How Video Games Impact Players provides a balanced and nuanced look at the complex role that video games play in society through an analysis of the positive and negative effects of game rules, feedback, and self-presentation. Rogers examines the positive aspects of video games like their use in education, encouragement of prosocial behaviors, and enablement of mood management, as well as the negative aspects like their association with violence and diversity issues, promotion of substance ...

Media Feedback: Our Lives in Loops provides an overview of the concept of media feedback, which is inherent in nearly every media platform we encounter on a daily basis. Rogers argues that every like on Facebook, view on Instagram, death in a video game, and movie suggestion on Netflix is a form of feedback that guides our actions and improves our performance. Rogers continues on to claim that in the current media landscape, more often than not, we are influenced by some kind of media feed...

A single round in a cold .357 is all it would take to end the pain.Why do so many veterans choose suicide?A patriot who joined the U.S. Army directly out of high school, he served in several countries and was deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. When he became injured and could no longer serve in the infantry, he returned home.The construction company he started took a downturn in 2010 as did his health.Ryan turned towar...

This edited volume explores the various and unique motivations driving the rapidly-growing esports industry, which attracts attention and financial investment from major sponsors, athletic organizations, and entertainment values. Contributors draw on a variety of perspectives and theoretical vantage points to examine the multitude of traditions, cultures, expectations, and rituals that different stakeholders factor into their motivation to play and watch esports. Scholars of media studies,...

The superfamily Chalcidoidea (the jewel wasps) are part of the insect order Hymenoptera. The superfamily comprises more than 27,000 known species, with an estimated total diversity of more than 500,000 species, meaning that the vast majority have yet to be discovered and described. Most of the species are parasitoids, attacking the egg, larval stage or pupal stage of their host, though many other life cycles are known including gall associates and fig pollinators. This landmark volume has ...

In theory, esports should be inclusive regardless of gender, race, or ability – however, incidents in the world of esports indicate otherwise. This collection provides an examination of diversity and inclusion in esports as contributors offer a way for readers to understand the history, current issues, and potential impacts of diversity and inclusion in the industry. Through analyses of players, games, fans, and broadcasts, this book highlights the exponential growth of the industry alongs...

Understanding Esports: An Introduction to the Global Phenomenon places professional Esports, a rapidly growing industry, in both the cultural and athletic landscape. This book explores how the rise of professional gaming has shaped—and been shaped by—media trends, interpersonal communication, and what it means to be classified as an athlete. Ryan Rogers has assembled contributors from a variety of backgrounds and experiences in order to provide a broad view of the history, experie...