Literacy and Video Games

I went to hear Famous Feminist speak on Friday night. In her remarks, she blasted new media, invoking the myth that video games can do nothing but destroy our children’s minds and turn them into violent, illiterate, isolated automatons. As I’d left Badger-boy at home to be entertained by the holy trinity of cable television, Xbox, and Everquest, I felt implicated, then angered, by the condemnation.

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Badger-boy just got glasses. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone as genetics almost guaranteed his myopia. Nonetheless, when I told my mom, her response was “Well, he plays so many video games. I’m sure they ruin his eyes.” I had to chuckle, since no one has ever said about my vision, “That Badger, she reads so many books. I’m sure they ruin her eyes.” I imagine hundreds of years ago, however, when print was the “new media,” it would’ve been a well-used justification to keep books out of people’s hands.

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Badger-boy has never been a good speller. He’s never really cared. But last week, he joined my EQ2 guild and since then has become very conscientious about his typing in “chat.” (He doesn’t want anyone to know he’s a kid.) Spelling now matters to him, because he understands the implications of illiteracy: isolation, failure, no good loot.

"Boo hiss" and "bummer" to Famous Feminist for foreclosing the possibility that new media can be a vehicle for literacy.

“Congratz” and “wtg” Badger-boy for figuring it out.