Lesson 2
A HEALTHY APPROACH TO CYBER-GAMING
Teacher Preparation
Key Concepts
There are benefits as well as very real dangers that accompany electronic media.
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. Recognize the influence the Internet already has on their thinking and behavior.
2. Identify where they are on the “road to slavery.”
3. Determine at least one approach to help them get off the “road to slavery.”
Key Terms
Addictive: Any substance use or activity that becomes difficult to stop and interferes with normal, daily functioning.
Neighbor Nudge: Turn to a classmate, make eye contact, and start talking about the assigned question or topic.
Background Information
Many students as well as many adults can use powerful electronic tools for good and entertainment without being in danger of losing control or becoming addicted. But some cannot. In this lesson, we want to equip you to warn students of their vulnerability to lose their personal freedom. To do this, you will use a validated, reliable assessment called the “Assessment of Internet Addiction” by Dr. Kimberly Young, adapted by the authors for this lesson and titled “Electronic Media Influence Scale.”
Materials and Preparation
The “Electronic Media Influence Scale” is in the Resources section at the end of this lesson. Please make a copy of the “Electronic Media Influence Scale” for each student. If you do not have access to a copier, you might want to write the statements on the board and have the students copy the statements on paper or into their journals and write their answers next to the statements.
Also, make a copy of the following series of statements for each of your students. If it is not practical to make the copies, follow the above alternative, having the students write the statements and their answers on paper or into their journals.
Statements
Yes
No
1.
You have one or more games on your electronic device.
2.
Sexually alluring images pop up on your device.
3.
You play one or more online games weekly.
4.
You enjoy the sexually alluring images and open files with sexual titles.
5.
Your time spent gaming increases beyond two hours/day.
6.
Your time viewing sexual images increases beyond two hours/day.
7.
When you cannot be gaming, you become irritable and grouchy.
8.
You view pornography, hiding what you are watching from others.
9.
You use gaming to escape stressful relationships.
10.
You use pornography to increase sexual excitement.
Beginning the Lesson
Introduction
About 5 minutes
[Limit the discussion to five minutes or less.
As a start-up introduction, please ask your students to share with each other in groups of three about the Internet video games they play and which is their favorite. But before discussions begin, tell them some may not play video games; for those, it is perfectly acceptable to say so. Guide the groups along to ensure the second and third persons have time to share.
After five minutes thank them for sharing, but do not take time to find out what they shared with each other. Continue with this material.]
Electronic Media Influence Scale
About 10 minutes
In our previous session, we played a game called “Simon Says—Simon Knows” and discussed that just because something is possible, it is not always a good idea to do it. We also asked the question of how do we know if what “Simon” (or someone) is asking us to do is actually good for us to do? Today, I want to give you an idea of how vulnerable you are to the dangers of the Internet.
[When you are sure your students are ready with a pen or pencil, give them each a copy of the “Electronic Media Influence Scale,” found in the Resources section at the end of this lesson. Instruct them to answer all of the questions and then add the number for each response, reaching a total score for the assessment. Tell them you will not be collecting their completed assessment and that it is only for them to use. They do not need to show their completed assessment to anyone unless they choose to do so.]
After five minutes check to discover if any have not completed the assessment and if all have totaled their scores.
When everyone has completed the assessment and totaled their scores, read them the following key to enable them to evaluate their vulnerability to the influence of the Internet.]
0 – 30 points = Normally influenced
31 – 49 points = Mildly dependent
50 – 79 points = Moderate dependence
80 – 100 points = Severely addicted
The “Electronic Media Influence Scale” has, hopefully, given you some idea of how vulnerable you are to losing your personal freedom to the Internet.
= 15 minutes
Journal Activity
About 3 minutes
Write in your journal your thoughts about your score. [Give students three minutes to write out their thoughts.]
If you are all finished journaling your thoughts, let us go to the next chapter in the lives of our friends Derrick, Natalie, and Sam.
= 18 minutes
Story
About 5 minutes
[Please read or paraphrase this paragraph.]
As Sam, Derrick, and Natalie left the World of Electronics, the following email pinged their phones:
World of Electronics
8:15 p.m.
To: Natalie, Derrick, and Sam
Reply To: Volqert.net
Re: Navigating a Dangerous World
______________________
Hey, cousins!
We ran into Volqert a while back—is “he” not something else!? He changed our perspective on the whole Internet world and how we relate to it. We figured we would pass him along to you, so we bought you the app. Did you like the way it was mysterious by taking you into the manager’s office, it was like stepping into a mystery play, huh?
I guess the point of the app is to remind us that we inhabit a wonderfully dangerous world—how boring it would be otherwise. However, it is easier to avoid the dangers you can see, like a forest fire, than it is to avoid the dangers you cannot see, like a flu virus hiding in your nose.
So hang on! We have engaged Volqert to help you navigate the threats inhabiting an online world. Pay attention!
Tony and Darlene
– – – – –
The next morning, Natalie woke to the twin sounds of the door buzzer and pounding on her apartment door.
“What’s with all the racket?” demanded Natalie as she opened the door to find Sam with his fist raised to knock again and Derrick covering a sleepy yawn with the back of his hand.
“I cannot get online!” yelled Sam.
“And so you decided to give me this news in person?” teased Natalie.
“I cannot post, surf, game! I cannot even text!” continued Sam.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! Calm down!” chided Natalie.
“You calm down,” continued Sam. “I was one move from completing Level 58 on Soul Crusher’s Final Revenge! Gamers from all over the Internet were watching my big moment! AND THEN EVERYTHING CRASHED.”
“So, reboot and try again,” said Natalie.
“He cannot,” offered Derrick. “For some reason he is completely shut out from the Internet. Weirdest thing I have ever seen! My stuff connects just fine. But the moment he tries to log in, everything stops working.”
“I could not even text you two on my phone. So, I came over. You have to help me!” Sam pleaded.
“Look, it is probably nothing. Servers occasionally go down. Just find another hotspot or use someone else’s log-in,” offered Natalie.
“YOU ARE NOT LISTENING!” yelled Sam. “I have been trying to get online all night! I even went to an Internet café that is open 24 hours a day. I nearly got in a fight with the guy running the place. He thought I was sabotaging every computer he set me up with. I just want to scream!”
“Listen to yourself,” said Derrick. “You sound like a drug addict who cannot get a fix. Are you going through withdrawal from Internet gaming?”
“I am not addicted to the Internet! I can stop whenever I want!” growled Sam. “I am just frustrated by all this opposition. I WAS GOING TO HIT LEVEL 59! Do you know what that means?”
“I am with Derrick,” said Natalie shaking her head. “You are going through withdrawal! Take a walk. Read a book. Sit under a tree. Relax!”
“I cannot,” cried Sam. “Just help me get back online and I will be fine. Please.”
“This is exactly what our cousins were getting at when they talked about the threats inhabiting an online world!” remarked Derrick. “Sam’s frustration is not really about getting back online. His frustration is his reaction to not being online,” added Natalie. “Sam is feeling entitled to be online.”
“Yeah, and he feels cheated that everyone else can and he cannot,” said Derrick with mock seriousness.
“And so Sam is waking up his friends and growling at them like some trapped animal,”
added Natalie.
“I am standing right here!” yelled Sam. “Stop talking about me as if I were not here.”
“So,” continued Derrick, “Sam needs to face his real problem and it is not about his inability to get online.”
“I AM GOING TO SCREAM IF YOU DO NOT STOP TALKING AS IF I AM NOT HERE!” yelled Sam.
Sam’s phone began to vibrate and then they heard the familiar ring of his personal alert. Sam pulled his phone out of his pocket.
“I am back online,” he smiled sheepishly.
= 23 minutes
Title of Some Game
About 25 minutes
Some paragraph text.
= X minutes
Slavery Discussion
Some paragraph text.
Statements
Yes
No
1.
You have one or more games on your electronic device.
2.
Sexually alluring images pop up on your device.
3.
You play one or more online games weekly.
4.
You enjoy the sexually alluring images and open files with sexual titles.
5.
Your time spent gaming increases beyond two hours/day.
6.
Your time viewing sexual images increases beyond two hours/day.
7.
When you cannot be gaming, you become irritable and grouchy.
8.
You view pornography, hiding what you are watching from others.
9.
You use gaming to escape stressful relationships.
10.
You use pornography to increase sexual excitement.
= X minutes
Ending the Lesson
Some paragraph text.
= X minutes
GOING DEEPER
Some paragraph text.
Statements
Score
1.
I stay online longer than I intend.
2.
I neglect homework to spend more time online.
3.
I prefer the excitement of the Internet to relationships with friends.
4.
I form new relationships with fellow online users.
5.
Others in my life complain to me about the amount of time I spend online.
6.
My schoolwork suffers because of the amount of time I spend online.
7.
I check my text messages or email before something else I need to do.
8.
I interrupt conversations to respond to a text message or a tweet.
9.
I become defensive or secretive when someone asks me what I do online.
10.
I block out disturbing thoughts about my life with soothing thoughts of the Internet.
11.
I find myself anticipating when I will go online again.
12.
I fear that life without the Internet would be boring, empty, and unhappy.
13.
I snap, yell, or act annoyed if someone bothers me while I am online.
14.
I lose sleep due to late-night log-ins.
15.
I feel preoccupied with the Internet when off-line or fantasize about being online.
16.
I find myself saying, “Just a few more minutes” when online.
17.
I try to cut down the amount of time I spend online and fail.
18.
I try to hide how long I have been online.
19.
I choose to spend more time online over going out with friends.
20.
I feel depressed, moody, or nervous when I am off-line, which goes away once I get back online.
Total Score:
= X minutes
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Some paragraph text.
= X minutes
Parent-Teacher Connection
Some paragraph text.
For Family Discussion
Some paragraph text.
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