The "Knockout Game"

On September 10^th of this year, Ralph Santiago, a homeless man, was walking in New Jersey and was suddenly struck by a group of teens. Santiago’s body fell onto a fence, killing him instantly. A month later in Pittsburgh, an English teacher named James Addlespurger was also punched by a different group of teens. Many other similar assaults have been caught on tape. What confused the police was that these attacks were “unprovoked”. Police are calling this series of events the “Knockout Game.” They do not know the cause of the assaults, but Chuck Williams, a youth violence expert, calls these actions “extreme aggression”. "That's America. America loves violence and so do our kids. We market violence to our children and we wonder why they're violent. It's because we are," says Williams. To read more about the “Knockout Game” click here.

            In my opinion I agree with Williams. I think that for many it is hard to accept that their favorite movies and t.v. shows are negatively influencing the youth in the United States. With that being said, why do certain teens take violence in the media to reality? I mean, most teens don't go killing other people after watching "The Hunger Games." So what sets them apart? Another question to think about: Why has America become so violent? Were there specific events, or is it just the nature of society? Most importantly, what steps can we take to stop these assaults and other situations regarding teen violence?

Candy Crush Saga

With 544 levels and easy access, “Candy Crush” has become a phenomenon this year. It has been downloaded more than 500 million times onto players’ phones. Consultant Think Gaming says that Candy crush makes about $875,000 per day (Petroff, CNN Money). Though the game itself is free, many people buy extra boosts to race through levels. Ask Your Target Market surveyed 1,000 players and realized the addiction of the game: 32% of players ignore friends and/or family members to play the game, 28% play during work, 10% got into arguments with their partners because of how long they played, and 30% considered themselves “addicted”. This article gives a couple of reasons why people find this game so addicting.

As a Candy Crush player, I acknowledge that the game is addicting, but after reading the TIME article, I thought back to how I discovered the game: the Internet. When Candy Crush just started gaining popularity, my newsfeed on Facebook said that many of my friends were playing the game. It was not long until I started downloading the app onto my IPhone.

Because Candy Crush is so widely known, more and more people get sucked into the game. When you think about it, games and trends become popular because of society. When mass groups of people use a certain product or discuss a certain topic, everyone is influenced. With modern day technology, trends spread across the nation, and that’s how change works in America. People all over the country influence others and exchange trends.

How do Americans become addicted to certain trends or products? What do the types of trends we follow say about American values? How does our means of influence and exchange affect other Americans?

"The Elephant in the Room"

In school, young children are always taught to accept others for their differences, as respect is a key lesson in schools around the nation. You would think that mature professionals would demonstrate this idea of respect, but they do the complete opposite. On a recent cover of TIME Magazine, the media publicly mocked Chris Christie for his weight. Chris Christie is the reelected Governor of New Jersey who has been receiving a lot of attention as a potential candidate in the 2016 Presidential Election. 

The magazine cover has Christie’s silhouette with the title “The Elephant in the Room.” TIME makes a pun about Christie’s Republican emblem, the elephant, as well as his weight. Many criticized TIME by calling the cover, a “cheap shot”. In response, TIME says: “the cover is a reference to the size of his influence, not his waistband.” To read more about Chris Christie and the TIME magazine cover, click here. 

I disagree with TIME's response. If the cover was purely to emphasize the greatness of Christie’s influence, the magazine could have used a different title that showed their clear intentions. Why are younger generations taught respect and equality when adults and the media demonstrate the opposite? 

Do you think the cover is offensive or harmless? What do you see as the message from the cover? Why are the values being taught in America not coherent with the actions of Americans?

Racist "Sum Ting Wong" Costume

Many people can unintentionally offend others with their Halloween costumes. For example, dressing up as a “Native American girl” can offend Native Americans by making a costume out of their stereotype. Being a “Native American” is so popular among girls because there is a cultural beauty behind the costume; they do not purposely try to offend the people. On the other hand, I was appalled by the extremely racist costumes that a few young men came up with this year. 

Three young men from Chicago dressed up as Korean flight attendants who died in the July Asiana Airlines crash this year. Not only did these men make a joke about the deaths of 3 people, but on their costumes, they used fake, offensive names of 4 pilots. Posted on their jackets were the names “Captain Sum Ting Wong,” “Ho Lee Fuk,” “Wi Tu Lo,” and “Bing Dang Ow.” They used these names from a KTVU report that many viewers saw as a rude, racist joke. Another man from Lake Tahoe, CA wore a similar costume with the same names. To read more about this, click here. 

Maybe these costumes offended me even more because I am Korean American, but I could not understand why these men would wear these costumes. I think that these men knew that they were going to get bashed on for being racist and for mocking the death of 4 people in a plane crash. Sadly, I think that there will always be some sort of discrimination in the world. I know that people make fun of Asians with small comments and such, and that's a reality that I already understand, but I find it rude how they blatantly made fun of Asians.

What are your thoughts on racism in the U.S.? What do you think were the intentions of these three young men? Is unintentional racism just as bad as intentional racism? What about racism in the mind vs. racism in public?