Whistle While You Work

Last night as I was leaving the SMU Dedman Recreational Center after participating in an Abs class, I was asked to take a survey on the effect of music and exercise. As one who never works out without her iPod, I continued to circle all the answers favoring exercising with music. Questions such as “Do you think listening to music increases the intensity of your workout?” and “Does listening to upbeat music vs. slow tempo have an effect on the pace at which you exercise?” were included in this survey.

As I completed the survey, I indeed realized how dependent my exercising intensity is on my music. Without my “running” playlist on my iPod filled with upbeat and fast tempo music, I am completely incapable of working out to my potential. If I forget my iPod, or if the battery were to die mid-work out, I completely lose my drive. Whether it is the fact of the sole concentration on my tiredness or pure boredom, I came to the conclusion after my survey that I rely heavily on music to keep my intensity level high during my workouts.

More Than Mere Entertainment

Whether it’s fighting war, stealing cars, or shooting guns, in the gaming world of today, we must ask ourselves, when does the violence in today’s video games go from being innocent entertainment, to a violent brainstorming? As video gaming systems such as Xbox or Playstation have become more and more graphically and technologically advanced, the subject matter and challenges induced through them have also become more and more disturbing.

Children at a very young age are now coming home immediately after to school to sit in front of the TV and play the latest version of Call of Duty, a video game in which one participates in a war-like setting killing opposing soldiers, and Grand Theft Auto, where cars are stolen. In many of these particular games, such as Call of Duty, explicit violence and graphics are displayed including blood and brutal murders.

I think that the parents of today, in partnership with today’s media and entertainment companies, need to realize that the violence kids are surrounding themselves with through these video games is seriously influencing their futures. Children are no longer reading or spending time outdoors, but are wasting hours vicariously living through stimulated violent scenes, while at the same time we face a rapidly growing crime rate. Though some parents and gaming professionals may justify these games to provide nothing but mere entertainment, how can participating in these sorts of activities be healthy for growing children who are molded by their environment?