Opposed & Juxtaposed: Video Gaming or Reading

This is a tough one. Coming from an English teacher who loves ebonics in an informal atmosphere, I do find myself somewhat conflicted.

I can't remember not liking reading. Ever since I could waste time away without supervision, I remember climbing upon that porcelean throne to take care of my daily business with a copy of Frog and Toad. That was some good reading at that time. Since then, I've read so many good books, I could probably go back through them the rest of my life. Books have been integral in the life I've lived thus.

I remember also another time. We stopped in a mall in Houston, my dad ran inside an electronics store and came out with a big box. That box would garner my attention for the hour-long ride home. Seeing all those vivid colors, the excitement in the eyes of the players, the big and bold letters spelling out "Odyssey". It was tantalizing. Since then, games have been part of my life, whether playing simple word based strategy games (think Zork) up to the the current Wii's Super Mario Galaxy. As I've grown and developed, so have the games available to play.

So the question that Kris and I have posed for this week: Which is more wasteful, video gaming or reading?

With my history, I automatically want to say video gaming. Why? Shouldn't that be obvious? It should shouldn't it. Okay, so right now, think of five reasons why video gaming is wasteful. Did you come up with five? Were they seriously good? Because everyone automatically assumes that because it's video games, it's a waste of time. C'mon people; don't be so trite.

There are a lot of things that can be wastes of time: NASCAR (wow, that's a big one there), gardening (don't those plants die anyways?), making your bed EVERY day (won't it get messed up anyway?), cruising or driving around (have you bought gas lately?), and even eating out (doesn't your kitchen work? can't you bring your lunch? do I need to go on?). The point: Anything without an absolute reason is wasteful. Ah, but what is that absolute reason? Well, it's kind of like having to wear khakis to work. I have to, so buying them isn't a waste. Arguably, buying jeans would be under this logic. But, hobbies of any kind are, under this logic, a waste of time. There is no return. And, unless your doctor says that you have to do it or you will die, then there isn't a reason that isn't wasteful for it.

Now that I've offended you and you are still reading, consider this: What is important to you? Go ahead, I'll wait for those of you in the back to consider it. Ready? Okay.

You value system, priorties, and beliefs drive you to make the choices and decision every day. Coffee, water, tea or soda? As you decide, you consider cost, benefit (caffeine, health, calories, etc.) and even convenience (is it going to spill, etc.). Those that celebrate Ramadan fast during daylight hours. No choice for those Muslim observers. You may remember those kitschy little bracelets and bumper stickers that proclaimed "W.W.J.D."? Well, what would He do? Does that help you equate your decisions? The point here is your values are just that: Valued. They give that sense of worth to any and all that you hold in higher esteem. Society has so-called norms that people should follow (and there's many that I agree with and others that I disagree with) and vice-versa. Do you or don't you?

Video games are plain fun. Hedonistic even. An outlet for almost any type of adventure out there. Want to race? Pillage and plunder? Steal cars and motorcycles? Explore the galaxy for your princess? Play with a digital animal? Relive battles of yore? This can all be done in the video gaming realm. Wasteful, absolutely. And absolutely not.

Video games came about initially not as a time waster, but as a challenge for the programmers to develop an interactive program. Games were just interesting. As the demand and interest grew, the challenge continue to grow. Not only for programmers (and the blooming computer industry, but that's another whole entry there), but for gamers: the challenge of conquering the game. Could you flip the game? As games develop in complexity, so did the rewards for gaming. Consider this: when was the last time you played a simple platform game? Did you have any difficulty solving the various tasks? Did you complete the game at all? Now, consider the more complex games that involve serious timing, coordination, problem solving, and atypical thinking. Games offer that: higher level thinking skills. In fact, in a study funded by Microsoft, found numerous benefits.

After two and a half years, Global Kids is delighted to release the results of the independent evaluation by the Center for Children and Technology of both Playing 4 Keeps, our after school gaming program, and Ayiti, the game produced with Gamelab during the first year of the program. For the evaluation CCT observed the program and interviewed the students. To evaluate the game they looked at the results of nearly 16,000 game plays.

Download the full report here:

In short, when we made Ayiti we wanted to learn if players would learn if the factors affecting access to education within an impoverished condition are both interdependent and exist within a dynamic system. CCT’s research found that “the central idea embedded in the game play, that no single factor accounts for success, appears to have been successfully communicated to the majority of players.”

Bingo!

In addition, they describe how youth report that through their participation in the after school program their experiences involved:

* Engaging in activities that require useful life skills related to communication and collaboration; Learning about social issues; Realizing what goes into designing and creating a good game; and Gaining general computers skills.

A gaming program that improves the lives of its participants and creates a game that has a measurable affect on the critical thinking of its players AND is an award-winning, engaging experience - nice!

Source: The Evil Number 27's Occaisional Bivouac, Link

So, is video gaming better than reading? Haven't you been reading? No it's not. Both are beneficial in their own intrinsic way. Reading promotes literacy (which is absolutely irreplaceable). Reading expands knowledge. Reading encourages the development of creativity and imagination (Say it ala Spongebob, "Imagination!"). Reading is a valuable tool in any war, global or figurative. We cannot continue as a successful species with literacy.

Video gaming is a modern day evolutionary device. Consider that the first printed book is about 600 years old, and hand-written books in codex form (taking sheafs of paper then folding in half, fastening at the fold) date to the fourth century AD. Books have a history that video games cannot compete equally with. Video games offer a variety of benefits that parallel books in certain, and surpass in a few others. The appeal of video games in modern times barely supercedes that of books, but the cost of them can be prohibitively expensive.

So the answer to the question is simply this: Neither are a waste. I've seen kids waste away into solidarity and recluse by constant and absolute reading. I've seen the same from active gamers who only have friends via Massive Multiplayer Online (MMOs) games. I've seen productive kids come from both. Typically, moderation is demonstrated to get the best results. I like both and will continue both.