Staying fit with Technology
September 23rd 2006 03:54
Coincidences are a strange thing, for one thing they are always coincidental. When I wrote about how technology can make lazy people fatter but it can also be used positively I had a hunch that some cyber gym existed somewhere on the planet that uses computer games or technology in general to encourage people to work their crude matter.
Invariably I was right, it’s called Overtime. A high-tech gym for 13-18 year olds who otherwise don’t go to the gym or do any exercise of the sort. It practically is an arcade with physical movements being a must, quite literally. There are ‘games’ were our fellow sits on a bike and pedals his heart out while a computer monitor shows him moving through a virtual 3D world or others that require them to step on buttons on the ground so they form complex ‘dance’ moves.
The thing reeks of what the stereotypes of the target age spectrum thinks is cool but believe me though I might be on the upper tier of the age spectrum I feel my maturity is insulted with what they have going on. You go on and ‘scan’ your thumbprint after which a monitor displays your face then a door ‘unlocks’ (I imagine it’s like some sort of airlock) and you enter into the gym and hop on any of the various exercise equipments with some sort of TV screen attached to them.
As much as I hate to say it, it is a good idea making it so over the top, make it all jazzed up with all the ‘latest’ tech. It really isn’t like everyone who is between 13 - 18 doesn’t go to a gym and rather stays home and play videogames because it is practically compulsory for people who have any conscience of their self image. The only people in High School (as is 13 to 18 year olds) who don’t go to gyms are geeks and nerds and the like, the same people who don’t get too much physical activity to begin with. While I have never seen any show targeted at the geeks range I did go on youtube and found a show called ‘Attack of the Show’, go see it to better understand what appeals to these types of people.
The question is wether or not this will help these unfortunate geeks in the long run provided if it works on the short. Will they go to a more conventional gym after they pass 18? Or will they go back to their videogames? Honestly I question if they’d like to go to ‘Overtime’ anyway, perhaps in the short term they’ll think its all cool (though I think it insults people who are more than 16 years old with its ‘technology’ like ‘thumb scans’) but will it hold out? Or will their parents start forcing them to go? I mean it’s only so fun to pedal your heart out as a computer monitor in front of you creates the impression you are riding your bike through a virtual world. Little point of advice, the real thing is much better.
A new idea or simply a silly gimmick?
The thing reeks of what the stereotypes of the target age spectrum thinks is cool but believe me though I might be on the upper tier of the age spectrum I feel my maturity is insulted with what they have going on. You go on and ‘scan’ your thumbprint after which a monitor displays your face then a door ‘unlocks’ (I imagine it’s like some sort of airlock) and you enter into the gym and hop on any of the various exercise equipments with some sort of TV screen attached to them.
As much as I hate to say it, it is a good idea making it so over the top, make it all jazzed up with all the ‘latest’ tech. It really isn’t like everyone who is between 13 - 18 doesn’t go to a gym and rather stays home and play videogames because it is practically compulsory for people who have any conscience of their self image. The only people in High School (as is 13 to 18 year olds) who don’t go to gyms are geeks and nerds and the like, the same people who don’t get too much physical activity to begin with. While I have never seen any show targeted at the geeks range I did go on youtube and found a show called ‘Attack of the Show’, go see it to better understand what appeals to these types of people.
So our 13-18 year olds will prefer this to the real thing?
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Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Umm, so I wonder if someway down the line they'll have them for videogame/workout junkie fusions...
Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
Do you know if there's such a gym in Sydney?
Comment by Joy
"Attack of the Show." That's a pretty messed up one... It's on the gaming channel here in the states. It's sort of a program aimed at gaming news, but it shows stupid gaming guys posing as journalists and girls who you can tell can't stand their co-workers.
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Adrian, unfortunately none have opened yet. We'll just have to wait and see what happens in the meantime.
Comment by Joy
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Comment by Joy
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks