President urges young people to switch off video games

marco_polo

But Michael D if the kids become games developers instead of artists they might pay a bit of tax now and again .

humanji

EnterNow wrote: »

Wow, he must be wrecked after that.

It's not like this is the only thing he'll do over the next 7 years. And as you say yourself, he's a glorified ribbon cutter. This is the type of thing he's expected to do.

dre_jspeed

Do these gaming companies not bring big money into are so call economy and jobs?

Myrddin

humanji wrote: »

It's not like this is the only thing he'll do over the next 7 years. And as you say yourself, he's a glorified ribbon cutter. This is the type of thing he's expected to do.

True enough.

I wonder how yer wan got on wit her magic chip idea that turns off consoles after one hour? :rolleyes: Never heard anymore on that. Maybe they should team up

frisbeeface

EnterNow wrote: »

Tbh I'm not sure there's anything he can do. He's only a glorified ribbon cutter, it's just annoying seeing people like that stating the obvious. Things are more complicated in reality.

But, in fairness, this article is from a visit he made to an arts centre in Dublin, where he presumably looked around for a while then made a short speech to the staff and children. The president does small stuff like this very often and most times it won't make it near a paper unless there's space (or bandwidth) to be filled.

It's not like Michael D called a press conference to talk about video games and children's imaginations in depth or to call on the government to make any policy shifts.

frisbeeface

dre_jspeed wrote: »

Do these gaming companies not bring big money into are so call economy and jobs?

Yes. He never mentions them being a bad thing.

Misleading headline is misleading.

krudler

humanji wrote: »

I'm sure a 25% cut seemed like a nice gesture, but 250k is still a lot of money for someone who isn't that essential to the country.


Who said anything about game developers? We're talking about children and their developement.

developers were children once too ya know :pac: its a thriving industry so if people become more interested in it and creats jobs then thats a good thing.

Myrddin

frisbeeface wrote: »

But, in fairness, this article is from a visit he made to an arts centre in Dublin, where he presumably looked around for a while then made a short speech to the staff and children. The president does small stuff like this very often and most times it won't make it near a paper unless there's space (or bandwidth) to be filled.

It's not like Michael D called a press conference to talk about video games and children's imaginations in depth or to call on the government to make any policy shifts.

I know that, & the headline is indeed misleading. I still think he's dwelling on the easy targets, & ignoring the cause.

Grumpypants

He is dead right about kids not using their imagination but living in a fantasy world on a video game is using your imagination far more than when they go to school are forced to dress the same, act the same, and are forced to think the same until all their imagination is suppressed so they can become just another 9 to 5 robot.

Retr0gamer

Games got me dabbling in level design with Quake map makers and the Warcraft 2 and Starcraft 2 map makers. Also dabbled in Gamemaker and RPG maker which is great for people who want to understand game design and programming before getting into coding. But that's not being imaginative or creative of course.

Dont be at yourself

I have to wonder just how many videogames President Higgins has played. I presume he hasn't sat down and played Heavy Rain, or Limbo, or Flower, or Child of Eden. He presumably hasn't used videogames as a window into another world, transporting himself to medieval Japan, across the stars or into the demented mind of Suda Goichi. These kind of games fire the imagination and inspire people far more than the latest Twilight book ever will.

I have to wonder too, how much he appreciates the contribution videogames make to Irish society. A recent Forfas report highly praised the burgeoning Irish videogame industry, which is growing year-on-year despite the worldwide recession. It's also a heavily-skilled, well paying industry that employs graduates from all backgrounds: art & animation, computer science, physics, maths, marketing, and language. It's creating more jobs and contributing more tax money towards Michael D's substantial salary than a nation of poets ever could.

If Michael D. really wants to represent a new and modern Ireland, he'd perhaps like to better acquaint himself with what is the most significant entertainment industry in 21st century Ireland, and not base his opinions solely on preconceptions espoused by lazy journalists and ignorant parents.

humanji

krudler wrote: »

developers were children once too ya know :pac: its a thriving industry so if people become more interested in it and creats jobs then thats a good thing.

Ah, but if kids don't develop their imagination then the only thing they'll be able to create are endless knock-offs that don't do anything new. It'd be dooming us to EA Ireland. We'll have a games industry, but we'll have no soul! :P

WarZoneBrother

Someone needs to show the President this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2N-5maKZ9Q

Gabe Zichermann - How games make kids smarted

http://www.ted.com/talks/gabe_zichermann_how_games_make_kids_smarter.html

Retr0gamer

Dont be at yourself wrote: »

Heavy Rain

I doubt a game that is as badly written as a bad episode of CSI is going to further the cause of gaming!

hooradiation

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I doubt a game that is as badly written as a bad episode of CSI is going to further the cause of gaming!

Which makes it better than a good 98% of games.

humanji

Dont be at yourself wrote: »

I have to wonder just how many videogames President Higgins has played. I presume he hasn't sat down and played Heavy Rain, or Limbo, or Flower, or Child of Eden. He presumably hasn't used videogames as a window into another world, transporting himself to medieval Japan, across the stars or into the demented mind of Suda Goichi. These kind of games fire the imagination and inspire people far more than the latest Twilight book ever will.

I have to wonder too, how much he appreciates the contribution videogames make to Irish society. A recent Forfas report highly praised the burgeoning Irish videogame industry, which is growing year-on-year despite the worldwide recession. It's also a heavily-skilled, well paying industry that employs graduates from all backgrounds: art & animation, computer science, physics, maths, marketing, and language. It's creating more jobs and contributing more tax money towards Michael D's substantial salary than a nation of poets ever could.

If Michael D. really wants to represent a new and modern Ireland, he'd perhaps like to better acquaint himself with what is the most significant entertainment industry in 21st century Ireland, and not base his opinions solely on preconceptions espoused by lazy journalists and ignorant parents.

That's not what the article says or is about.

Sid_Justice

As adults with jobs you're entitled to squander your free time playing computer games as you feel appropriate. If on the other hand, you are completely unaware that many children and college going adults are squandering time they would be better off spending elsewhere, you should get out more. If you think it's ok for a 15 year old to play a computer game for 8 hours a day you're mistaken.

I certainly take the point that computer games are no better or no worse than watching DVDs, reading novels (although would be some arguments for reading being 'better') and maybe watching TV.

Individuals should be aware that there is a limit to how much time they should be playing computer games.
If not,their parents should intervene.
If they don't, school should intervene.
if they don't it's a social problem.

humanji

Grumpypants wrote: »

He is dead right about kids not using their imagination but living in a fantasy world on a video game is using your imagination far more than when they go to school are forced to dress the same, act the same, and are forced to think the same until all their imagination is suppressed so they can become just another 9 to 5 robot.

You're not comparing like with like. Which exercises the imagination more:

Playing a game where everything is already created for you, or reading a book where you have to create everything in your mind from the words given to you on the page? That's basically what Higgins is saying. It's a simplistic view, but at it's heart it's true.

marco_polo

Sid_Justice wrote: »

As adults with jobs you're entitled to squander your free time playing computer games as you feel appropriate. If on the other hand, you are completely unaware that many children and college going adults are squandering time they would be better off spending elsewhere, you should get out more. If you think it's ok for a 15 year old to play a computer game for 8 hours a day you're mistaken.

I certainly take the point that computer games are no better or no worse than watching DVDs, reading novels (although would be some arguments for reading being 'better') and maybe watching TV.

Individuals should be aware that there is a limit to how much time they should be playing computer games.
If not,their parents should intervene.
If they don't, school should intervene.
if they don't it's a social problem.

humanji's post is also relvant here methinks.

humanji wrote: »

That's not what the article says or is about.

Dont be at yourself

humanji wrote: »

That's not what the article says or is about.

“It is possible to form the impression that many of today’s children no longer fully appreciate the joy of taking refuge in their own imaginations, preferring to spend their time on computer games, or watching digital television or playing with pre-programmed electronic toys,”

This sentence shows his ignorance. He lumps videogames in with the idiot box, and 'pre-programmed electronic toys' (which sounds like a term from 1950s American advertising). It's a massive disservice to videogames. Videogames are not just Call of Duty, and can provoke children to use their imagination and be creative. More than that, they can be educational, social and nourish problem solving.

I'd be much happier with my child playing the average videogame than reading the average teenage fiction. But Higgins is living in Byzantium, where the written word is pure and 1s and 0s are spawned by Satan to turn our children into dullards.

humanji

Dont be at yourself wrote: »

“It is possible to form the impression that many of today’s children no longer fully appreciate the joy of taking refuge in their own imaginations, preferring to spend their time on computer games, or watching digital television or playing with pre-programmed electronic toys,”

This sentence shows his ignorance. He lumps videogames in with the idiot box, and 'pre-programmed electronic toys' (which sounds like a term from 1950s American advertising). It's a massive disservice to videogames. Videogames are not just Call of Duty, and can provoke children to use their imagination and be creative. More than that, they can be educational, social and nourish problem solving.

I'd be much happier with my child playing the average videogame than reading the average teenage fiction. But Higgins is living in Byzantium, where the written word is pure and 1s and 0s are spawned by Satan to turn our children into dullards.

I higlighted the bit you're missing. A videogame or a tv show is someone elses creation. And he isn't saying kids should never touch a computer game. He's saying that they should be encouraged to use their imagination more.

Temptamperu

humanji wrote: »

You're not comparing like with like. Which exercises the imagination more:

Playing a game where everything is already created for you, or reading a book where you have to create everything in your mind from the words given to you on the page? That's basically what Higgins is saying. It's a simplistic view, but at it's heart it's true.

You dont need imagination to read its all there already just like a good videogame with a good story.

Dont be at yourself

humanji wrote: »

I higlighted the bit you're missing. A videogame or a tv show is someone elses creation. And he isn't saying kids should never touch a computer game. He's saying that they should be encouraged to use their imagination more.

A book is someone else's creation too. Imagination is more than just visualising the written word. It's the suspension of disbelief, the ability to transport yourself to another world and to feel emotion for the imaginary.

And that's before we even talk about the real creative heights of videogames; the likes of LittleBigPlanet, Sim City, Spore, Trackmania and so on. They do more to fire the imagination of children than virtually any other leisure activity available to them.

humanji

Temptamperu wrote: »

You dont need imagination to read its all there already just like a good videogame with a good story.

But you have to visualise it. You don't with a computer game. It's right in front of you. Kids should try doing both activities instead of just one. That's the point being made.

Retr0gamer

humanji wrote: »

But you have to visualise it. You don't with a computer game. It's right in front of you. Kids should try doing both activities instead of just one. That's the point being made.

Temptamperu

Ah I agree, I would rather them read but theres no harm in a few hours of videogames aswell, like in winter we hardly have going out playing weather and it gets dark half an hour after they get in from school.
The problem is all the there time on the videogames, variety is the spice of life after all.

humanji

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I've already said games in general. And not many 5 years olds would play that anyway.

Retr0gamer

humanji wrote: »

I've already said games in general. And not many 5 years olds would play that anyway.

I know but I thought it was funny. I'll get my coat

humanji

Temptamperu wrote: »

Ah I agree, I would rather them read but theres no harm in a few hours of videogames aswell, like in winter we hardly have going out playing weather and it gets dark half an hour after they get in from school.
The problem is all the there time on the videogames, variety is the spice of life after all.

Oh totally. Sure I was brought up with computers and computer games. I still read an awful lot and got outside whenever I could. This was an perfect mix. But many kids these days will sit in front of a computer non-stop if they could. And some parents will let the kids do that.

I feel, as Higgins also seems to feel, that a bit more effort should be made to drag kids away from the digital world and do more activities in the real one.

Plus, the book is always better than the film or the game.

humanji

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I know but I thought it was funny. I'll get my coat

It kind of was, but I didn't want to admit it.