Dear Examinator,

I can understand Susan Greenfield's concern regarding
children and computer games. Especially kids
who don't receive any other sort of stimulus.
As she points out - when kids play computer
games they live for the thrill of the moment. They
don't pick up on abstract concepts like loyalty, fair play,
respect, honour. You can't convey such concepts through visual
mediums alone. Also, as she points out -
if you're playing a game and there
are no consequences - that's not a good lesson to learn
in life. Most parents want their children to grow up to
be decent human beings. What's important is the content
of our children's hearts and minds, or what is often
described as character. How that character is formed
depends on the type of things that children are exposed
to.

Purely visual mediums deliver a thrill in a flash,
and then it's gone.

Stories found in books, by contrast, seep into our very
being. We've all had books that lifted the fog for us,
caused the Great Aha!, and literally changed our lives.
The printed word is pondered, and it is received only when
the mind is fully engaged. Like no other medium it has
the power to stay with us.

I believe that children need a balance - we as parents
need to ensure that they do have a wide exposure to
many concepts and not be limited to only a few - or
worse - to only the same ones over and over again.

Every parent I know lives with the uneasy sense that their
children are growing up too fast, without clear values or
a real code to live by. While we pander to our kids with
computer games, and television, Susan Greefield is
simply pointing out that our children may be missing the
real basics like, respect, loyalty, and a sense of fair play.
Abstract concepts that can't be taught on purely visual
mediums alone.

Is this what we want?
That's the question Examinator is asking
us to consider.

Sorry Foxy, but whether we want this sort of media affecting our children or not, it is already here.

I agree that parents need to be vigilant in ensuring that their kids receive a balanced upbringing and are given a wide variety of education and entertainment, as well as time alone to use their own imagination.

I am with Houellebecq on this one. The horse has already bolted and we have had online gaming and other electronic excitements for kids for years.
The kids love them and thus the parents buy them (for the adults too!), and I don't think there is anything that can be done to stop it now.

Suzie,
Yes the horses have bolted but it isn't too late that is the take away message I got from the lecture. Susan Greenfield made the clear point that *the brain grows/develops in accordance to the environment it isn't fixed, static. The synaptual connections continue to grow unless affected by disease.

I would suggest therefore that simply shaking our head and doing nothing is not a viable option.

H has a tendency to see things in terms of black or white. In reality it is neither. I get terribly frustrated with absolute anything.
In truth there is much as parents we can do. Sure it is easier as they grow. i.e. if you have an unruly 14 yo the old wisdom was that it's 12 years too late. But Professor disproves this however it is clearly more difficult.

Given my first career was in computers my lot were weaned on them.
BUT I also was the SOB that banned some games, limited both TV and computers. I was active in 9 separate clubs with them over a period.

No I wasn't the greatest Dad ever. Now grown up, they tell me that regularly but...they maintain that the one thing I got right was that I helped them to know the difference between right and wrong. And organized fun and interesting activities.

They all read which goes back to the fact that I read to them 4 out 5 nights regardless untill they were 11/12. Wrote stories for them, created fanciful characters when they were young to help them cope with situations.

What I'm saying is that it takes effort which sadly is something that many, many parents don't do.

Foxy what did you think the take away for you?

suzie,
the horse has bolted alright but quickly, close the gate before the foal follows.
yes generations of people have said that the young are getting worse. It's plain for anyone to see that that is the case. When we say the young are getting worse that means not by generation after generation. If that were the case then the world would have a lot more bad than we actually have. Each generation experiences the same symptom as they go from cradle to grave. So, as you get older your kids are either getting worse as they grow older or they stay or become better. Same for your grand children. What the interfering "experts" don't get is that learning from mistakes is not genetic whereas mentality is. Each generation has it's goody goody social experts & they always get it wrong. Generation after generation of experts fail. Why is it that supposedly stupid animals have instinctive disciplinary behaviour whereas the "intelligent humans" do their best to destroy such instincts in humans. They're just not smart enough to comprehend the importance of discipline.

Dear Examinator,

I can't understand your last question to me.

Could you re-phrase it?

He's asking whether you like McDonald's or KFC.