Getting Game, Parenting And Role-Playing

Domestic Father blog wants to let everyone know that he’s setting up a new blog carnival for skeptical parenting blogs. As he writes himself: ‘Hopefully, it’s not just the skeptical parenting bloggers who will contribute, but some of the less parent focused, and more skep/secular/humanist generalists.‘

I think that’s wonderful and very inclusive. So, without further ado – here’s something that would have never been written, if certain claims in regards to what makes a person who cares about skepticism and parenting were indeed true:

I have to admit, I have played my part in the discouragement of gaming. I’d like to make an upfront apology to the Wizards of the Coast, Steve Jackson Games and beg forgiveness in the memory of Gary Gygax.

I’ve confiscated dozens of ‘Magic’ packs, have put Pokemon cards in my drawer to be collected after school and have even amassed a wide variety of left-behind miniature gaming zombies, pirates and wizards, which I think were being used as lucky icons to pass exams. Either that or there’s some sort of conspiracy to play Warhammer when the invigilators’ backs were turned during second-term Accounting. That takes talent.

The question I’ve had in mind for a while though – has the ‘nerd-cred’ of gaming cut back on young people getting into gaming? Perhaps you might think that modern technology has killed a good session of ‘Dungeons and Dragons’. I’d admit that securing via order an X-Box or a PS3 for the kids beats puzzling whether there’s a gaming store open locally – and might be more likely to guarantee excitement upon opening, than the new World Edition Monopoly. More recently I eagerly read Cory Doctorow’s ‘Little Brother’ (there’s a free download!) – a speculative novel about a teenager fighting for freedom using his hacking skills, in the face of an Orwellian-like government crackdown after a terrorist attack. The liberating influence of information technology literacy for young people can hardly be dismissed when real-life governments assess how to improve the lives of young people via computer-use competency.

Yet there’s always going to be a space in one’s life for a game that isn’t switched on or plugged in. I argue that they encourages as much social interaction as a computer game (I’ve had long-running arguments with people in regards to whether it’s ‘more social interaction’). To me, there will be just as many opportunities to network, practice skills of negotiation and incorporate the family, as a session of World of Warcraft can (with maybe less “Brion’s” being caught by mother “Faydra” online, playing way past bedtime).

Of course, pretty much from the start there’s been skepticism regarding the Wii and its good-for-health claims (with one news item from Wired reporting how ‘in the British Journal of Medicine, the physical activity of playing games on the Wii isn’t enough intense enough to count as a child’s daily recommended amount of exercise.’). But it’s certainly not enough to prevent the popularity of gaming platforms as a present nor stop the production of games that might cater better to the health of kids. However, I’m not going to write about the Wii, since the memory of being beaten at bowling by a three-year-old still smarts… he didn’t even aim and he got spares every time.

So, is table-top gaming dead? Did Patricia Pulling do her best to pull the plug after all with her trumped-up charges of schizophrenia and depression being brought on by a ‘Mazes and Monsters‘ stereotype’? Well, from studies into how it in fact no such issues with children exists and has even contributed to the recovery of well-known skeptical podcaster Derek Colanduno of Skepticality, after his stroke… I’d say that the field was clear for a few parents to start seeing what gaming can do for young people. It appears that there’s quite a few who are doing so with enthusiasm!

‘Teaching Kids to Roleplay is Only Natural‘, a guest post by fellow Australian Daniel Donahoo on Wired’s Geekdad, sparked quite a few eager commentators who share their similar experiences. Donahoo not only wrote of engaging across the year groups, but how it drew another teenage daughter into social circles. Suddenly the comment section is filled with other recommendations of games, how it encourages math and understanding probability, child-friendly discussion groups and even encouraging LARPing activities (Live Action Role Playing). Is this something that rational-parenting should get more into?

I’m pleased to say that myself and Dr Karen Stollznow did observe many young people, including parents, indulging in gaming at the most recent Dragon*Con convention. The convention embraced not only science and skepticism, but the elements of science fiction, fantasy and gaming – with many skeptical figures talking eagerly about their shared interests with the likes of Michael Stackpole. The interview I did with him will be out on a future episode of Skeptic Zone.

It even inspired me to buy Benjamin ‘Skeptical Inquirer’ Radford’s newly released game, ‘Playing Gods‘. To be frank, you couldn’t get much more questioning about the role of religion than in that game! And after all, if we are interested in promoting more interest in critical thinking – perhaps embracing the social side of popular culture can help us all.

Tagged as: blog, blog carnival, Children, contribute, dads, dice, Dragon*con, Dungeons and Dragons, Education, game, Gaming, gaming superstition, Humanist, kids, LARP, Michael Stackpole, moms, Parenting, playing gods, research, role playing, Science, secular, skeptic, skeptical parenting, Skepticism, superstition