BS: video boys ready to go to war

Subject: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: dianavan
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 03:51 AM

A new trend in education show girls are making academic gains while boys are declining academically.

So whats with the boys in my opinion?

It is difficult to interest them in learning when video games are so action packed. For many, the classroom environment is not compatible with what is being learned on video. The very violent video games are easily accessible and a convenient babysitter. I think they should be in the same category as XXX

Why??? Because we have a whole generation of young boys ready to go to war for the thrill of it!

Many of these boys (and I say boys because thats who they are designed for) are intelligent children whose attention span has been 'reved-up' by videos so much that nothing else can hold their attention.

Just a thought.

d

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 04:12 AM

I agree with you on this subject, dianavan.

It's pretty extraordinary if you take the time to examine what video games out there. The violence that most of them are based upon is utterly insane! Whether it's so-called "real life" type people battling away, or imaginary "heros" battling away, or cartoon creatures battling away...someone always seems to be in the process of destroying someone or something else.

Yes, I know the arguments likely to come-boys are aggressive by nature, and if they weren't doing something like this, they'd be playing the old "cops and robbers" or "cowboys and indians" equivalent somewhere else.

But the idea of making destruction so seductive, and so EASY! Use your thumb and destroy a monster. Keep hitting that little panel with your fingers, and bombs drop, cars crash, worlds collide.

What I thought might become a good way of introducing some excellent educational tools, or even ways of brain-teasing via games and interactive problem-solving, has become yet another forum for violence.

Yup, just what we need. Make aggression look fun, easy to accomplish, and no blood spatter to clean up afterwards. A perfect way to indoctrinate the next generation of nuclear warriors ready to use their fingers to push the REALLY BIG buttons, and to encourage our young to look forward to joining the "Action Adventure"!!

..xx..e

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 06:26 AM

My son used to play violent video games extensively (Doom, Mortal Combat, Grand Theft Auto), but he eventually lost interest in them. Then he switched to games like Starcraft and Red Alert. They're still based on simulated warfare, but you control whole armies rather than individuals, and the emphasis is more on strategy than quick reactions. The "violence" is much less graphic. He also played nonviolent, even non-competitive games like The Sims and SimCity. Since he became interested in music, he plays video games much less than he used to.

By the way, he's also a vegan, because he doesn't like hurting animals, and he has taken part in antiwar demonstrations.

Kids are much harder to figure out when you actually live with one.

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: Cluin
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 02:45 PM

"Kids are much harder to figure out when you actually live with one."


Well said, Jim. That one oughta be engraved in gold and flashed at all the childless who have childrearing all figured out.

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: mack/misophist
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 09:58 PM

There are a lot of programs to promote technical education for women. Some are very sucessful. Not so, for males. Check, it's not a new issue.

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: dianavan
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 09:58 PM

Actually, both my children grew up with video games and I am sure that most Mudcatters guide their children in their selection of games as well as encourage other activities. Please realize that you are the minority. Many, many parents do not. There are lots of folks out there that just want to keep the kids happy and out of their hair.

The point I want to make is that there will be no shortage of recruits when and if they are necessary. There are video games in the hands of children that do no more than glorify violence and war.

d

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 19 Oct 04 - 01:30 AM

----And if any video displayed genuine sexual encounters, they'd call THAT "pornography"!! OK to slice somebody's head from their shoulders, though---

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: Amergin
Date: 19 Oct 04 - 01:43 AM

I love violent video games...i love puzzle games and strategic games as well....but I also love other things...like music and poetry and literature.

but anyways I had no interest in most of my classes when I was there...and neither did many people that I knew...violent video games was not the problem...as there really werent very many back then...adult video games were not a big market...not until the nintendo generation grew up and consoles and pcs got better and better graphics.

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: dianavan
Date: 19 Oct 04 - 02:09 AM

Amergin - I was referring to little boys of seven and eight years old.

d

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: Amergin
Date: 19 Oct 04 - 02:15 AM

Well...like I said...little boys of eight years old are not interested much by school...I know I sure wasnt.

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: GUEST,Auggie
Date: 19 Oct 04 - 10:54 PM

Regrettably, it seems there has never been a period in history where there has been a lack of little boys who thrill to the idea of going off to war.
Weren't we, the baby-boomers, going to be the generation to right all the wrongs our predecessors had continually foisted upon the world and bring about an end to this kind of behavior?
Don't look now, but I think we've dropped the ball, big-time.

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: Cluin
Date: 20 Oct 04 - 02:10 AM

We all played "Soldier" and "War" and "Cowboys and Indians" etc. when we were kids too. It all involved pretending to shoot each other.

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: dianavan
Date: 20 Oct 04 - 10:17 PM

I think you are missing the point. Have you seen any of the readily available video games? We are not talking cowboys and Indians and imaginary weapons. These games are GRAPHIC and highly addictive. They are also interractive but devoid of human interraction.

I never thought I would be one to be alarmed by what "children of today" are doing but what I am seeing is quite scary. Even when little boys played at 'war' they were playing with each other. Even when they played with each other, we could teach them to read and at least learn their addition and subtraction to 19.

This is just a warning. The academic scores of young boys are rapidly declining. We should try to find out why before we have a nation of illiterate young men who are unfit for meaningful, interpersonal relations or employment. These kids are the best hope of a military-industrial complex.

d

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: Amergin
Date: 21 Oct 04 - 12:29 AM

So blame them on video games....sigh what happened to taking responsibility?

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: Cluin
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 06:32 PM

They used to blame it on comic books, rock n roll, TV, movies, radio dramas, the Jitterbug, "coloured" music, grass, motorcycles, the Lindy, the Reformation and the Renaissance.

We're all still here.

Subject: RE: BS: video boys ready to go to war
From: dianavan
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 11:38 PM

I don't blame the video games. I blame parents who are too busy to act as censors and who, in fact, buy the games for their kids. I also blame parents for using the video games as babysitters because they don't have enough 'time' to read to their kids or provide any other form of entertainment.

I don't recall, "comic books, rock n roll, TV, movies, radio dramas, the Jitterbug, "coloured" music, grass, motorcycles, the Lindy, the Reformation and the Renaissance..." ever being as graphically violent as the recent video games.

Just because its called a game doesn't mean it is harmless.

d