The Reincarnation of Imagination
Essay Preview: The Reincarnation of Imagination
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Mixing reality and fiction is a dangerous game and in this day and age of infinite technology the lines that separate these two worlds can become extremely blurred to the point of non existence. Thomas de Zengotita and Henry Jenkins both grace the topic of the disappearing act that the partition created to segregate reality vs. fantasy in their essays, “The Numbing of the American Mind: Culture as Anesthetic,” and “ÐComplete Freedom of Movement: Video Games as Gendered Play Spaces,” respectively. Zengotita displays his beliefs towards the current American culture by listing variation upon sub variation of the different realms of reality. Jenkins shares his views on the video game culture, its escapism appeal and its effect on children.
As young children growing up, imagination tends to dominate the majority of your days. Children have imaginary friends, imaginary worlds, and imagined situations. As years go by the ability to imagine fades and is replaced by maturity. Soon afterwards the list of imaginary worlds decreases until the field is narrowed to just one world, the real world, and childhood simplicity is gone. Zengotita and Jenkins are implying in their writings that due to our highly developed society and over abundance of technology there may be a comeback for the imaginary world. Although the essays involve semi unrelated topics, both authors leave their readers wondering, could the childhood mindset of ten years ago be the new stationary “little black dress,” of adulthood?
“ÐComplete Freedom of Movement: Video Games as Gendered Play Spaces,” by Henry Jenkins reports his views on the video game culture and how it is starting to shape the youth culture in America. Video games open up new worlds to kids and adults alike and can often be as addicting as caffeine or similar substances. My mother previously had such an addiction to the computer game, “The Sims,” in which you care for and manipulate a simulated family. Sleepless nights would blend into mornings of cup after cup of coffee and often cause her to forget my bagged lunch for school.
Jenkins offers the theory that “gamers” are the “bookworms” of ten years ago and that the simulation in some of these games improves thought process and situation handling. Although his theories are somewhat sound and his evidence is incorrigible, I have to disagree with some of his findings. I understand that video games create a level of stress that may help children to build tolerance and quicken decision making. However, video games also create a lower level of socialization that isnt technologically created. Staying in all day is not only physically unhealthy but also mentally unhealthy because in the real world you have to interact with other people and cannot entirely rely on computers.
Transitioning to the “real world,” is where Zengotita comes into play. He starts off his “rant” by going through the excessive “more-ness” that consumes America. He went through level after level of reality to the point where the reader had to question whether