Limit Video Games?

Yeah, here we go again *sigh*. This article was in our local paper recently and it's making it's rounds in other newspapers too. People thinking that video gaming playing should be considered a "formal addiction".

People really need to examine these different situations.

Situations when a child is depressed or does something violent and there's a video game present in their life, people like draw a line of correlation. How about we look closer.

Was the child sad or depressed before? Is the child's life full and happy? Is the child's homelife safe and nurturing? Are those factors even considered? Not usually.

Just blame the video games. Its easy. Everyone is doing it! ugh...

OK, so my kids play video games. And sometimes they play alot of them. I sometimes wonder if its too much. Sometimes little thoughts of doubt creep into my mind, (less and less with time) but especially if I've been around people who limit their children, or if I get in a negative mood. But, honestly, I know deep down that they are getting something out of it. I don't always see what they are getting out of what they are doing, but there is obviously something keeping their interest. They are certainly learning a ton from these games. So I calm the voices and all is OK. Even better than OK.

So the playing comes and goes. Abbi is now playing World of Warcraft again. Sometimes she roleplays, sometimes she levels characters. Today she did this,

all inspired by her World of Warcraft playing. It's a graph of the prices that certain items sell for on the auction house within her world in the game. She needed to make some money and thought she'd farm (hunt for) a certain item. Alec suggested one, so she went and checked the prices. She found that the prices weren't that great and was surprised. So she decided to graph the different ones with the different times of the day. She found out that those prices fluctuate and when Alec had checked and been on the game the prices were high.

Abbi will be posting an explanation of her graph here. If its not up right away, please check back. She's busy right now checking prices and watching the supply and demand curve. ;)

I do believe we've covered almost every "school subject" while playing video games. Today it was economics and statistics *g*, and I believe that is a bit ahead of schedule for a 12 year old.