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warrrreagl · 01-28-2005, 07:43 AM

This is probably just old fogey nonsense, but I wanted to open a discussion on some of the influences of video games on our everyday lives. Loved or hated, video games are now an interlocked part of Western society's fabric, and it would be foolish to assume that they have no impact on our daily lives. Here's an example:

This week, I overheard two college students talking about their grades for this brand new semester. One of them said she'd done poorly on the first test in her English Lit class, and she was going to drop the course and take it the next semester so she could start over. Start over?!? After two weeks?

As I've thought about that conversation this week, I noticed a similarity between her English Lit class and video games. It seems to me that people who grew up on video games are simply accustomed to hitting the RESET button when things don't work out perfectly, and they are growing up unable to learn perseverance. Whereas previous generations would have likely buckled down and studied harder, she simply wants to hit RESET and keep re-starting the course until it comes out perfectly.

How many of you have started a game of online Hearts and simply hit RE-DEAL as soon as you get the Queen of Spades (especially if it's early in the game)? As a society, I think we are growing toward that same outcome in our everyday lives. Why bother to dig your way out of an unfortunate financial situation when you can declare bankruptcy and hit RESET?

This troubles me when it comes to the lack of intestinal fortitude found in young people today. Okay, so I grew up on pinball, Pac-Man, and Galaga, that's true. But I could only play those games if I inserted a quarter, and hitting RESET was not an option. If I started a game out with a shitty start, then I had to stick it out and keep playing or else lose my quarter. And very often, some of the most shining and wonderful moments in my video game life came right after that shitty start. If I'd started over, I would have missed them.

What are your thoughts about this? And can you think of other examples of how lessons and skills learned in video games are having an influence on our daily lives?

ART already mentioned something in another post about noticing how people play games with him when meeting face to face, and I'd really like to hear more about that.

---EDIT---
In no way do I intend for this to be a video game "bashing" thread. I am also anxious to hear examples of ways you believe video game skills have positively impacted our daily tasks as well.

01-28-2005, 07:43 AM	#1 (permalink)
warrrreagl pinche vato Location: backwater, Third World, land of cotton	Video Game Syndrome This is probably just old fogey nonsense, but I wanted to open a discussion on some of the influences of video games on our everyday lives. Loved or hated, video games are now an interlocked part of Western society's fabric, and it would be foolish to assume that they have no impact on our daily lives. Here's an example: This week, I overheard two college students talking about their grades for this brand new semester. One of them said she'd done poorly on the first test in her English Lit class, and she was going to drop the course and take it the next semester so she could start over. Start over?!? After two weeks? As I've thought about that conversation this week, I noticed a similarity between her English Lit class and video games. It seems to me that people who grew up on video games are simply accustomed to hitting the RESET button when things don't work out perfectly, and they are growing up unable to learn perseverance. Whereas previous generations would have likely buckled down and studied harder, she simply wants to hit RESET and keep re-starting the course until it comes out perfectly. How many of you have started a game of online Hearts and simply hit RE-DEAL as soon as you get the Queen of Spades (especially if it's early in the game)? As a society, I think we are growing toward that same outcome in our everyday lives. Why bother to dig your way out of an unfortunate financial situation when you can declare bankruptcy and hit RESET? This troubles me when it comes to the lack of intestinal fortitude found in young people today. Okay, so I grew up on pinball, Pac-Man, and Galaga, that's true. But I could only play those games if I inserted a quarter, and hitting RESET was not an option. If I started a game out with a shitty start, then I had to stick it out and keep playing or else lose my quarter. And very often, some of the most shining and wonderful moments in my video game life came right after that shitty start. If I'd started over, I would have missed them. What are your thoughts about this? And can you think of other examples of how lessons and skills learned in video games are having an influence on our daily lives? ART already mentioned something in another post about noticing how people play games with him when meeting face to face, and I'd really like to hear more about that. ---EDIT--- In no way do I intend for this to be a video game "bashing" thread. I am also anxious to hear examples of ways you believe video game skills have positively impacted our daily tasks as well. __________________ Living is easy with eyes closed. Last edited by warrrreagl; 01-28-2005 at 07:52 AM..