Converting YouTube Videos

YouTube is clearly one of the greatest inventions known to mankind.  Whether you want to look up old school music you forgot about to movies/TV Shows to even song lyrics, this is the one website you go to first.  However, the videos that are posted are often converted into mp3/mp4 so that they avoid paying the $1.29 for a song on iTunes.  

            Before iTunes changed the price from $.99 to $1.29 per song and $1.29 to $1.99 per video, I used to only buy from iTunes.  I would never convert a YouTube video to a song because $.99 for a song was reasonable.  Now, even though it is just thirty cents more, that is just ridiculous to be paying $1.29 for one song.  I also discovered that buying the CD from a store like Best Buy or Wal-Mart is also cheaper than buying the whole album off of iTunes.

            Since converting YouTube videos to mp3/mp4 is essentially stealing and illegally downloading a song, YouTube has been trying to shut down any converting websites.  However, this does not stop people from downloading the videos.  The site that was shut down just reopens under another name.  There are also apps for converting YouTube videos right on your iPhone/iPad.  Obviously iTunes is doing everything on their part to combat converting YouTube videos.  In the newest iTunes update, you are no longer allowed to edit the song name, album, artist, and even album cover unless it was bought by iTunes or downloaded the CD.  As everything else, there are always ways around it. 

Fantasy vs. Reality

            Many kids are now losing out on the experience of the real world and diving into the fantasy world.  Kids now would rather play a video game or computer game alone with people they do not know rather than going out and experiencing the real world for themselves.  Why are more and more kids playing video games than involving themselves in activities in school where you are actually communicating and building real life relationships rather than online relationships?  The common stereotype of a gamer is that they do not fit in or do not have many real friends that they can go out and play with.  Having a screen to hide behind is a benefit for those who do not fit in.  That way they cannot be judged like they may be in reality.  However, video games do offer many educational values which can be applied to the outside world.  Qualities that a person may have but hasn’t mastered it: team work.  Team work is something you see a huge presence of in the work field now.  Playing on a team will help them master strategy and communicating with people they do not know

            There has been a huge debate whether or not video games make children violent.  I firmly believe that they do NOT make the children violent.  Before playing a game, the parents should always make sure their child understands that what they see in the game is not necessarily how life works.  If a parent fails to teach their children what right and wrong is, the parent fails as a parent but will be the first to blame the video games they let their children play.  From the time I can remember, my mom has always taught me right from wrong, so when I did end up playing violent video games, I knew that this was just a game…nothing more.  If all kids acted the way characters in video games or even movies were, the world would be more messed up as it is.  There must always be a balance and the education the parent has instilled in their kids to know that what they see on screen is just a fantasy NOTHING ELSE.

            Everything comes with a price.  Most people see the negative aspect of video games.  However, when it comes to war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, video games can help the victim get over it.  Currently only 4 military hospitals treat PTSD patients with the virtual reality video game.  It has helped these people overcome the PTSD.  Video games will always be a major topic of discussion on whether or not it helps or hurts the person.  Examples like these are what disproves the theory of video games making children violent, in my opinion.  Our nation has come so far in treating patience coming back from war but not much was able to help them.  This way offers a great solution that could benefit the patient in the long run.  Video games are just like books, never judge them buy their cover.