Source Analysis

Anderson, Mark. Personal Interview. 17 February 2011.

-I wanted to provide my audience with a variety of individuals (ranging in age) who gamble online to show that there are a variety of people who take part in this community. Mark has been playing online poker for awhile now and he has almost mastered the art of playing. He reveals the challenges of internet gambling and how consuming it can become over time. Mark makes it clear that it can get out of hand sometime and it is extremely addicting, but that is only one side of it. This does not apply to every person. I want to show the contrasts.

Griffiths, D. Mark and Jonathan Parke. “The Social Impact of Internet Gambling.” Nottingham Trent University. Sage Publications, 2002. Web 02 February 2011.

-Every community is, in some way or another, influenced by society and that alone has a significant part in shaping those characteristics that make up a particular subculture. I chose this article to supply my audience with a better understanding of the social impacts that are linked to internet gambling. This article examines the general effects of internet gambling, such as the advances in technology and the rapid increase in addiction. This source will add a scholarly base for my research essay and the information I chose to use to will help me exploit my community and reveal their underlying causes and effects.

Hendrickson, Chase. Personal Interview. 12 February 2011.

-It was nice to observe this community through someone who is a big part of my life, my brother Chase. Chase is an online gambler himself and he was more than willing to let me in on a few personal facts. I have acquired a large amount of information on why my brother chooses to play so much as well as why he personally chooses to gamble online instead of at a ground-based setting. Chase explained that, “It is more convenient to play poker online, I can play whenever I want and wherever I want”(Hendrickson). I'm hoping that with further research and observations (field notes) I will be able to become aware of more of the conveniences and personal benefits that internet gambling has to offer the online world.

Hendrickson, Ethan. Personal Interview. 03 February 2011.

-My brother Ethan is an online gambler as well, but he plays a limited amount each week. Unlike my other brother, Chase, Ethan does not spend as much time gambling online. In other words, he only plays online poker when he has the time to, which is as sporadic as once or twice a week, even if that. Ethan is a full time student as well as a banker, and it is evident that he chooses to play poker lastly out of everything else occupying his life right now. I chose to interview my brother Ethan because he represents a part of the internet gambling community; those who play to receive the happiness and rewards of a day off.

Wood, Robert T., and Robert J. Williams. “Internet Gambling: Past, Present, and Future.” Research and Measurement Issues in Gambling Studies. University of Lethbridge, 2007. Web. 04 February. 2011

-This scholarly article reveals the history of internet gambling, how much it has advanced over recent years, and where it will eventually end up in the future. It states the facts of internet gambling and those primary issues of internet gambling that are significant and rising. Many individuals view internet gambling as negative, as if it is only hurting the U.S economy, but there is very little information informing us why people feel this way. I would like to communicate the actual amount of individuals that gamble online and convey the positive and negative effects this has on the U.S economy as well as those individuals that are playing.

Wood, Robert T., and et al. “Why do Internet Gamblers prefer online instead of land-basedvenues?". Journal of Gambling Issues. 20: 235-252. University of Lethridge. Elsevier, 2007. Web. 04 February 2011

-It is difficult to make an assumption on why internet gamblers chose to play online rather than in person. This article brings many of these assumptions at rest. Online gambling is prefered over land based venues because of the conviences, safety, and comfort internet gambling offers. Many individuals do no realize this, and I want to get that across to my audience. Gambling can be a hobby, not an addiction, and many people can chose to play online because it is less of an influence than gambling in a casino. You are not receiving those feelings of anxiety and pressure. You are able to control your amount of play time, as well as control the amount of money you are putting in to the pot.