"Meanwhile, children who play video games develop sophisticated problem-solving and communication skills in virtual worlds beyond the experience of many parents. One way to bridge the gap is to extend the idea of reading with your children to playing with your children. Pick up the controller and take Madden 2005 or Pokemon for a ride; let your children teach you how to play, raise critical questions about strategies and the purpose of game-play." (page 123)
This quote brings me back to childhood and the Nintendo 64. It was the first game system that my family had gotten and it was quite a big deal. I remember always asking for my mom to play with us. My dad always worked long days so it was mom who was always around. We would constantly ask her to play and she always told us that the graphics hurt her eyes if she was in front of the game to long. I believe there was some truth to that, but that it was also used as an excuse. We would watch us play for a little bit but then leave the room once her eyes started to hurt. I was always disappointed that she never tried to play with us, even when we got a Game Cube and the graphics were better she still wouldn't play with us. That is why I like this quote since it is telling parents they should play video games with their children. Not only will they be spending time with their children but they will also get to see the content that is in these video games. If parents really knew what kinds of games they are buying for their children I think that they would be in for a surprise as to how much violence can be in a game.
"Often children cannot find others locally who share their passions, but the reach of the Internet would allow them to go beyond their neighborhood and school to find like-minded children." (page 123)
I think that it is a good idea for children to find groups on the internet that share their same passions. I grew up in a neighborhood where the only neighbors my age moved away when I was in first grade. So I know what it is like to not have any one your age to talk to. I think that I could have benefited from an online interest group with kids my age. However, I do question the security of these groups and how would you know if there was a child predator that belonged to the group or not. So definitely there needs to be parent supervision.
"A common concern expressed by parents and teachers is that time online equals more time that kids aren't reading books." (page 124)
I agree with this quote in that children are spending less time reading books these days and instead spending it glued to their phones and social networking sites. If parents and teachers want to do anything about this then they need to encourage reading especially parents at home. Perhaps all of these new e-readers could help kids want to read more since they are using a type of technology to read with. I also think that reading just doesn't appeal to kids these days either. I know growing up the last thing I wanted to do was read just because there were other things calling my name, it wasn't that I didn't like to read. If parents really want their kids to read a lot then they need to start young and encourage them to read daily.
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