Week 11 - Reading: Amusing Ourselves to Life

Question 1

How has media culture shown a significant shift over the last 6 years?

Answer 1

• Towards promoting health and fitness through gaming technologies

Question 2

What did public health officials previously say about video games?

Answer 2

• Criticized for contributing to physical inactivity and obesity

Question 3

How has the view of video games shifted in recent times?

Answer 3

• Marketed as solutions to health problems they were once blamed for

Question 4

What are the factors driving the change in the media’s portrayal of video games?

Answer 4

• Technology advancements
• Media coverage
• Consumer interest fueled rise of exergaming

Question 5

What have exergames received limited amounts of despite their growing popularity?

Answer 5

• Scholarly attention
• Critical, sociological perspectives

Question 6

What was the research question of the reading amusing ourselves with life article?

Answer 6

• Their impact on fitness consumerism
• Promoted Subjectivities
• Potential benefits/problems

Question 7

What do exergames represent?

Answer 7

• New era of fitness consumerism

Question 8

What is the new era of fitness consumerism characterized by?

Answer 8

• “bio-games” & “bio-play”

Question 9

What do bio-games merge?

Answer 9

• Health and Entertainment

Question 10

How are Bio-games and Neoliberalism related?

Answer 10

• Bio-games promote self-care through market-driven amusement, aligning with neoliberal governance

Question 11

What did Wii do for the fitness genre?

Answer 11

• Revolutionized gaming with its motion-sensing technology

Question 12

How did the success of Wii Fit change the market for fitness-oriented games?

Answer 12

• Expanded it
• Targeting more diverse demographics

Question 13

How did companies like Nintendo expand the gaming audience?-

Answer 13

• Targeting women and older adults in fitness games

Question 14

What common features do exergames have?

Answer 14

• Stylish gameplay
• Customization
• Risk Metrics
• Surveillance
• Discipline
• Expertise

Question 15

Explain Risk Metrics in Exergames

Answer 15

• Assess fitness and cognitive performance using standardized metrics
• Framing deviations as risks

Question 16

Explain Surveillance and discipline in Exergames

Answer 16

• Self-monitoring
• Receive Feedback
• Contribute to self-discipline and regulation

Question 17

Explain Expertise in Exergames

Answer 17

• Gamified challenges
• Shaping Perceptions of health and ability

Question 18

How did exergames redefine notions of health and fitness?

Answer 18

• Intertwining self-care with leisure and market dynamics

Question 19

What challenges do exergames face?

Answer 19

• Industry Representations
• Commodification of Health Raise Critical Questions about impact of bio-games on individuals and society

Question 20

Why do bio-games such as Wii Fit and Brain Age employ measures of biofeedback and training modes?

Answer 20

• To discipline the body and mind

Question 21

What do virtual trainers in exergames do?

Answer 21

• Reinforce fitness imperatives
• Model ideal bodily aesthetics

Question 22

What do activities in biogames serve?

Answer 22

• Both Fitness and Entertainment

Question 23

How do bio-games utilize surveillance mechanisms?

Answer 23

• To ensure adherence to treatment plans

Question 24

How do users of biogames engage in self-surveillance?

Answer 24

• Monitoring numerical representations of their bodies and brains

Question 25

How does biogame surveillance flow in multiple directions?

Answer 25

• Users Both “watchers” and “watchees”

Question 26

How do biogames deploy expertise?

Answer 26

• To reinforce the value of risk metrics, discipline, and surveillance

Question 27

What does marketing for brain training games often involve?

Answer 27

• References to cognitive experts

Question 28

How do biogames contribute to the production of contemporary biocitizens?

Answer 28

• Emphasizing self-improvement and self-care

Question 29

What does the concept of bio-citizenship reference?

Answer 29

• government techniques focused on individual well-being and health

Question 30

What do biogames reinforce and contribute to?

Answer 30

Reinforce
- Bodily Ideals
Contribute to:
- NEoliberal consumer-citizen archetype

Question 31

What do bio-games operate within?

Answer 31

• A neoliberal consumerist framework

Question 32

Where is self-improvement commodified?

Answer 32

• Neoliberal consumerist framework

Question 33

What promotes the idea that well-being is purchasable commodity? What does this do?

Answer 33

Biogames
- Reinforces inequities

Question 34

What are some concerns around biogames?

Answer 34

• Narrow ideals of the active body
• Access influenced by economic factors
• Ethical concerns regarding labor practices

Question 35

Why might the narrow ideals of the active body in biogames be problematic?

Answer 35

• Exacerbate societal pressures regarding fitness and appearance

Question 36

How do biogames fit into social dynamics?

Answer 36

• Reflect broader social dynamics related to health, technology, and consumer culture

Question 37

What ethical considerations are prevalent in biogames?

Answer 37

• Regarding surveillance, discipline, and labor practices

Question 38

What policy implications are prevalent in biogames?

Answer 38

• Consider impact of health, inequality, and education

Question 39

What educational opportunities might arise from biogames?

Answer 39

• Critical media literacy education to navigate messages and power dynamics embedded in biogame technologies