Crystal Faris, ALSC Research and Development Committee
Recently, I asked a roomful of adults attending a book
discussion what first came to mind when asked to
describe a video or computer gamer. Laughter ensued as
the first respondent mentioned a recent commercial featuring
geeky guys in their “man cave.” Not many positive comments
followed. Clearly gaming was viewed as less valuable and less
important than reading books by this group.
The Gaming Generation
Unlike the stereotypical view of an overweight teen boy playing
mature-rated or violent games in a darkened room, the
reported average age of gamers is thirty-three, and the average
age of parents who play computer or video games is forty.1
Today’s parents of young children were children themselves
when Nintendo’s mascot Mario became more recognizable (by
children) than Mickey Mouse.2
To shatter that stereotype of the typical gamer even further,
women represent more of the gaming population than do
boys. Thirty-one percent of gamers are women age eighteen
or older, and 20 percent are boys age seventeen or younger.3
Also, the parents of that stereotypical teen boy gamer probably
know what game he is playing, as parents report monitoring
the games their children play 90 percent of the time. Finally,
that stereotypical teen boy gamer is likely to be playing a video
game rated “E” for everyone or “T” for teen, as nearly 85 percent
of all video and computer games sold in 2006 were rated “T” or
below. Only 15 percent sold were rated “M” for mature.4
The understanding many people have that playing video and
computer games contributes to the documented rise in obesity
among young people also is being proven incorrect by two
recent studies. One found no relationship between video game
play and obesity or physical inactivity, and the other found no
relationship between physical fitness and Internet-use time.5
Gaming and Learning
James Gee was one of the first academics to begin writing
about the value of video and computer gaming and the possible
implications for children and their learning. He notes that
gamers who are gaining proficiency in a new game practice
for hours, but the practice is not boring because of the virtual
worlds in which they are playing and because each success
brings more from that virtual world as well as more prestige
from other gamers.6
While gaining proficiency in the game, the learner can take
huge risks because the consequences are low. Even if a character
dies, the gamer can bring it back with another opportunity
to gain the next level, defeat the foe, and achieve multiple layers
of success.7 New learners, especially children, have few places
where they can gain proficiency with each step of practice
bringing rewards and in environments with low risk
This column was prepared by the ALSC Research and
Development Committee, which includes Crystal Faris, Gaye
Hinchliff, Mona Kerby, Bowie Kotrla, Ya-Ling Lu, Alice Neve,
and Suzanne Stauffer
Several researchers at the University of
Wisconsin–Madison have studied in
more detail the learning that takes place
in gaming, primarily in massive multiplayer
online games, or MMPOGs, as
they are commonly called. Players of
these games gain numerous skills once
only associated with the realm of education:
“[MMPOG] play is a thoroughly
literate activity involving manipulation
of texts, images, and symbols for making
meaning and achieving particular
ends.”8 Some of the literate activities
taking place in MMPOGs are “researching
equipment, making maps, managing
resources, investing currencies, building
models, designing strategies, debating
facts and theories, and writing.”9
Children from the ages of three to five
have been shown to gain prereading
skills and school readiness from computer
and video gaming. The games cultivate
their eagerness to master early
literacy skills. Older children gain logic
skills from gaming because they have
to form a hypothesis and test it. They
also experience teamwork and community
as they work together to solve
problems their virtual selves encounter
in games.10
Differing Opinions
Of course, not everyone agrees that video
and computer gaming is a learning activity
for children. There are those who
believe that the “benefits are over-hyped
and could actually harm students’ creativity
and emotional development.”11
There also are concerns regarding the
portrayal of ethnic groups and women
in video games.
In summer 2007, the American Medical
Association (AMA) issued a warning to
parents about the potential dangers of
excessive video game playing. Physicians
were reporting what they believe may be
a growing problem among children—an
addiction to video or computer gaming.
The AMA asked the American Psychiatric
Association to further study long-term
effects of video game use related to
aggressive behavior in children.12
What’s Missing?
The MacArthur Foundation believes that
more hard data is needed to understand
how digital technologies are changing
the ways children learn as well as play,
socialize, and exercise judgment. The
foundation announced in early 2007
that they are distributing $50 million to
researchers for study in this area. Some
of the research currently being funded
is into the educational benefits of commercially
available games that were not
designed for school use and what students
learn when they join other players
in role-playing games.13
More study may be needed in the gaming
experiences of young girls. While women
are reporting themselves as gamers, they
tend to be casual gamers playing online
puzzle games or drawn to Nintendo DS
games such as Brain Age. Yet, the representation
of women in computer science
and technology careers has decreased,
“and their lack of gaming experience
seems to be a part of what’s held them
back. Men who major in computer science
tend to cite video games as what
got them into the field, while women
who drop out of the major often say they
lack credentials, such as hours spent
video gaming.”14
Library Implications
Libraries and librarians have had numerous
debates about the literary merit of
book genres, and we have debated the
value of various media. All this debating
often results in our expressed hope
that each reader is valued as are all
library users of other formats. “We need
to recognize that video and computer
games have emerged as a legitimate format
for many library users. We need to
view video games as content and
service.”15 &
References
1. Entertainment Software
Association, Essential Facts about
the Computer and Video Game
Industry, annual study conducted
by Ipsos-Insight for the ESA
(Washington, D.C.: ESA, 2007): 2.
2. Kurt Squire and Constance
Steinkuehler, “Meet the Gamers,”
Library Journal 130, no. 7 (Apr. 15,
2005): 38–41.
3. Entertainment Software
Association, Essential Facts about
the Computer and Video Game
Industry.
4. Ibid.
5. Elisabeth Hayes and Lauren
Silberman, “Incorporating Video
Games into Physical Education,”
Journal of Physical Education,
Recreation, and Dance 78, no. 3
(Mar. 2007): 18–24.
6. J. P. Gee, What Video Games Have
to Teach Us about Learning and
Literacy (New York: Palgrave
Macmillan, 2003).
7. Catherine Compton-Lilly, “What
Can Video Games Teach Us about
Teaching Reading?” The Reading
Teacher 60, no. 8 (May 2007):
718–27.
8. Squire and Steinkuehler, “Meet the
Gamers,” 39.
9. Ibid.
10. Meryl Davids Landau, “9 Reasons
to Let Your Kids Play Video Games,”
Redbook 207, no. 1 (July 2006):
174–75.
11. Howard Witt, “Skip the Textbook,
Play the Video Game,” Chicago
Tribune, online ed., Feb. 11,
2007, www.chicago.tribune.
com/news/nationworld/chi-
702110384feb11,7988623 (accessed
Apr. 24, 2007).
12. David Walsh, “When the Game Is
the Controller,” The Washington
Post, July 7, 2007, A 15.
13. Witt, “Skip the Textbook, Play the
Video Game.”
14. Jessica Stites, “More Than a Game,”
Ms. Magazine 16, no. 3 (Summer
2006): 61.
15. Jenny Levine, “Gaming and
Libraries: Intersection of Services,”
Library Technology Reports 42, no. 5
(Sept./Oct. 2006): 11.
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