I often pick up a copy of the Metro in the mornings these days and one jumped out at me this morning declaring “Gaming Children ‘unfit for school’”.  The article was a short piece about primary school children falling asleep in class, missing meals (although if they’re missing meals in school I’m not sure that’s entirely their fault) and being unable to concentrate.

The reason for this, as declared by one particular teacher, is that they are addicted to gaming.

This may well be shooting fish in a barrel but let’s dissect that a little.

First of all the term addicted is a dangerous one to throw around and is rather pleasingly often stuck in quote marks throughout the article, so well done Metro.  Addiction is highly complex and to observe such high rates of addiction in such a small sample of children is possibly alarming but more likely just wrong.

I’ve just hinted at the second problem.  This is presented as “new research”.  This “new research” has been performed in a single class of 26 children.  I know I’m not a scientist, but I’m fairly certain that questioning 26 children does not constitute as “new research” that can suggest the number of “games-addicted” children is increasing.  There’s just too much information missing and the sample is incredibly small.

The teacher goes on to list the symptoms that “games-addicted” children show such as missing meals, tiredness or falling asleep in class, poor concentration, poor reading and vocabulary, reluctance to take part in physical activity, talking about computer games during lesson times and play that includes reference to violent games. How dare they.

Now a lot of those symptoms listed are more likely as a result of if not poor parenting, then at least issues that exist within the remit of the home life.  Some of them are just things that children / people do and would be incredibly difficult to link specifically to playing games.  Those that aren’t are rather worrying.  Is it really a problem for children to be encouraged or enthusiastic about computer games?  It can inspire things and introduce new interests to an individual.  I know that I learnt the seven wonders of the world as a result of playing computer games.

Ok, there may be an argument against violent games, but I’ve never played anything that was more violent than Tom and Jerry and my unabashed adoration of that particular cartoon has not lead to me being a violent or maladjusted individual (unless you want to make rude comments about journalists).

In complete counter to this piece of “new research”, I leave you with the following TED lecture about how gaming can be used to harness interest.

If children are interested in something, use it.  Computer games are not a demonising force affecting our youth, they are merely a new thing that is growing exponentially.