11 year old graduates college - thinks videogames are "a waste of time"

[Phopojijo]

I'm not offended by the kid, I think its ridiculous that people can call video games a waste of time. Its got nothing to do with the kid really. Do you not think that video games have helped humanity?

DIE CHILDREN!!!!

It's all cyclical...

New medium comes out... people don't understand it... they all die... next generation understands it... it matures as a medium... people study it as an artform.

In this last century alone it happened with comic books and movies... happened back in the printing press time too -- What? You mean we can print more than just Bibles? Wow... who'da thought.

 

[Angel_Mapper]

I know the kid is excused and calling him a douchebag is too much

Stick to your guns! The kid's a smug douchebag!

 

[FuLLBLeeD]

This kid is also never going to get laid.

 

[Zur]

Video games are a waste of time but only if you let them go beyond a simple source of distraction. Otherwise, it's no different from watching tv expect your mind works more and you work your logic.

 

[das_ben]

I can only hope that M.A.D.X.W is taking the piss.

 

[DeletedAccount69]

He's just mad cause he sucks at them.

Kid needs to learn to make better use of his time. Childhood was meant for screwing around, not productiveness.

 

[Plumb_Drumb]

Where does he state that writing a book, practicing martial arts or scuba diving "help" humanity? Boy, you guys are reaching into some serious bullshiott territory here by putting words into his mouth.

Well he didn't, and those activities in and of themselves don't help anything (except your own health) whether he says they do or not, therefore they are a waste of time.

Eh, it's his life, he decides what he wants to do.
He'll probably hit puberty at some point and his entire mindset will be turned upside down.
Poontang, Poontang, Poontang, Poontang.
________
Tessica cam

 

[shadow_dragon]

This kid is also never going to get laid.

yeah women never like succesful wealthy people...

 

[BITE_ME]

They dont like people.

They only like cars and money.

 

[M.A.D.X.W]

I can only hope that M.A.D.X.W is taking the piss.

With the children killing; yeah.
but with all else, I hath not taketh teh piss

I seriously think games are not a waste of time. And they mean allot to some people. If something has a positive effect on millions of people, its affecting humanity, even in a small way.

 

[g4nd41ph]

It's true the kid is contradicting himself by saying he doesn't play videogames, because it doesn't help humanity and then mentioning two hobbies, which are equally helpful.
I can see how some people feel attacked by his first statement and use the contradiction as an argument to bash him, calling him a "smug douchebag" while they should feel sorry for the kid not having had a normal childhood. You may say that he's just different, but there's probably a lot of parental pressure going on behind closed doors that caused him to have his current mindset.
You can't just say a childhood different from that of most kids is fine too and that we should respect that. Children just have certain needs. Playing is essential for learning important social skills. I don't think this kid's had a lot of time for that in the past few years. Look where Michael Jackson's (lack of a) childhood brought him.
No childhood == ****ed up adult. I truly feel sorry for him, he's made to grow up way too fast and he's going to hit a speed bump sooner or later...

 

[Trynant]

Hijack thread to bitch about games.

I'm not sure, but I think this thread was made to defend a claim made by a very successful 11-year-old, this is my stance on what he (and this thread) has said.

I think some of you are way too infatuated with video games to not take the smallest bit of criticism involving the medium. I like games as much as the next person, but if you have any sense you have to admit the 11-year-old is right.

With very few exceptions, video games are severely immature and counter-productive. The medium is underdeveloped and one person outside of the gamer world could easily view it as "not helping humanity."

Scuba-diving and martial arts are much more helpful than 99% of games out there. I my humble opinion, that sucks balls. The gaming industry provides no quarter for "art", despite the wanting of so many gamers.

If you really want to prove this guy wrong, then stop pretending the mindless crap we have today in games is anywhere near as good as the best of books, music or movies.

But I do disagree with the 11-year-old. I do not think video-games are a waste of time. If there was a game that could be accepted as "art," and somehow revolutionize the industry, then video games would be worthwhile. They could help humanity.

It's interesting to me that that one line about video-games is even in the interview. It seems that the media is taking any opportunity to mention it in a story. The eyes of the world are on this infant medium, hopefully it can grow up fast.

 

[Phopojijo]

I'm not sure, but I think this thread was made to defend a claim made by a very successful 11-year-old, this is my stance on what he (and this thread) has said.

I think some of you are way too infatuated with video games to not take the smallest bit of criticism involving the medium. I like games as much as the next person, but if you have any sense you have to admit the 11-year-old is right.

With very few exceptions, video games are severely immature and counter-productive. The medium is underdeveloped and one person outside of the gamer world could easily view it as "not helping humanity."

Scuba-diving and martial arts are much more helpful than 99% of games out there. I my humble opinion, that sucks balls. The gaming industry provides no quarter for "art", despite the wanting of so many gamers.

If you really want to prove this guy wrong, then stop pretending the mindless crap we have today in games is anywhere near as good as the best of books, music or movies.

But I do disagree with the 11-year-old. I do not think video-games are a waste of time. If there was a game that could be accepted as "art," and somehow revolutionize the industry, then video games would be worthwhile. They could help humanity.

It's interesting to me that that one line about video-games is even in the interview. It seems that the media is taking any opportunity to mention it in a story. The eyes of the world are on this infant medium, hopefully it can grow up fast.

I agree with you pretty much 100%... though Mirror's Edge is on the right path.

 

[zynthetic]

Breaking news: Enjoyment of leisure activities subject to opinion!

 

[Phopojijo]

Breaking news: Enjoyment of leisure activities subject to opinion!

Welcome to (the) mass media.

 

[Trynant]

I agree with you pretty much 100%... though Mirror's Edge is on the right path.

Mirror's Edge is good, but I'm leaning toward Killer 7 and possibly Shadow of the Colussus as some titles that are excluded from my rant. And Braid.

None of these titles are Pulitzer-winning titles. We're not there yet.

 

[M.A.D.X.W]

With very few exceptions, video games are severely immature and counter-productive. The medium is underdeveloped and one person outside of the gamer world could easily view it as "not helping humanity."

Scuba-diving and martial arts are much more helpful than 99% of games out there. I my humble opinion, that sucks balls. The gaming industry provides no quarter for "art", despite the wanting of so many gamers.

If you really want to prove this guy wrong, then stop pretending the mindless crap we have today in games is anywhere near as good as the best of books, music or movies.

Do you see movies as art? i think most people do. And there isn't much difference between allot of movies and games. Obviously i wouldn't consider every game a work of art, like UT isn't exactly art. But there are games that go deeper than just blowing people up; games like the original Deus Ex, Some of the Hitman games, and even Bioshock, These games ARE works of art there on the same level as any good movie - I like games like that, games that play like a movie, that have deep story etc. Of course not all games are like this, but more and more games are being made like this, like from what i saw of Alan Wake maybe. There even using the movie-guy voice in advertisements for games on TV!

In my opinion cinematography is definitely an art form and game design isn't a far stretch of that.

As for the helping humanity thing, as said if games make allot of lives better then i think thats proof enough that games help humanity. Its the same for most hobbies really.

 

[Zur]

Bah, he's only 11 years old. I remember when I was about that age, my grandmother was amused at me saying that I'd become an engineer like my father. It was only much later that I realized that how much of a puppet you can be at that age. He will have much more interesting things to say when he grows up.

Do you see movies as art? i think most people do.

Cinema is often nicknamed as the 7th art.

 

[shadow_dragon]

As for the helping humanity thing, as said if games make allot of lives better then i think thats proof enough that games help humanity. Its the same for most hobbies really.

... I see what your saying, games provide entertainment, entertainment = good!

What i don't understand is why you think this helps humanity any more than any other entertainment available? Movies, music, sports, theatre, crafts, drinking, non-electronic video games like board games, card games, social communion with peers, shopping, going to the beach, a park, for a walk etc.
Without games we'd simply look elsewhere so how do they better humanity anymore than any of those other things? Without one we'd simply indulge in the other so it's absence is irrelevant, unfortunate but irrelevant.

Consider this... the child is suggesting that something is a waste of time... lets say the card game, Solitaire. We might disagree which is fair enough but to differ from this is to suggest that playing Solitaire is the opposite of a waste of time... Ie. Productive
So let's look at what solitaire effectively achieves, it releaves us of boredom and it organizes our cards into 4 neat stacks... it may also provoke other thought processes... let's say it possibly provides the player with a meditative state for inspiration.
So we can atleast say that Solitaire can be productive Ie. Not a waste of time.
Can we claim however that the game is this productive for all that play?
Can anyone play Solitaire and achieve inspiration or relievement from boredom?
Could it not for example cause frustration and agitation?

Why can't one person find something no use to humanity from his perspective without it infrnging on your perspective that it does better humanity?

Do you see how your taking what he said too personally?
What he said only ever applied to him, personally, not you and he said nothing to suggest that it did have anything to do with you. The only thing that he did suggest, in proxy to your person, was that he didn't think that him playing a video game could better your personal existence.
Does that make sense? it's simpy the way i intepret what he said... personally.

 

[M.A.D.X.W]

... I see what your saying, games provide entertainment, entertainment = good!

What i don't understand is why you think this helps humanity any more than any other entertainment available? Movies, music, sports, theatre, crafts, drinking, non-electronic video games like board games, card games, social communion with peers, shopping, going to the beach, a park, for a walk etc.
Without games we'd simply look elsewhere so how do they better humanity anymore than any of those other things? Without one we'd simply indulge in the other so it's absence is irrelevant, unfortunate but irrelevant.

Consider this... the child is suggesting that something is a waste of time... lets say the card game, Solitaire. We might disagree which is fair enough but to differ from this is to suggest that playing Solitaire is the opposite of a waste of time... Ie. Productive
So let's look at what solitaire effectively achieves, it relieaves us of boredom and it organizes our cards into 4 neat stacks... it may also provoke other thought processes... let's say it possibly provides the player with a meditative state for inspiration.
So we can atleast say that Solitaire can be productive Ie. Not a waste of time.
Can we claim however that the game is this productive for all that play? Can anyone play Solitaire and achieve inspiration?

Why can't one person find something no use to humanity from his perspective without it infrnging on your perspective that it does better humanity?

Do you see how your taking what he said too personally?
What he said only ever applied to him, personally, not you and he said nothing to suggest that it did have anything to do with you. The only thing that he did suggest, in proxy to your person, was that he didn't think that him playing a video game could better your personal existence.
Does that make sense? it's simpy the way i intepret what he said... personally.

Yeah, i don't care about the kid like, i don't care what he thinks, im just saying that I do not think games are waste of time and that they do help humanity contrary to what other posters think. Its not really about the kid anymore its just how i feel about it. But yeah your right.