i read a really interesting article today on the globe and mail: the art of playing nice. the excerpt caught my eye…When 13-year-old Evan Spencer wanted to play the ultraviolent video game Call of Duty, his parents gave him the green light, on one condition: He had to follow the Geneva Conventions.
i love the idea! i’ve often asked alex if the kids who play call of duty even know what side they’re on and what it means. not that i do, completely, as i’m a self-confessed ignoramus when it comes to world history. however, i would hate for little american children to think this is the “war on terror” that everyone’s talking about, and for the game to further perpetuate any stereotypes they may already have about certain parts of the world outside of north america.
when i grow up, i don’t know what i want to be yet, but i definitely want to take after these people’s parenting skills when it comes to video games. it’s something you can’t ignore because it’s everywhere, and i agree with the dad – you don’t want to ban it to a point that your kid’s playing the games behind your back. why not turn it into an educational opportunity?
i wish i could open up comments for this post; alas, the comment function is still down because i’ve been away. it’ll hopefully get fixed this weekend!