Writing Project 2

Children and Technology, Good or Bad?

            Are children easily influenced by what they see and hear?  If children see something most people generally think that that child will automatically turn around and repeat the action he or she saw. Many children are also influenced by their friends and family. Some parents allow their children to play video games without really even thinking about it. Video games have become such a common thing for children it sometimes goes unnoticed. Some parents may not allow their children to play video games in hopes of helping them. Although, video games are an easy way for children to express themselves and just get away from the real world for an amount of time. So some parents may argue that by allowing their children to play video games, it helps to better their children because it lets them to be themselves and to have an outlet from the everyday life. 

Henry Jenkins starts off by referring back to his childhood growing up in Georgia. He does this to give readers a little more information on his background so it allows the reader to get a better feel for an opinion whether to agree or disagree with him on if video games are good or bad for children. It helps to give a better understanding as to how Jenkins has come up with his ideas and theories. He mentions how he was able to just go outside and find freedom and refuge from everyday life, how he could just get away and have no issues even for just a little while. “Beyond, there was a pine forest where my brother and I could toss pine cones like grenades or snap sticks together like swords. In the backyard, there was a patch of grass where we could wrestle or play kickball and a treehouse, which sometimes bore a pirate flag and at other times, the Stars and Bars of the Confederacy” (Jenkins page702) He describes how he was able to let his imagination take charge and become anyone or anything that he wanted.  He also acknowledges the fact that his parents would urge him to go outside and play when the weather permitted it to do so. Also, that he would frequently find himself re-enacting something that he had seen while watching television with his friends while they would be outside. Then he goes on to explain a little about his son, who is sixteen years old and how his son has had to grow up in various apartments and complexes. Always being surrounded by concrete and maybe having a small patch of grass located a block away. How the children were prohibited from playing on the front grass and racing their tricycles in the basements because of the strict policies. The children were banned from having any sort of fun that might cause noise or damage to the building. His son was only able to find refuge in video games by being able to travel to numerous places and be anyone he wanted to be. Video games allow children like Jenkins’s son, to explore and be imaginative in their thinking. Many similarities can be found between present day children and how they play or have fun for enjoyment when compared to children in the past. Children in the past were able to just roam free by walking into their backyard and be free from any issues that may be troubling them at that particular moment in life. Some had trees they would climb or a favorite dog to play with. Children in the present day find the same freedom in video games by being allowed to do whatever it is their imagination may lead them to which for a moment in time takes them out of the real world and lets them forget about any problems or issues that may be troubling them just the same as those in the past were able to do but in a different manner. Technology has improved drastically over the years thus allowing for many successful business people. With success though, comes problems that may not be seen right away. Jenkins finds the issue and makes many good arguments for his point of view that video games are a release for some children and aren’t always a bad thing. That yes, children are influenced by what they see but only to an extent. He argues that video games are good for a child if they do not have the opportunity to have the physical free space that others do that do not live in the city. Physical free space is very important to the development of a child. “The psychological  and social functions of playing outside are as significant as the impact of sunshine and good exercise upon our physical well being” (Jenkins page 705)

Jenkins also argues that video games are very stereotypical and biased towards boys or girls. He asks the question, why can’t a girl play as a boy action figure in a video game? Most video games only allow for girls to play as girl action heroes. Girls are usually also associated with the color pink, but what if a girl did not like the color pink and wanted to use the color blue which is usually associated with boys. This is a very touchy subject because it is not in all cases, some girls do like to be a girl action hero and like the color pink. It will be debated for probably many years.

Children need to have a way to have free roam and let their imaginations go free in order develop mentally. While some children may repeat what they see in a video game, it is not a fact that every child or a majority does. Video games are the only refuge for those children that do not have the same opportunities of those that do not live in a city. Video games are an easy way for children to express themselves and act as a stress release for them. The stereotypical attitude towards boys being boys and liking the color blue and girls being girls and liking the color pink in video games may never go away completely but a lot of recent games have made some attempts at trying to resolve the issue.