Something funny happened in church yesterday . . .

[Lewis526]

Society has shifted to where parents are always busy (wife works 40+ hours and myself 75+) so video and video games are becoming the newest and strongest parenting tool. Do I dislike this- yes. But there is very little for options out there.

Oh, there are plenty of options. People these days just don't want to choose between them. We think we can have it all, and our children are going to pay the price.

That said, "balance in all things" is terrifically good advice.

 

[ssampier]

I must admit, I did watch a lot of TV when I was young. Of course, my parents were voracious TV and movie watchers as well. I can only remember a dozen times the TV was off in my childhood home.

That didn't stop me from reading a bunch and playing outside, too.

 

[Arnwyn]

Those of you who plan on restricting your children from having access to video games until they are at some arbitrary appropriate age, I would suggest you reconsider. I make those video games for a living, and my own future career hinges on hooking them while they are young. The video games industry needs your children to be mass consumers of video game entertainment so that it can continue its staggering growth. Your concern for the general mental health of your children has a very real chance of affecting our bottom line.

Not sure if this is a joke post or not, so I'll just laugh nervously:

Heh, heh, heh, heh...

 

[Thunderfoot]

I hate to break this to you all, but this has less to do with the forms of entertainment than society at large. I grew up in the middle of nowhere, population 350 and knew every kid in the town. We played outside, fought like cats and dogs and all that cool outdoors stuff most people are touting. I also read voraciously and played hours of video games and programmed computer games of my own. I also spent a lot of time indoors playing D&D. I rode my bike all over the town, knew every person and never worried about being shot, stabbed, abducted, raped, ran over, mutilated, etc.

I now live in an urban environment where they routinely find bodies in the dumpster near my house...my kids don't go outside and stay in and watch TV and play video games...any idea why?