Super Nanny Blames London Riots on Video Games
by Scotticus ORLYus | 18 Aug 2011 | 5:oo AM CST (-6 GMT)
originally via Game Politics and CVG:
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2011/08/17/super-nanny-discusses-london-riots-blames-video-games
Jo Frost, better known as the Super Nanny, serves as a guest columnist (Op/Ed, it would seem) for the UK rag, Express. And she’s seen fit to weigh in on the riots raging across north London. It’s all because of video games… Calling the situation a “toxic legacy,” Nanny Frost quickly goes to her base and questions what sort of nurturing these rioters were denied by their mums. [Personal note: Really? This is where she wants to start? Family management strategies for pre-teens? A little bit late, when it's adults of varying ages rampaging across parts of north Lond
on.]
Nanny indeed. But, she continued on:
“These horrific games where points are given for burning, shooting and killing, where the graphics are so realistic you believe that they’re real scenes of carnage, where those who play fantasise they have the power of life and death, are so brutal they completely desensitise anyone taking part.”
Run-on sentences and typographical errors aside, she kept her momentum going heavy and implied that she is learned and well read on this matter:
“Research shows that within 15 minutes of playing one of these games young men become highly aggressive and lack empathy in normal situations. It is not too fanciful to suggest it’s a short step from being immersed in this war-like world to taking that nightmare mindset on to the streets with all the consequences of anarchy and violence we saw rip apart cities.”
As a point of fact, considerably more research has shown that video games can improve reflexes, eye-hand coordination, stimulate brain activity not unlike a cup of coffee and even contribute toward correcting lazy eye.
Not to be outdone by 30+ years of intense international research, Nanny Frost says she can “fix the teen rioters.” Our guess is it doesn’t involve an Atari. In fact, it doesn’t appear to be an immediate fix to anything. But, it is very well segmented into a six point plan, that fails to include functional details and the conditions upon which you move to the next point…
COMMUNICATION: We must teach parents how to listen to their children and the children to listen to their parents. This is about talking, valediction and response.
INTERACTION: Playing together, reading together, having activities together, having fun and being creative together.
NUTRITION: Learning the value of a healthy diet, not simply junk food.
PRAISE: To support self esteem and reward good actions when we see them.
EDUCATION: Teaching our young how to have life skills. The importance of academics.
DISCIPLINE: Rules, boundaries, respect and responsibilities. The importance of how we treat others.
Remarkably, Nanny Frost’s diatribe thoroughly omitted issues of political strife that some rioters have openly cited—to TV reporters on the scene—as their inspiration.
Nanny Jo Frost’s entire essay can be found at the following URL. It should be noted that there is a comments section available. Readers may care to offer a well considered counterpoint or two, or three, or four.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/265108/Jo-Frost-I-can-fix-the-teen-rioters
