Jack Thompson isn't the only one worried about the deleterious effects of video games on our youth. U.S. Department of Homeland Security executive Jay Cohen recently told PC World magazine about an "[education] crisis in this country" caused by a "PlayStation generation" that wants quick thrills and avoids difficult subjects like math and science.We understand that Cohen might just be using the "PlayStation generation" moniker as a convenient, rhyming shorthand for a new group of students who've grown up with the near-ubiquitous system. And we understand that there is a real problem with math and science education in this country, especially when compared with the rest of the world. But to imply that students raised on modern video games are easily distracted and afraid of a challenge is simply nonsense.
Ask any gamer who's gotten a 100 percent completion in Grand Theft Auto III if they were inclined to give up because it was "too hard." Ask the new breed of professional gamers if they are reluctant to practice for hours a day because the competition is "too hard." Ask the thousands of fans who've decided to develop mods for their favorite game if they were discouraged from learning the necessary programming skills because it was "too hard."
Students aren't shying away from math and science because the subjects are hard -- they're shying away because no one has made these subjects interesting to them. Instead of vilifying video games for encouraging instant gratification, our educators should be trying to learn what makes these games so engaging and applying these same techniques to their math and science courses. It's amazing what students are willing to learn if the lessons are hidden in the guise of something fun.
[Update: Fixed a grammar error. Thanks malwin.]
