Digital Storytelling and Reel Works

I'm choosing the "Legend of Christina: Single Player" as my reelworks to analyze. 

1.What do you like about the digital story?

Aside from this being an extremely suitable choice for our course content, as someone who grew up in one of the first video game generations, I can relate to this video very well.  There is a growing sense of community in the virtual world, to the extent that individuals can choose to ignore aspects of the physical world in lieu of a preferred virtual connection. If someone doesn't like the people they are forced to interact with, they can simply choose not to interact with them and instead invest their energy in social relationships with individuals through social media, online communities, virtual communities, and video games.  

2.What did you learn from the digital story?

There is a differentiation in how our society views the time dedicated to video games. While someone who is no savvy to video game technology might see time spent as "wasted" due to having no participation in the physical realm, video game players themselves see the time as important personally and socially. Friendships develop over similar interests in video games just as friendships may develop over similar book tastes. If social interaction persists, why should it be viewed differently? 

3.What surprised you about the digital story?

It was very interesting to hear the Christina express that her goal is to be immersed in video games with no interruption. I was surprised find myself feeling that it sounded anti-social. When analyzing the situation further, I have done the same thing in regards to playing games online with friends. I still stay connected to three of my best friends by playing video games online with them once every 3-4 months or so, and we will stay online together for around six to seven hours. If I am using the video game medium as a means for social connection, why should I interpret Christina's desire to seek this same connection as a primary source of entertainment and social interaction as improper? 

4. What social problem was the digital story addressing?

I believe the problem could be interpreted as two opposite issues: the first being that too many individuals in our society are spending a large amount of time on video games, and there are adverse effects that result from this. The second problem that could be interpreted is that society views video gaming as wasting time, when in reality it is simply a lack of knowledge of what the video gamers are gaining from their search to immerse themselves in a virtual world. 

4.How did the digital story provide an example of how digital storytelling can build self esteem, help young people voice an opposition to social problems, or create an alternative to stereotypes of adolescents typically portrayed in mainstream media?

Christina is absolutely given a chance to voice her opinion as to why she plays games and why she is okay with that. I believe that many voices in media often aim to make people that play video games feel as though they are social failures, nerds, or outcasts. The group of young individuals in the video express that they have their connections, interests, and similarities, and that it is essentially a social niche just like any other, even if it might be more difficult to discern than another social group. 

5. Do (or how do) these digital stories provide evidence of that these young people are engaged in analysis of their own culture?

This video explores all of the necessary questions in exploring this generations culture. Why does Christina play video games? She does it for the escape, to do things she simply cannot in the physical world, for the social connection, and for the entertainment. Does she feel like an outcast? Why should she? She feels like she has her group of friends that share her interests, just like any other group. 

It is interesting that, towards the end of the video, they begin to mention the amount of time that other students spend on social media every day. If one spends 4 hours on social networking sites every day, is that really so different from someone spending the same amount of time on a video game every day? Especially if the time spent online is connected to other individuals in a virtual community, it still involves the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and emotions. 

6. Do (or how do) these digital stories support a healthy respect for multiculturalism and diversity?

Aside from the obvious diversity in skin color in the video, the video also creates a voice for the, at times, unheard voice of those who devote themselves to a virtual, video game-based community. By creating a comparison between time devoted to social networking to time spent on video games, the video makes a very strong argument that there is no wrong in using different mediums for social interaction inside our culture, and that one is not greater than the other. Individuals will seek happiness in connection in their own way, and how they reach that goal should not be looked down on simply because of the medium in which the connection is made.