
Children who play video games often also experience poor social skills. The replacement of face-to-face interactions with online interactions deprives students of the social skills that they will possibly need in the future.
Video game addiction is increasing in modern society. Symptoms of this addiction include failing grades, lack of sleep, irritability, neglect of hygiene, uninterested in other activities, and increased anxiety. A student can play video games whenever they want when they are in their household, however, school is supposed to protect them from the dangers of video games, among other things, by providing a safe, educational, learning environment.
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