When your teenagers become your fellow geeks

I never thought this would happen or planned for it.

Back when I was a teenager, way back, buried in dog-eared paperbacks of Asimov, Herbert, and Tolkien, dice scattered across the dining room table, I figured by the time I hit middle age I’d be expected to “grow out of it.” You know, leave the fantasy novels and sci-fi shows behind for mortgages and lawn care. At the time (the 80's), parents just didn't play the way we did as kid. Video games, roleplaying games, weren't their thing.

Video games make kids fat eh?

These days gaming is becoming every politicians scapegoat. According to them it makes kids and teenagers violent and aggressive, turns them into anti-social zombies, if it doesn't kill them by making them obese. Then how do you explain this?


Do you think this five year old will grow-up a loner with no social life and an aggressive behavior. I didn't think so either!!

Gaming is a hobby as much as reading, watching TV, studying (to some it is!), playing chess or any other type of activity. It does not prevent someone from doing sports, playing outside or other physical activities. Playing a console or PC game for 15 hours a day, is unhealthy, so is playing chess, or reading, or watching TV for the same amount of time!

Remember, everything in moderation is good for you. Well, almost everything that is!

Just like Rock n' Roll

The Economist.com has a great article on the whole "video games are bad for our youths" debate. And for once we have an article which treats this political issue in a statistical and social science fashion.

In the end, it becomes a generational gap between the 'have played games' camp, and the 'haven't played games so they must be bad for you' camp.

A must read for anyone interested in this debate.

I myself, can't wait to sit down with my kids (when I have some) and play a good game, be it video, board, rpg or tag football. Knowing your kids is knowing what they enjoy. And that includes video games.