The Great Escape: Our way of dealing with reality

In my blog this week I will be looking at and later commenting on the findings of other individuals in the blogosphere. Looking at indulgences such as the media frenzy on celebrities and the technological playground of video games, I will evaluate our need to live through others. By focusing on the lives of people we either do not know or may not even really exist, we can escape the common stressors of our everyday lives and in turn make ourselves feel better about our own situation or feel as though we have control over something in this crazy, fast-paced world in which we live.


While there is obvious truth in the fact that morally we should show more interest and empathy for the fatalities of people who show bravery, selflessness, and respect for themselves and others, the truth about our celebrity-obsessed society is that people we could never truly know take priority in our thoughts and discussion. Being in the age group of young adults, whether choosing to immerse yourself in the celebrity gossip or not, it is almost impossible to escape the news on even the questionably famous. Psychologically speaking, I feel the reason for this is an unusual sense of closeness society feels towards people like Anna Nicole Smith. The war in Iraq seems distant, misunderstood, and ill supported by a large number of people. It is more difficult to relate to the casualties of war victims because it seems surreal and never-ending. There is more of a connection formed between an individual and the death of a person in the spotlight because we feel like we know them personally and can relate to their tragic downfalls of drug addiction, poor self-image, and slip-ups of moral judgment.

The video game Kudos seems to be a very interesting one that, unlike most I’ve seen lately, shows a very blatant reflection on our society today. By having a game in which one dictates the life of made up individual, the player can forget about his/her own life and feel in complete control for at least a short period of time. This is a feeling that is very hard to come by in our real lives, and yet, it is still something that is clearly longed for by many. The psychological high we receive from the instant gratification of doing something right is much more easily obtained through the fairytale of a video game than in our own lives. Although this approach to happiness may be a quick fix that is ever fleeting due to its biologic relation to the release of endorphins that will be reabsorbed and released continuously, people will find comfort in almost anything. In an extremely competitive, high stress world like today, one cannot really blame them.