I was a camp counselor and director for years. The change in kids from the early '90s to the early '00s. Kids in the early '90s actually wanted to play the games at camp. They looked forward to swimming, playing, crafts, fishing, and all the other great stuff we had lined up for them. The kids in the early '00s were a real shock to me. I mean, as a kid I LOOOOVED to play outside. I mean, I enjoyed my Atari 2600 (sigh, yes that dates me), but video games took a second seat to actually going outside and playing with my friends. The kids when I first started working as a counselor were the same way. Video games were fun and all, but they weren't the end all-be all that they've become today.
In the early '00s, the kids were grumpy when they came to camp (at first). They didn't want to play, most didn't even know the simple rules for games like Kickball, freeze tag, or any other simple games that most kids learn in kindergarden or earlier. They complained about how hot it was outside, how cold the water was in the lake, and how they'd rather be inside playing games on their game systems or computers. After a couple of weeks with no games and actually having to do stuff outdoors, most experienced a big change. Parents would tell me that the kids didn't really want to play on their consoles or computers as much when they got home. They wanted to go outside and play. You know...with real people. My cousin's son just turned 12 and all he wants to do is sit inside and play online with his friends. That, my friends, is NOT healthy. She's right. Parents need to limit the time kids, especially younger kids, spend on the compy or game console. They need to get outside, enjoy the sunshine, and actually interact with real living breathing people, not just avatars on a computer. I'd also count that with having a friend come over and play games. Allow some time on the game system, then the rest doing something else.
Not all things that people say against huge amounts of time gaming are bad, even though that seems to be the knee jerk reaction here for the most part.
As for the Miss America girls, most of those girls are HIGHLY intelligent. So what if they join a beauty pageant for a chance for a scholarship. The current winner is a broadcast journalist major. I've seen others who have had majors in quantum physics, philosophy, biology, the medical field, and many other areas of study. To judge these girls as stupid because they're in a beauty contest is kinda like judging all gamers as being girlfriendless nerds because they choose to enter a gaming tournament.