Discussing Teenage Gaming

I was an avid gamer. That is, up until my wife packed up my console. I don’t know how many hours I’ve invested in gaming over the past decade. In truth, I don’t want to know. I’ve never been the type to play for an hour and move on to more important things. Once I’m in, I’m in for the long haul. I took gaming seriously; I played to achieve mistake-free, zen-like cinematic brilliance. I navigated storylines and landscapes like quicksilver, ending opponents with style and grace to make the great sword masters of medieval Japan bow in approval.

I would disappear for days at a time. Gaming is escapism; choose your fantasy and wave bye-bye to reality. It is therapeutic- until it isn’t. I became an addict. Mine is a cautionary tale about how a seemingly benign, fun activity can tear you away from relationships, responsibilities, accountability and pursuits with far more applicable substance. There’s a deeper conversation to have concerning the gargantuan gaming industry and its associated culture. Technology is so far ahead of design; when “new” products hit the shelves, they’re obsolete. The queue of gaming enthusiasts grows exponentially with every new console and title release. There’s no stopping this manic locomotive. Are you onboard or not? Pose the same question to your students and see where it takes you or use our conversation starter package or debate package on the subject and get ready for an eye-opening discussion!