Rant: Games Aren’t Childish

Sorry readers, you’re getting a bit of a rant today. I very much do not like this meme. I’ve seen it (or something like it) pop up in my Pinterest feed a few times now. I find it sexist, old fashioned, and close minded.

So I fixed it:

OK, while that makes me smile it still doesn’t address the issues at hand.

Put the video games down: I don’t get this sentiment at all. In this day in age, why are video games still considered a children’s activity?  They are a hobby, and one that’s perfectly fine for anyone to have. Like watching sports, playing an instrument, or any other activity people do in their free time.

The heart of all games is problem solving and critical thinking. Even something as seemingly simple as a generic first person shooter requires you to think about how you will shoot them before they shoot you. And looking beyond that, you can find challenging games that require some in depth thinking, or an amazing story. Play Portal and then come back to me and tell me it wasn’t as challenging as a crossword or Sudoku puzzle. Play Bioshock and tell me a child (or even most teens) could get their head around that story.

Video games have a horrible reputation that I had hoped was getting erased as more and more casual gamers were entering the marketplace. The “put down the games and man up” sentiment just sends us backwards.

Speaking of “manning up,” can we stop the with the “real men do this” and “real women do that” thing already? Every time I login to Pinterest or Facebook I’m seeing something about “real men” and “real women.” Want to know what real men and women do? Whatever they choose.