Baby with the Bath Water?

Confession: what I know about video games you could fit in a teacup, a very small teacup.  But as the mother of two boys, I am trying to pay more attention. What I’ve seen so far definitely makes me wary. Am I throwing out the baby with the bathwater?

In the past few days I have seen stories about games called Fat Princess, where gamers try to feed a captured princess until she is too fat to move and Super Columbine Massacre RPG, in which you get to recreate the massacre of students and teachers at the infamous high school.

Not exactly heartwarming to a young mom . . .

Now, I know these represent a very small portion of video games and they are not necessarily being marketed to kids. One of my concerns I guess is are the more benign versions “gateway drugs” to the hard-core stuff later in life.  I know my sons will grow up and be responsible for their own choices, but I don’t want to be their first “pusher.”

I’ve been a video game widow in the past to boys in college and high school who were more interested in playing soccer on their video game system than going outside or even speaking with another human. I know how addictive they can be.  I even read a book called Boys Adrift that relates startling information about video games and other factors affecting boys and later men’s lives, as in literally altering their brains.

My oldest son has started learning how to use the computer   and I can already see how consumed he becomes with simple games like sorting or matching. I’m delighted to see him learning, but I wonder about what this will mean as the years go by.

I wonder what others are doing to balance being plugged in and unplugged in their kids life. What works for you?

Do you or your kids play video games like Playstation or Nintendo? What is your opinion of them?  Am I missing out or on target?

Photo: via Sony