Videogame Summer Camp Comes Under Fire
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
- Start date
I'm undecided if this is a good idea; it depends on the camps execution. Do they offer outdoor activities regularly, like sports, paintball, and games that can be played outside? Is there things like Dance Dance revolution and Wii Sports for more activity? Is there lots of social play, and genres of video games that might broaden there horizons? Is there also things like Board games, Trading Card Games, and traditional RPG's? Is there a deeper side, involving learning about game design, programming, play-testing, etc? Or do the kids sit around all day playing Halo and Counterstrike until they go home? A game centered camp could be great, or it could be a total rip off, and a bad influence on the kids. Im not sure we have enough information to decide.
Wait, so, they'll have fun, and actually meet people instead of just "meeting" them online, and people think this is a bad thing?
Miserable kids tend to grow up to be miserable adults, regardless of health.zehydra said:
I think I was pretty clear in the post that I don't care for summer camps on principle. Kids should be out making up their own games and rules, running around doing whatever comes to mind until the sun goes down. Kids' lives are already too structured. But the reality of our world is that it's all about money and possessions; that means dual incomes are mandatory, and THAT means that summer camps are unavoidable for a big part of the population.
But a videogame summer camp? No way, not at that age. Life is already packed full of opportunities to turn into a soft, fat lump. Summer camp shouldn't become one of them.
But a videogame summer camp? No way, not at that age. Life is already packed full of opportunities to turn into a soft, fat lump. Summer camp shouldn't become one of them.
These kids aren't fat because they play video games. It is either genetic or they don't have a proper eating ethic. Without video games they would just find something else that they could do.
This, essentially. I love (read: hate) the idea of some idiot saying it's better for children that they go do sporty things, and when they end up trying, all that happens is they get laughed at and bullied and don't even join in the games anyway.Furburt said:
Let the kids have some fun with people they can relate to. Chances are they don't meet many people in their normal routine lives, so it's a good opportunity for them to make some new friends.
Am I the only one disturbed by the automatic notion that anyone who regularly plays video games is obese? It seems like society is hell-bent on making stereotypes about people who play video games. First it was that everyone is skinny with glasses, now it is that everyone is obese. What's next? All gamers have silly haircuts?
But anyway, regular summer camps are a lot of fun. That said, however, not all kids enjoy sports or arts. So having an option to socialise with their peers through other activities is always welcome. But to be honest, there should be more "general" camps instead of those that focus on a single activity. That gives the kids more options and makes it more likely they will do something they enjoy.
But anyway, regular summer camps are a lot of fun. That said, however, not all kids enjoy sports or arts. So having an option to socialise with their peers through other activities is always welcome. But to be honest, there should be more "general" camps instead of those that focus on a single activity. That gives the kids more options and makes it more likely they will do something they enjoy.
I'd say the good doctor might benefit from making the distinction between what kids should be doing and what kids want to do. I'm all for motivating young children to go outside and enjoy the great outdoors but you can't force them by denying them pastimes they'd - at least initially - enjoy more.
I don't dispute that child obesity is on the rise but I'm 16(technically a child) and I consider myself a gamer and while I'm not athletic I'm not even over weight. Even if you ban the camp chances are these kids are just going to play games by themselves intead of at least making friends. In my opinion this responsibility lies with the kids to stay in shape and if they refuse to do it their loss. The government shouldn't just shut down this camp and put people out of business because kids are lazy.
People need to learn that gaming itself isn't unhealthy, nor is living mostly or entirely indoors, nor is being sedentary.
The health problems associated with these things, including mental health problems, arise from incompatible combinations of lifestyle, diet, genetics and attitude--never one trait individually.
A pale person is fine with little sunlight. That's why they're capable of being pale in the first place: to create more vitamin D from less sunlight. If pale enough, one can receive as much vitamin D from ten minutes of indirect sunlight as necessary every 24 hours, more than the average well-browned beachgoer does in twenty minutes of direct sunlight or the average Sudanese does in three hours of direct sunlight.
A sedentary person is fine with a low-calorie, high-nutrient diet. It's when they eat like an athlete or worse that it's a problem. It's when you intake more energy than you expend that you build fat. The remaining common problems at this point are avoided with good posture.
The stereotypes of health, hygiene and social skills associated with gamers may be because people with problems in these areas are attracted to physically solitary and physically leisurely activities, but it is not because gaming encourages any of this in those who are already healthy and know a thing or two about human biology.
So long as the camp isn't also feeding them Cheetos and cookies, so to speak, I can't imagine what the hell the problem is with it centering around the high-tech activities we're going to have to cope with sooner rather than later.
The health problems associated with these things, including mental health problems, arise from incompatible combinations of lifestyle, diet, genetics and attitude--never one trait individually.
A pale person is fine with little sunlight. That's why they're capable of being pale in the first place: to create more vitamin D from less sunlight. If pale enough, one can receive as much vitamin D from ten minutes of indirect sunlight as necessary every 24 hours, more than the average well-browned beachgoer does in twenty minutes of direct sunlight or the average Sudanese does in three hours of direct sunlight.
A sedentary person is fine with a low-calorie, high-nutrient diet. It's when they eat like an athlete or worse that it's a problem. It's when you intake more energy than you expend that you build fat. The remaining common problems at this point are avoided with good posture.
The stereotypes of health, hygiene and social skills associated with gamers may be because people with problems in these areas are attracted to physically solitary and physically leisurely activities, but it is not because gaming encourages any of this in those who are already healthy and know a thing or two about human biology.
So long as the camp isn't also feeding them Cheetos and cookies, so to speak, I can't imagine what the hell the problem is with it centering around the high-tech activities we're going to have to cope with sooner rather than later.
Stop telling kids how to live their childhoods. As long as they're happy, it doesn't matter. I despise this as much as I do those self-confidence programs. Quick, let's make everyone unbelievably happy! It's like it's telling someone, "No, you're doing it wrong," and then warps them into something they're not.
This is a pretty stupid idea. If its like any other camp, kids have to participate in the events. And its summer time! You can spend a load of summer days and nights inside playing videogames all day long as a child, but if you're doing that everyday without any openings to do things like play baseball in your buddies back yard, then that's pretty depressing.
As a socially awkward kid, I must say that these people are idiots. There are a lot more reasons that I and most of us are the way we are. Do they honestly think that if we went to regular camps, we would be accepted? For the last 3 years of my life, I've observed all the pathetic ostracization that they think is all in our heads.(It got to pretty much only "You're gay!" after a while.) I suppose they just don't want to see all the flaws in society and so they blame video games.
I apologize for that.Irridium said: