Destruction to Make Way for Construction

Last week, students were asked to bring to class an object that had a meaning. The meaning did not have to be  personal or sentimental, it just had to have a meaning, a purpose. The object I brought to class was an XBOX controller. An XBOX controller can have many different meanings depending on the perspective or opinion of the viewer. The first and intended meaning for the controller is recreation. The object paired with the console are meant to create a stimulating from of entertainment. Other term have long since been associated with the idea of video games such as procrastination, addiction, and the cause for violence in young teens. Though I may agree to disagree with some of these claims, I know for certain that procrastination as well as the loss of physical activity can be some of the outcomes of owning a gaming console along with its controller. I destroyed the controller because it simply did not work and more but also because this semester, my roommate and I have agreed to play less video games and read more.

Students were then asked to make something new out of the remaining pieces of their object that will have a new meaning. I chose to find a way to not only make something new, but something symbolic for the solution to many of the problems associated with video games. The image is meant to promote physical activity by showing the broken pieces of the controller coming back together forming the profile of someone flexing their bicep. In today's society, young people are turning to technology more and more to fulfill parts of their lives that used to require a little hard work. For instance, once upon a time, kids used to go outside from the time the woke up until curfew climbing trees, riding bikes, and simply just being kids. Now, a large percentage of the time, all kids want to do is play on the iPods, XBOXs, Playstations, and any other technological gadget that their parents by them in our consumerist world.