Headmaster’s Articles
The views of an educator - violent video games
What is happening to childhood?
This is a fast-changing world where commerce, industry and cyber rule the world, and that means our children! Humanity is changing so very fast that many new developments take place each day that we cannot hope to understand enough to make a judgment as to whether they should be in this world. I think the world has gone mad!
VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES
This week’s question posed on BBC television’s ‘The Big Question’ was, ‘are violent video games damaging society?
When I was a schoolboy I used to ask my teachers about things I didn’t understand, and the response they gave me to the many questions I asked, shaped my life. I can still remember some of the questions I posed and the replies I received. There was never a question about challenging what the teacher said.
In today’s world, the pending release of the latest violent computer game creates queues of thousands of adults (!) outside the shops eagerly and enthusiastically waiting for the launch. This ‘launch’ is reported on the national news, alongside main world news, as though it is as important. This is directly promoting these games.
Many teachers, as well as police officers and other professionals are amongst those queuing. To my mind if teachers are buying these games, and as I have heard, even swapping them with their students, then things are already out of control? I also heard that a large number of game addicts take the week off to play these games, solidly, the week after they are released!
The companies that produce these violent computer games have a mandate to design games to evoke the atrocities of terrorism!
However, intelligent parents who are struggling with this new world need not worry, because we have a ‘straw-clutching’ government, who will carry out their usual habit of jumping in when it is all too late to save children, and when society is already changed for the worse. We are used to learning the hard way!
A youth leader on The Big Question, Simon Jay, stated very clearly that when youngsters watched such games in his youth clubs, they went outside and demonstrated aggressive and hyperactive behaviour. He is absolutely clear about the effects. So am I!
Many of these games also degrade women, and the so-called censors have a lot to answer for. We should have parents, not civil servants, to vet these video games? Maybe we should look into the lifestyles of the current censors, to see if their children are part of the video game culture. I am sure they get lots of freebies to try out!
I suspect their children are! If they are, they will have a one-sided view! Let professionals and credible teachers, experienced parents and community leaders, be enrolled onto the censorship panels. One better, let me be the sole censor of all video games, and I will ban the lot! They are just no good for children and we parents want to give children what is good for them!
To the children who are addicted to these games, the wrong messages are contained in the many violent scenes. To them the pictures are real and therefore represent what happens in the real world. Things that are portrayed in these games do happen to some extent, but not everyday in every house!
Let me remind you that the makers of the military training videos are invariably also the makers of violent video games on sale to youngsters. This is a repeat of the other addictive ‘for sale toys’, such as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, Pokemon, Cyber Pets, and the millions of other ghastly trends that meet our children. Introduced into an addictive society is extremely damaging. Human beings are being changed, and changed in childhood, ready to become the irresponsible parents of children yet to be born, with absolutely no idea what a human being needs to experience. Commonly used advertising slogans contain words to appeal to the modern child; Ninja, Cult, Addict, Death, Murder, Blood, Suicide! These words can be found on the advertising for violent games.
I am so very pleased that in The Acorn School, exposure to such things is unacceptable (even at home and in the holidays) and it is a condition on entering the school that parents agree to this.
Despite our boundaries, the OFSTED reports of 2005 and 2009 for The Acorn School, rate this as an outstanding school, with the highest standards that enable children to enter university with a 100% success level, without state exams! Read the school’s OFSTED report to see what can be achieved in a world where there are almost none! Parents have to be brave to send their children here, and to be prepared to stand for the rights of their children.
I have invited the government to listen to my views and visit the school to see how it all works, but they are apparently too busy, (or perhaps afraid) and certainly not open-minded.
I can educate a child here for less than it costs to educate a child in the state system! What does that mean?
I quietly think they may be of the opinion that I am stark raving mad!
Reference. The Times Educational Supplement (TES) Friday 6th. November – The Acorn School. My philosophy put succinctly!
Graeme Whiting – Remembrance Day 2009