Boom Goes The Dynamite!

Actually, boom go the myths about video games, in this excellent article by MIT professor Henry Jenkins.

If you are a parent, you NEED to read this.

Hell, if you're a beleaguered Illinois governor, clueless California assemblyman, hyper-ambitious New York senator, or, say, a mean-spirited, self-serving Florida attorney, you need to read this. Or maybe you already have, and just don't care for logical, well-reasoned arguments.

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'...
No wait. Actually, I am sayin.'

So I'm gonna have to go ahead and ask you to read it, then do what the sign says.



Why are you still reading this when you should be reading the article???

Oh, you want a preview so you can decide whether the clickthrough is worth your time? Perfectly understandable.

The following is a brief synopsis of what Professor Jenkins does to some of the more dangerously misguided myths about video games and their effect on children:

1. The availability of video games has led to an epidemic of youth violence.

2. Scientific evidence links violent game play with youth aggression.

3. Children are the primary market for video games.

4. Almost no girls play computer games.

5. Because games are used to train soldiers to kill, they have the same impact on the kids who play them.

6. Video games are not a meaningful form of expression.

7. Video game play is socially isolating.

8. Video game play is desensitizing.

NOW GO READ THE WHOLE THING!!! (please)


Oh, for those of you who were expecting something else from your Google/MSN/Yahoo!/Dogpile/AllTheWeb search, here you go. Enjoy!