Deprive boys of video games to make them read...

[me.vicky]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704271804575405511702112290.html#articleTabs=article

The idea behind this article, I believe, is that boys (and ONLY boys, as girls do not play video games apparently) who do not like to read should not be pandered to by giving them "gross-out" books to read or bribed with video games in order to get them to read. Rather, they should be deprived of all electronic stimuli until they are so starved for entertainment they HAVE to read to relieve the boredom.

Hm. Discuss, Escapists: Rational, logical suggestion? Or is someone WAY overstepping their bounds here?

 

[Mcface]

I HATED reading.
until i got into RPG games, then i actually found a genre of books i enjoyed reading, which lead me other other genres, etc.

 

[Dark Knifer]

Rational, logical suggestion...

Is something this idea certainly isn't. This will only make them hate reading (and probably their parents) all the more, instead of just being uninterested in it.

 

[gostlyfantom]

Rational, logical suggestion...

Is something this idea certainly isn't. This will only make them hate reading (and probably their parents) all the more, instead of just being uninterested in it.

damn, I could not agree more

 

[TwistedEllipses]

My first console was a playstation 2, before that the only games my PC had performance for was text adventures...so I got plenty of reading in, even when it didn't involve books...

 

[BreakfastMan]

Or, how about we just give books to boys that they actually want to read, so they would learn to love reading? Oh wait, that actually works and makes sense, we cannot have that...

 

[Scars Unseen]

You cannot, as a long term solution, make someone learn by either coercion or reward. The only long term solution is to actually get the person to enjoy learning. And if the topic is coming up in your home, it's probably already too late. Start early, folks.

 

[Digital_Hero]

Rational, logical suggestion...

Is something this idea certainly isn't. This will only make them hate reading (and probably their parents) all the more, instead of just being uninterested in it.

damn, I could not agree more

Jackpot. My mom tried something like this with me when I was younger.
It didn't end well, only "festered the problem", and all that stuff. (ex. now that I distanced myself from her, its become an integral part of my being)

iunno, I enjoy reading. its nice from time to time, but i'd rather play a game (and potentially use my head) than read and just picture things.

 

[Doctor What]

Spoiler: RANT

The absolute fuck is this? Seriously? I have never in my life read something so insanely asinine. Maybe "boys" don't read because their attention spans are that of a fruit gnat. Or maybe because books don't have pretty pretty pictures?

Goddammit. Seriously.

Okay now. I've been raised with books. I barely watch any TV or play games these days because I've got my nose in a book. As me.vicky said, they are basically saying the only viable course of action is to keep them starved for stimuli. That's not going to get the kid to read, that's going to make the kid resent you and do the opposite of what you're trying to get them to do. Make reading fun for the kid, make it something that the parent can do with them. Most parents don't play games so they label it as "distracting" or "disruptive to their education." The kid is just bored. Reading a book with your child is a great bonding experience. Hell, I had 1984 almost memorized by the age of five because my grandfather would read it to me every night.

Gah, fuck me.

*edit*

I would never read "Sir Fartsalot."

 

[Cpu46]

I read pretty much non stop for at least 10 years before I really got into video games. Seriously by the time I was 17 I ran out of Fantasy and Science Fiction books to read in my local library in the young adult and even the adult section (that was a fun little adventure).

OT:
Honestly you just need to find the genre that they like and they will soak it up. Forcing them to read is only going to make them hate it more.

 

[Haydyn]

Video games consist of tons of reading. What makes one form of reading better than another? They need to make games that increase reading skills that don't stink.

 

[p3t3r]

i don't read as much as i should. i did have a pretty good run a few months ago read to book 4 in the dark tower saga in a few weeks. book 4 is really boring though so i kinda stopped reading

 

[catalyst8]

Our society relies on people who don't read books. Who else would we get to stack supermarket shelves or pick up rubbish from the streets?

 

[CD-R]

Video games consist of tons of reading. What makes one form of reading better than another? They need to make games that increase reading skills that don't stink.

There were tons of those games back in the day.

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/myst_masterpiece_edition/

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/planescape_torment

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/baldurs_gate_2_complete

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/kings_quest_1_2_3

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

This is only moving things backward. I always had access to games, my parents just encouraged me to read and provided me with books. I now love reading and gaming... surprise?

 

[Merkavar]

girls may not play games as much as boys but im sure the nowadays most people regardless of gender would use computers as much as each other. like facebook, peggle,farmville.

If i was banned from computers i would watch tv. if i was banned from all electric stuff i think i would just be playing board games and reading. i dont think banning people from using things is a good idea. you need to get them interesting in reading so they will choose reading over playing the game.

i dont have anything against reading. its just i find more enjoyment most of the time from playing a good game.

 

[Haydyn]

Video games consist of tons of reading. What makes one form of reading better than another? They need to make games that increase reading skills that don't stink.

There were tons of those games back in the day.

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/myst_masterpiece_edition/

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/planescape_torment

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/baldurs_gate_2_complete

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/kings_quest_1_2_3

Those look like pretty solid games. What ever happened to those? I was referring to those "educational" games that teach you how to type and other things along those lines.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Hm. Discuss, Escapists: Rational, logical suggestion? Or is someone WAY overstepping their bounds here?

Fucking idiotic. "Let's get boys really, mind-numbingly bored. Surely nothing bad can result from that!"

 

[Kakashi on crack]

I hated reading unless I picked out the book, which happened a bit, but usually someone else always tried to pick out books for me. I prefer to write my own stories if I'm bored than read some crummy story.