I decided to revise my lens essay for a particular purpose. The objective of revising my lens essay is to present in further detail and evidence, that there exists benefits of playing video games, thus helping people on an educational level. However, many do not realize this. Some see video games just serving a recreative purpose, or simply a waste of time, therefore I will strive to help the reader to be cognizant of the fact that there are indeed positive results of playing video games. While doing this, I will apply the point of reconciling the opposites. I will make an effort to help the reader see the benefits of playing video games, yet not offending those that may think they are negative or harmful. The lens that I’ve been working with is cognitive surplus, which will help me a great deal in allowing the reader to discover the benefits of the exhibit. Cognitive surplus shows, that collaborating together, and making good use of free time that is available can have a positive impact. My in depth revision will shed more light on the good of cognitive surplus and its relationship with video games. Additionally my research will involve comparing videos of the past to present, thus helping the reader to see how the advancements in graphics have attracted a larger audience. If cognitive surplus didn’t exist perhaps we wouldn’t see such a proliferation of improvement in the quality and quantity of games. This will mean investing time, digging in on some of the potential obstacles video game developers may have in reaching such a vast audience.

In the article, “Playing video games is good for your brain” by Mark Griffiths, the exhibit was the educational, and therapeutic benefits of playing video games. Mark stated “in a series of experiments on small numbers of gamers (10 to 14 people in each study), the researchers reported that gamers with previous experience of playing such action video games were better at perceptual tasks such as pattern discrimination than gamers with less experience.” (PG 1) The chosen lens for this exhibit, is cognitive surplus. In the article, ” Does the Internet Make You Smarter?” by Clay Shirky, the lens appeared on page two, which stated in part, “our cognitive surplus is so enormous that diverting even a tiny fraction of time from consumption to participation can create enormous positive effects.” Such positive effects can also be found in the exhibit of Mark’ article, for there are benefits of playing video games. Those benefiting can also, with their “cognitive surplus”, benefit others. This pairing interests me, because while there are benefits of the internet and/or video games, yet on the other side of the spectrum, there could be negative results as well. This has shown me, that much depends on how a person goes about utilizing the Internet, or video games.

The article “Is Google Making Us Stupid” by Nicholas Carr, taught something about the Internet that I never knew before. It is the way the Internet has the ability and power to actually shape a person’s brain, or the way a human thinks. I’ve always seen the Internet as a useful tool, for it would facilitate the way we can communicate and work. It’s amazing how I can find information based on simple, and even deep material in a relatively short period of time, and I can do it from virtually anywhere. If I’m walking outside, at the coffee shop, even at work, I can peruse through an article or look up a definition from my phone. However, according to Nicholas Carr, he stated: “I’m not thinking the way I used to think.”(PG 1) By this, he was saying that his reading wasn’t what it used to be. He mentioned when there was a time it was easy to read a book, or a lengthy article, however he admitted that now, it’s a struggle to keep up after reading two or three pages. In addition, he used an illustration to depict the way he read in the past, it was that of a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now, he likened his reading to that of a guy on a jet ski just zipping along the surface. (PG 2) The point is clear, his reading would be done in a haphazard manner, thus not allowing him to enjoy the surroundings or as he put it, “the sea of words.” Prior to reading this article, I never knew that the internet could have such an effect.

The re-vision process has helped me to see my strength in writing, yet I am also learning about some existing weaknesses as well. A particular, positive feature I’ve noticed about my writing through the re-vision process is the ability to make an outline that contains key points of what I am about to write. Before rushing into writing an essay, I would take a step back, and compile my ideas together. I Picture an outline being like a skeleton, and the essay or the information being like the meat or tissue of the outline or skeleton. At the end, it all comes to life. The re-vision process has also helped me to detect a couple of weaknesses within my writing, but for the sake of time, I will consider just one thing that I can improve on, that being unpacking. In other words, I could be more specific or detailed in my summary about someone or something. I need to improve in elaborating in fine detail what it is I am referring to. This being brought to my attention has helped me to ask myself questions such as, who, why, what and where. Doing this has assisted me in incorporating the necessary details or unpacking, which affords the reader the opportunity to have a clearer understanding of my essay. Overall, the re-vision process has been nothing but enlightening. Not only has it helped me to sharpen my writing skills, but it has also increased my appreciation for the writers and the value that comes along with their words.

What interested me about Martin Luther King’s speech, “I Had A Dream” was his wise use of religious allusion. The people he was specifically addressing were those from the south where many highly esteemed the bible. He would use “religious language” to capture their hearts. What was especially noteworthy was the content in which he chose. For example considering how big the bible is he could have simply used any text, however he chose the right words. Case in point, he made the profound statement that “all men are created equal” (406) and also uses the expression “children of God” (407). This required a lot of forethought and preparation on the part of Mr. King before delivering his captivating speech. He invested much of his time & whole heart into it, thus underscoring how strongly he felt about the issue of racism. These chosen texts were not only powerful in themselves but also appropriate to the theme of his message on racial equality. History shows that some have viciously killed in the name of religion and the bible, thus coercing people to make changes as seen during the time of “The Crusades”. Dr. King on the other hand would utilize religious allusion in a peaceful manner. His objective was not to force his listeners to make changes but to reach their hearts so as to allow the individual to make the necessary changes based on what they heard and/or read. Granted his approach was direct and bold but never did he have to use psychical force to get the message across. Those guilty of racism wouldn’t be literally beaten, but figuratively beaten, in other words guided by their own consciences. His approach helped me see the power of making decisions for myself & helping others come to the right conclusions.