The opportunity to play video games at a young age is a great step forward
in educating children about technology and modern electronic interaction.
Children of the technological age are growing up with skills that my parents
are still taking time to learn. These skills will give gaming children a great
boost towards understanding what will become their everyday world (not that I
don’t support good old-fashioned stick fighting, tree climbing, and outdoor
play). Because video games can be so
beneficial to these parts of a child’s life, as well as boosting imagination, motor
skills and much more, it can be a great bonding activity for parents and their
children.
There are of course games that are made for children spanning all ages.
There are games for infants, such as flash games that simulate peek-a-boo. There are those that follow popular children’s TV shows or
movies, such as Disney’s many
games. Educational games, such as
those that teach math or spelling, are made for classroom and at
home use, but they are not the only manner in which video games can become
educational. There is a plethora of ways
to make games not intentionally built for educational purposes educational.
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| Gaming Fun for All |
A recent
video by Extra Credits took on the topic of parents using games to the
benefit of their children and the relationship they have with their children.
Their examples prove that even games such as Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty
can open up a child’s mind to the greater issues that games discuss or are
based around. It even brings up the ever-important idea of cross-media research
and non-gaming interaction. One of the most beneficial things non-gaming
parents can do to show interest in their child’s gaming hobby is to sit with
them and attempt to assist them. Giving a child a game should not be a cop-out
on parental interaction, especially if the child has a great interest in
games. It should be seen as an
opportunity for bonding, an opportunity to become part of the child’s
hobby. It can be a great experience for
both the parent and child. A parent
sitting down and fervently translating
a cypher while their child breaks through an Assassin’s Creed II glyph can
be just as engaging and supporting as attending a child’s soccer game.
The example above also shows how a game can open up great avenues of
conversation. Games like Assassin’s Creed II open up questions and
conversations about geography, history, cryptography, realms of science
fiction, and much more. Almost every
game can be broken down into ideas worth discussing. An educating game does not
have to be an ‘educational game’.
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| Gender: Sex: Trait: Role - Very little choice |
Cooperative games are also a great device in the family bonding tool-kit. For
younger children, playing a game from the LEGO franchise with their parents
will build teamwork skills and perhaps act as a trust building exercise. It is
also important to think of the impact games have on a child’s idea of gender
roles. Playing games like LittleBig
Planet will not only let a child’s imagination run wild, but through
creating there own little Sack-avatar they can play with what it means to make
representation of themselves (or just a mustached cook with a purple afro),
which is far less constricting than some older games (Harvest Moon 3’s, ‘Are
you a boy or a girl?’). It is important
to sit down and discuss the gender stereotypes seen in most games, and then
choose games with less constricting and more positive views on individual
differences to counter the negative input.
In some ways it is up to gaming parents to protect their children from some
of the negative aspects of video games they are not yet prepared for, but it is
also up to them to use video games as a positive, educational, and constructive
tool. The video game industry and these
games’ influences are growing every year.
Rather than skip out on this opportunity due to the media through which
it is presented, parents should look for ways to enhance their child’s gaming
experience.
-K.
As an endnote, I should state that I am not a parent. But as a child who
played video games I sometime had a great time playing with my parents and
siblings. To this day my family still uses video games as entertainment and
bonding during family visits. I am glad that my parents took the time to show
interest, and that they continue to do so.
