WOW!
I took time off recently to go on vacation with the family during Spring Break. We went to stay with friends in Sun Valley, Idaho. One of our friends is referenced in my Android blog. He was the person who fried my AIBO's brain. Here he is:
I, on the other hand... well I'm still nursing some bruised ribs from some less than elegant falls. Lets just say that after a while I fell back on old habits:
He actually has a big brain of his own (and it is not always adorned with a crown).
Sun Valley is a wonderful place to visit in the winter. Snow covered mountains. Bubbling brooks. Pine Forests. Quaint village. The mission was to conquer snowboarding. Within a few days my kids were handily winding their way down the mountain face with an ease only available in childhood.
I, on the other hand... well I'm still nursing some bruised ribs from some less than elegant falls. Lets just say that after a while I fell back on old habits:
As fun as snow boarding is, the WOW of the title is not a descriptive of the breathtaking views and exciting snow board moves.
The WOW refers to World of Warcraft.
My friend is quite a WOW player. Within hours, we all had accounts and were in a multi-person team in this multiplayer universe. He even convinced my wife to set up her character and journey on. No small feat. She looked something like this:
The WOW refers to World of Warcraft.
My friend is quite a WOW player. Within hours, we all had accounts and were in a multi-person team in this multiplayer universe. He even convinced my wife to set up her character and journey on. No small feat. She looked something like this:
Quite attractive. Great horns!
We went on our quests. Each on our own PC or MAC. (Lets just say his house is wired and outfitted to the connected extreme). I enjoyed the family bonding in the WOW realm we were part of. When the kids were little, a board game like Monopoly seemed perfect. In today's connected world, where the Internet is totally second nature to kids, a family (clan) quest seemed perfect.
WOW destroys lives. Be careful.
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Aye, listen to Joe, tread cautiously into those waters...
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Jon/Joe
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When the kids were little, a board game like Monopoly seemed perfect.
My kids are all 4 and under so Candyland is pretty much the extent of our gaming together. But I worry about the switch to video games as a family that you describe, especially in light of your current">http://asocialcontract.com/2008/03/26/hot-off-the-presseswe-are-nuts.aspx">current entry about addiction.
Of course, moderation and self-control in these situations is a valuable life lesson but board games like Monopoly and such are self-correcting. You cannot play Monopoly by yourself and you cannot overplay it to the neglect of your life.
I don't want to be that guy, the one who decries modernity in all its guises. But I am concerned about the effects of television, video games, and passive entertainment on the future. It's not just the sedentary lifestyle that goes with it, but also the sedentary mind that it engenders.
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