Outsourcing brain time to video games
Kids play tons of video games, which is great. Games are not only fun, but they can be valuable educational tools as well.
The problem is, many kids don’t read books anymore. And with such entertaining, 21st century spectacles at our fingertips, who has time for hard-to-access, brain-straining storylines locked inside ancient tomes anyway? Right?
But just because books aren’t as accessible as video games, we can’t forget their importance. Sure, I played lots of video games as a kid, but I read a lot too. These days I see kids forsaking books entirely for controllers. Even as a gamer, it’s disturbing to see this trend in my friends’ and relatives’ young children, on average aged 6 to 11.
If kids played video games that actually stimulated their brains, this would be less of a problem. I’m not saying Final Fantasy or Brain Age can replace books, but playing those games is infinitely better for a child’s development than playing Halo on repeat day in and day out. And even playing FPS’s beats playing boatloads of mindless drivel that plagues the market (I wouldn’t be caught dead with my daughter playing most of these).
I feel that video games fill an important niche in a child’s need for escapism and fantasy. It’s also great to see video games becoming so accepted that they’re found in our libraries, and I previously wrote about their increasing acceptance in classrooms worldwide.
This guy, R.L. Stine, writes the popular Goosebumps books for kids.
But it’s wishful thinking to believe that kids are milking video games for all their educational value. And when video games become such a large part of kids’ lives that they intrude upon the sacred ground reserved for books, there’s a problem.
When I talk about “books,” I also mean R.L. Stine and Harry Potter books, or those really cute picture books made especially for little kids. I’m talking about reading for pleasure. And I remember playing Super Mario RPG for a few hours when I was a kid then, when I got tired of it, curling up with a book for a while (usually of the Redwall series).
People talk about video games replacing books in certain areas of the classroom, which will eventually happen. And it’ll happen for the better. But video games shouldn’t replace reading entirely. Don’t get me wrong: I love gaming. But everything has its place.
I guess I’m not ready to accept the downfall of books, and it hurts that, of all things, it would take place at the hands of my beloved video games. It’s just that, whenever kids boot the literary texts for a romp through the gaming universe, claiming that reading is “boring,” I can’t help but feel a little sad and disappointed.
Tags: Books, education, goosebumps, harry potter, rl stine
Hi Ricardo,
I wouldn’t be so fast to judge video games so harshly. It’s true that Halo might be nurturing a combative nature in children, similar to paint ball and old-fashioned playacting of battlefield scenes. But the fantasy role-playing games you say you wouldn’t let your daughter play are just simulating games girls often play when they have playtime together. Of course it’s probably better for young girls to play these games with one another for social interaction, but that isn’t always possible all of the time.
I’m not sure where you read that children read fewer books today than children of decades past, but if that is true, there are other factors to blame as well. For example, children’s time spent doing homework has increased. It is debatable how healthy it is for them to be doing so much of the type of homework that is often assigned.
As for books being replaced entirely, I personally don’t see that happening. They once thought television would replace radio, too. They serve different purposes and are valued for different reasons, and thus I think books are here to stay.
Regards,
Traci
Tracy,
Thanks for your thoughtful reply!
I’m not saying it’s wrong to play Halo or even video games. Games definitely teaches kids something. But it’s all about moderation, and what I’ve seen in my personal life is that kids just think reading is boring compared to video games. And as an avid bookworm, it hurts me somewhere deeply to see their gaming time increase at the expense of reading time.
I’m not sure there’s any specific research on how much video games actually detract from books. So this is just my opinion based on my own personal experience with all the little kids in my life.
As for the girl games, they’re harmless fun for the most part. They do reinforce gender stereotypes, though, and to use a specific example, I wouldn’t let my girl play “My Boyfriend” because I don’t want her to grow up placing such importance on finding that perfect boyfriend. She can do something better with her time than finding fantastical lovers on a video game that reinforces a false reality.
Lastly, of course I don’t think books will replace video games entirely. But there’s lots of talk saying that video games, being the medium of the new generation, are better suited to teaching children than books because they’re more interesting, interactive, etc. This might be where we’re headed in the future. Maybe I’m old school when it comes to reading; I hate seeing books become overwhelmed by video games, and I just wish kids would, of their own volition, occasionally pick up a book instead of a controller.
I know the reality isn’t simple, as nothing in life ever really is. But if the kids I know are forsaking books, it’s hard to imagine others aren’t doing the same. So ultimately I’m raving about the loss of a love for reading, and unfortunately, I’m positive video games can take some of the blame.
I feel for you Ricardo, I do play video games like WoW but never lose to get in touch with books, I’m a bookworm myself by the way. Reading for pleasure is always on top of my list. I truly adore reading, love the book covers, the texture of the pages and I like the feeling when I’m at the last chapters. Actually, I also worked at Scholastic Book Fairs division which made work a pleasure as well. I get this euphoric feeling when I see children appreciate books. I hope video games would not overpower the love for reading of the youth. I hope.
Same. It’s all about balance — can’t have too much of a good thing. Both games and books are good when it’s all kept in check.