Video: Adam Sessler Talks With Cowriter Of Grand Theft Childhood
I'm not going to say that I'm the leading expert on raising children. I wouldn't even venture to say that I know how to raise a kid. When a friend hands me a baby, I have a tendency to hold it like it's going to spit something on me: At arms length with a look of passive disgust. I will, however, say that just because someone has kids doesn't mean that they know everything there is to know about children, raising children, or even know how to make rational decisions on what is best for them.
This is why I'm always happy when someone willfully steps up, and says "hey, look, you can't look at this at face value", or "research is confusing to people who are not academics". You know what? That is totally true. People like to use and manipulate confusing or misleading research to meet their own ends. Adam Sessler helps set the record straight with the help of Dr. Cheryl Olson, coauthor of Grand Theft Childhood, a book illustrating the effects of video games on children, and the correlation between aggressive behavior and violent videogames.
I would like to point out that she doesn't say one way or another that videogames are bad for kids, she simply says that you should keep your eye out for signs of anti-social, regressive or aggressive behavior. Good words, in my opinion. Remember would-be parents, there is no such thing as parenting on auto-pilot. Talk to you children, and they will listen.
[via Game Politics]
Asterick
Posted to Video Games on 17 December 2008
· Comments (4)
Other stuff like this: adam sessler, grand theft childhood, informed parents are best, intelligent discussions
after seeing the two authors of the book on a different show earlier this year, my curiosity (and lack of anything else to read at the time) led me to pick it up.
for anyone even remotely interested in this subject, i highly recommend it. it's filled with a lot of information, research, and stats(sometimes too much!). they do a pretty good job of being agnostic in their approach and look at the issue from both sides of argument. *shocking!*
*SPOILER* they pretty much determine that there isn't one thing that will universally trigger someone, and that it's important to not confuse "aggressiveness" with "violence".
/SPOILER
it's worth reading if you're interested in this sort of thing, or if you'd like to sound knowledgeable if you ever have to get into a "video games are turning our kids into killers" argument.
Wow, what a pleasant surprise. I saw the name of the book and was expecting another one of those ill-informed shouting sessions that are all too common on American television. Instead, a level-headed discussion. We need more people like Dr. Cheryl Olson.
That's pretty much the exact same reaction I have to being handed a baby...
I might have to check the book out, it's refreshing to see a book on the subject that's not a braindead parent's kneejerk reaction given form.
I heard about this book earlier in the year, and when one of my psychology professors started lecturing on the harm that video games do to children, I felt obligated to raise my hand and mention this book. Still have yet to buy it, though.