Spotlight on Digital Media And Learning

9.29.09 | Aren’t a lot of computer games violent and bad for kids?

Well, yes, there are a lot of bad games out there, just as there are a lot of bad books out there. And there are some good games that aren’t appropriate for young kids. To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book of all time, but I don’t read it with my 7 year old. The more important question, it seems to me, is to look at what makes games good, and how we can help children learn to choose good games and play them well.

What should I do as a parent or teacher about computer games?

Good parenting and good teaching don’t simply mean turning kids loose in a media jungle. Wise parents and good teachers need to do become educated about games and engage with their children. They need to help their children choose appropriate games. Playing games with children is one of the best ways to do that, and what parent wouldn’t want to do things with their kids?

At the very least talking with them about the games—what works and what doesn’t, what is interesting about the game, what they are learning, what the strategies are—is an important part of helping kids play games thoughtfully and reflectively, and that reflection is an important part of the learning that can happen in games. Henry Jenkins makes the excellent point that although that might not always be our first choice as parents, we spend a lot of time at soccer games and violin recitals and other things that we do not because we like them but because they matter to our kids.

Shaffer is a professor, game scientist and former teacher.  He is the author of How Computer Games Help Children Learn. His work is supported by the MacArthur Foundation. For more go here.