Father and Son Learn From Games

Via GamePolitics, a Washington Post article that for once paints gaming as an activity that can bring people together. Apparently you can even learn thing from games. From the article: "I'm sure that not all games are good for you, just as not all movies or newspaper articles improve your intellect or morals. Williams, the professor at the University of Illinois, has studied the impact of computer games on social patterns, and he finds results both good and troubling. But games that teach 11-year-olds about inflation or history can't be all evil, and they may be an improvement on Clue or Monopoly for all I know. Besides, kids clearly enjoy them. That surely ought to count for something."

Comments

My Son and I, Game to Learn..

[Chaffar]

DAMN IT BOY, how many times did I tell you NOT to shoot the zombies with the rifle? Use the g*damn pistol for medium range, and the shotgun for close range, you need every bit of ammo you can save...For chrissakes, AIM FOR THE F*CKING HEAD!!... EQUIP THE ROCKET LAUNCHER NOW, HE'S FROZEN!...GIVE ME THAT CONTROLLER, go play with your sister or something. God you suck d*ck, boy...

Of course

[NateE]

Playing video games is interactive and multiplayer makes it even more fun. TV is passive.

It should be obvious which is more beneficial.

Not just computer games...

[BigZaphod]

There's thousands of board games out there that most people (at least in the US) have never heard of that are far and beyond the standard Monopoly knockoffs. I recommend Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne as good entry points into this world, but there's many to choose from and a large, helpful community to interact with.

Confirmed

[Tom]

Games - like all other social activities - can do a lot of good things for people. Now I don't talk about single-player doom, just like solitaire isn't so much use. But online games? Check.

Two data points:
One, a recent study on MMORPGs (sorry, lost the link) revealed that quite a lot of couples play together. I do that myself and it helps keeping a long-distance relationship happy.

Two, I run an online game myself (see .sig) - and among the praise I got was a father who played the game together with his children whom he didn't see for years after the divorce and the part plays a good part in helping them bond together again.

Multiplayer games are social activities and should be seen in that light, with all the good and bad that brings.