Sins of a Gaming Father

dfdf In Sins of a Gaming Father, some good introspection about video games and parenting:

We laugh about indoctrinating another innocent mind into the warped world of video gaming when procreation comes to geek-town, but the joke is only funny because it is so very true. It’s not just that my son is mirroring my pastime no matter what it is, because I notice quite distinctly that he hasn’t also taken to my other passions like eating Taco Bell while watching pre-season football.

No, if I’m honest, I was an active and at times irresponsible participant in his early gaming life. I realize this as I hand an Xbox 360 controller to my younger nine-month-old so he can play with the clicky buttons and chew on the thumbsticks. My first son has been exposed, actively, to games since he was probably a zygote. This in and of itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

But, what I haven’t taken into account is how differently video games interact with a child. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not necessarily saying that the gaming bug I’ve given my son will warp him or impact his “development” in some meaningful way, but there are consequences to giving a person, particularly a very small person, something that feels more like an entitlement than a benefit.

You should really check out the whole article.