I previously wrote this article regarding my concern about kids playing World of Warcraft unsupervised. After nearly 19,000 unique hits it ranks as my most widely read article to date. The debate in the commentary was fierce as people who have never read my blog assumed that since I had dared to write anything that didn't reflect gaming in a saintly light that I was in fact some sort of homebrew Jack Thompson-esque game hater.
I thought it deserved a follow-up so here ya go...
Shaak over at one of the WoW Guild Pages (Vorpal Bunnies) posted a chunk of the article there (with a link and byline) and invited a bit of discussion.
Read the whole thread over there. A few extracts.
He nailed the treadmill effect pretty nicely and the article he linked to is pretty telling. That kid sounded like you took his crack pipe away.
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(I had to put this one in whole... not sure if he is certain what side he comes down on really. - G)
Treadmill effect.... All I can say is that I am seeking counseling for my addiction but have been too busy playing WOW to open the phone book.
That said, my 12 yr son is in our guild. He plays next to me (on his account) and is supervised at all times. He hates it when every once in awhile I look at his chat. He does not notice the treadmill effect. Perhaps one needs to be 14 or 15 before goal oriented motivation becomes strong. My job as his parent is to keep him as safe as I can while letting him explore life. I feel that online gaming and gaming in general is part of life as we now know it.
Oh, and he does not get to play WOW as much as his father...
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As for the kids, you have to monitor what they do no matter whether they are on the computer or off...... I speak from experience when I say that the people you least expect are the ones that wind up being the predators.
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As for addictions, better a game than crack eh? At least that's what I keep telling myself as I sneak into bed at 3am after a run......
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(this guy thinks the whole thing is hooey and here is his line of "reasoning" -G)
big deal... they aren't out there trying to do or worse yet, sell crack. And for parents.. its CHEAP.. Only 15 a month. GEEEZ.. who could find a cheaper entertainment.
(I am thinking he isn't a parent... at least I hope that his only concern for his kids wouldn't be that they are cheaply entertained and out of his hair - G)
My thanks to Shaak for linking the article and to Vorpal Bunnies for their discussion.
