U.K. Paper Blames Videogames For Declining Literacy

[Andy Chalk]

That's an interesting thought. My response to your point that kids would rather play games than read - which I agree with - is that we're not teaching them to read soon enough. Instilling literacy, and the importance of literacy, in kids at a very young age, I think, would be a far more effective way of combating their lack of interest in it later in life.

 

[TheDarkArchon]

boobz

No, seriously, I know this is The Sun we're talking about, but their boobs are valid. The survey did boobs that kids in the UK are boobs from a lower rate of boobs than kids in other boobs, although obviously the boobs drew their own conclusions about boobs. But isn't it boobs that videogames are at least boobs responsible for boobs change, since boobs are more boobs than boobs even boobs years ago? Personally, I boobs that boobs in kids' boobs are a boobs part of the boobs, and if I ever boobs boobs, there won't boobs any boobs in their boobs.

Bosoms, melons, milk factories, busts, funbags, knockers, boobies, jugs, nipples, jugglies, stonking great tits![/yahtzee]

 

[moromete]

Bah, I played games on damn Commodore when I was five... When I played my first PC game, Dune (the first RPG/RTS one, not the kinda sucky Dune II) I then went out, at age 10, and started reading the damn novels. Then I discovered Asimov, then Orson Scott Card, then Arthur C, then... and after that I got into mainstream literature too and then I started reading philosophy and then I made that (reading and philosophy) my carer path, then I changed over to political philosophy and then I became a political consultant...

And to think I owe all that to Dune the game...

 

[mrblackett]

http://www.freedom-in-education.co.uk/Steiner.htm#definition

I went to Glastonbury with someone that was waxing lyrical about one of her relatives who sent their kids to a school that has adopted this method. These kids and their schoolfriends were, in her words, astonishing. When they do learn to read, they pick it up very quickly and to a much higher standard.

Whether public schools will pick up, or benefit from, such reform would have to be seen.

 

[Break]

Well, yeah. Videogames do harm literacy in kids. If it was the latest craze to take up glass-blowing, then glass-blowing would be harming literacy in kids. What exactly is the point they're trying to make? Humans will always find things they'd rather do than study.

 

[Chris Evans]

That's an interesting thought. My response to your point that kids would rather play games than read - which I agree with - is that we're not teaching them to read soon enough. Instilling literacy, and the importance of literacy, in kids at a very young age, I think, would be a far more effective way of combating their lack of interest in it later in life.

That is true, I know plenty of people at work that are shocked that I actually read books and what are in my mind 'decent' papers like The Times, The Independent etc.

I honestly think that for some reason there is a group in British society that has fallen out of the concept of reading good, well written books, and this is something which is going to hurt us in the future.

The problem thus lies with parents, they are (in my mind) often too lazy to teach their children that reading is good and will be helpful in the future. As such if children are not reading at home from a young age, and being taught to read in primary school, then obviously literacy levels will decline.

This is just one of many inherent problems in todays society I am afraid.

 

[Archaeology Hat]

I saw the title and thought "Its either the mail or the sun" I was right. This is a paper that should be ignored as it lives on scaremongering and page 3, but sadly the hysterical masses seem to love them.

 

[JamesW]

I saw the title and thought "Its either the mail or the sun" I was right. This is a paper that should be ignored as it lives on scaremongering and page 3, but sadly the hysterical masses seem to love them.

Is it worth me pointing out the The Sun did not carry out the report, but that it was made by an independent organisation? Or that it was the British secretary for schools who made the comment about video games, not the newspaper?

And I know a politics lecturer who is adamant that The Sun's global affairs and politics pages are actually pretty good, for a red-top tabloid. It's the celeb gossip and front-page muckraking that you have to be wary of. And the reports about (insert name of B-list celeb) appearing in Doctor Who.

Still - as ever, correlation is not the same as causation. That said, I don't see anything inherently ridiculous in the idea that kids are more inclined to play video games than read books.

 

[firemonk3y]

My greatest grievance with modern society is this movement toward blame shifting, and refusal of responsibility. The trend of the individual shirking his obligations is one that I find very unsettling, and is creating a lot of unjust witches to hunt.

We see this in a lot of situations regarding the games industry, for example the industry as a whole takes a lot of flak for violence in videogames. While the industry may be responsible for the production of violent video games, it's the responsibility of parents not only to regulate what media their children are exposed to, but also the quantities and different types of media. For example when I was young (up until about 8-10), my parents allowed me to play video games, but would never let me play in excess of one or two hours a day, and encouraged reading, through providing me with a great choice of interesting novels and other books.

Realistically, it is pretentious to target the games industry for falling literacy rates, as the industry is not responsible for the manner in which children consume media. It is the responsibility of our parents to regulate what we are exposed to before we are capable.

and on a final note: Hilary, quit blaming the games industry for your upper middle class parents buying their eight year old children games like GTA. (one of many complaints regarding Hilary Clinton's crusade against the games industry)

 

[LordOmnit]

Too bad nobody with any kind of authority position is willing to tell them that.

 

[JamesW]

My greatest grievance with modern society is this movement toward blame shifting, and refusal of responsibility.

Oh, sure. Blame SOCIETY.

 

[Ownagecake]

I learnt two new languages playing video games, especially CRPGs.
I am French and I learnt English(O my perfect Engrish) and Spanish so blame something else fagbag paper.