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Jul 07, 2010, 06:33 PM
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Member Since: Jun 2007
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 5,518
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Perna - How many hours per day, per week, per month did you spend playing "Cowboys and Indians," or was it just on occasion? (that wasn't really a question, lol)
Tim - I apologize for stepping on your toes, but I wasn't referring to you or your hobby. I was referring to the developing minds of children and the amount of time they spend playing video games.
The boys in my neighborhood played Cowboys and Indians/Army too, but these games didn't consume their free time and they didn't take the roles so seriously. It had the added benefit of teaching the boys how to fight hard, play by the rules, and get along after the game was over. Non-organized sports (without parental involvement) did the same thing. It gave the kids a chance to fully control their own little worlds while working on their developmental social skills. A child learns no interactional personal skills by pretending to be someone else in a different world.
I DO believe video games serve a purpose, as long as it's used in moderation. There are times when a kid really needs a break from his/her community.
My son struggled with the local bullies during junior high, and he knew what the consequences would be if he took them on. He held it in, but he really needed an outlet to deal with that rage. We bought him a Sega Genesis(?) (yes, I know I'm showing my age) and the game "Golden Eye." I let him play the game when I saw his steam building up. I played the game with him, and we had soooo much fun "killing" each other.  He grew out of the games because he wanted and needed to learn a little more about the real world before devoting it to fun and games.
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