Hello, Adventure-Raisers! Happy weekend. In today’s Session 21: A Real Worldview, I want to talk about WHY gaming is such an essential tool for education. Or at least the most important part.
I mentioned in other Sessions (Session 7) that this lifestyle is healthy for little dragons as well as adults. Heck, you’re an adult who loves it so I’m sure you know what I am talking about. But I got to thinking today that one of the strongest arguments that I’ve heard against “gaming” is that it enforces an unrealistic world view. That it essentially teaches little dragons to be either too idealistic or too detached from the consequences of their actions, or both.
Frankly, the idea that “allowing kids to use their imaginations for extended periods may negatively affect their growth as a critical thinker” baffles me. The logic there seems to be “if I let my kids think, they may stop thinking.” Which is just… not… how that works… duh. Nat1 on that insight check, guys. But to be fair to the Average Joe, the most common place to find us in public is at Cons. And when they look in on our Cons they do see a lot of hooligans doing cringy impressions of Astarion from Baulder’s Gate 3 (open link at your own risk). So, fine, they got us there… but a bad actor does not a bad thinker make. Furthermore, the argument extends to something along the lines of “gaming teaches bad morals.” I’ll grant that playing Doom doesn’t make you a good marksman or a good Catholic, but when it comes to TTRPGs and simple strategy games this argument simply cannot apply. I personally think that the morals of your little dragon are your responsibility until they are old enough to make their own decisions, and the customization of these games does not hamper a parents’ role in that regard. If a parent understands that, then it can used to enhance it, in fact.
But specifically to prove that gaming gives your kids a healthy way to develop a realistic world view, here are some helpful talking points:
1) Other Players
The advantage board games and TTRPGs have over other forms of gaming is that they require social interaction. And I’m not knocking on video games, I’m just saying I haven’t heard the phrase “go touch grass” said nearly as often when interacting with this form of gameplay.
So let’s say your little dragon’s solution to discovering a cult in the village is to burn the village down. There are other party members there, not to mention your GM, and MOST OF THE TIME other players will react to your actions in a realistic manner. We’ve all played chaotic- or evil-aligned campaigns, I know, but those are usually started with the understanding that everyone is there to suspend their natural behavior and goof around. That’s like watching Deadpool versus a war documentary, you’re just showing up for different things.
Also, in the board game setting let’s say your child tries to cheat. In board games, especially if they are games that the parents have played for years, it’s relatively easy to identify a cheat. And I would wager that other players would react to a cheat negatively, thus reinforcing a very realistic world view with a real-world experience.
2) The GM May Make This Hyper Realistic
I personally haven’t played with a GM who wanted to make a hyper realistic campaign, but we all know they exist. GM’s have lives outside the game room (typically, lol) and they can bring their other hobbies into their games. If they like hiking and foraging, or if they just do a ton of research, they can craft great camping campaigns. You can teach hard economics with Flamecraft (link) or in a campaign. One of my favorite boardgames, Berrymandering (link) teaches gerrymandering better than any social studies teacher I’ve ever had.
So, no, once again games do not teach unrealistic world views. Lack of real-world experiences does.
3) Out of Game Consequences
There may be out of game consequences, like being removed from the game table or Dad ends the game early. Playing make believe with combat rules does not automatically suspend the rules of common curtesy or authority…. it’s almost like interacting with people always involves those elements, who knew?
4) Understanding the difference between acting/playing, and reality
This one is also much simpler than it looks. Just picture me leaning over the table to whisper at you for this one: “if your child grows up and doesn’t understand the difference between reality and fantasy, that’s not Gary Gigax’s fault, my friend. It’s yours.” Devils and angels can be plot devices without actually inspiring worship. Checkers cannot replace holy text, and the D&D pantheon cannot replace a real community. If you can explain that Barbie is not how real women look, then you can conquer this argument.
I think that part of the reason I’m a little more fired up about this topic this week is that I have seen a small spike in the aggression towards nerdy kids on the internet. And when I say small, I mean that I saw one video go viral; I’m not trying to fear monger here. I won’t link the video here because I honestly believe the person who posted it was doing so for attention and I refuse to give it to them. Additionally, this person added a political tone to the video (see? seeking attention in an American election year) and I don’t want this site to become political. But suffice to say, as a nerdy mother I had an immediate and visceral reaction to it. I don’t believe in bullying, and to think there are people out there who do and who may interact with me or my son someday… I was sickened. Enraged. Full mama bear.
That said… but I believe in the power of communication. Sometimes it is all we have, so I figured you may want some ideas on what to talk about in case anyone decides that they can shame you for a simple, wonderful hobby. And I’m not a shaman, I can’t tell you when the line has been crossed. You’ve played your own games; you know where your lines are drawn. All I can say is what I have said and wait to see if people agree with me.
Remember, no matter what comes, you are not on this journey alone! See you all next week! Or on Tumblr, X, or Facebook!
