Janice Turner Of ‘Times Online’ Claims Xbox 360 Is Crack For Kids
By William on Sunday, January 20th, 2008 at 1:46 PM PST In Gamer Life
Janice Turner recently wrote a rant against video games on the Times Online titled ‘Xbox 360 Is Crack For Kids: It’s an impossible task to police our children’s multimedia addiction’. It’s an interesting, yet misguided read. Articles like this are the reason that people outside the video gaming world have such a negative opinion of games.
She’s a hard working mom and complains about the fact that she can’t be constantly watching everything her children do. She refuses to purchase video games for her children, because games are apparently like crack for kids. As a parent, I respect her decision to keep gaming away from her kids, but it’s irresponsible as a writer for her to portray gaming as something evil when she had no knowledge of it. Keeping an eye on kids has been a parenting problem long before gaming was on the scene. As I recall, there were movies, books and radio programs that weren’t great for kids out long before video games even hit the scene. In addition to complaining about gaming, she also complains about media and technology in general. She explains how it’s nearly impossible for her to regulate “screen time” for her kids.
I find this argument of hers to be a little silly. When I was a kid, I was allowed to play 30 minutes of games a day and watch 30 minutes of television. Of course, they couldn’t regulate the games I played at my friend’s houses. There were no exceptions. If it was sunny outside, that’s where I was. Parents these days simply don’t know how to say “no”. It’s that simple. You can’t always be the “good guy” when it comes to parenting and it’s hard work. No one ever said raising kids was an easy task. After reading the article, it became apparent to me that she was trying to blame her lack of parenting skills on gaming and media in general.
Perhaps the most insane quote from her article is the following one:
Once, such kids would be the playground outcasts, but no longer. Mine are. Because, unlike the TV-hating parents, I refuse to buy them portable gaming consoles, Xboxes, GameCubes, PS2s. These are Satan’s Sudoku, crack cocaine of the brain. Even the crappiest cartoon or lamest soap teaches a child about character, plot, drama, humour, life. Playing videogames, children are mentally imprisoned, wired into their evil creators’ brains. And they play them – beepety-beep – on journeys, over family meals, any minute in which they find themselves unamused.
And their parents never seem to say, hey, this is the bit where you pick up a book. Or game over, kids: get an inner life.
To call video games “Satan’s Sudoku” is just plain silly. I personally believe that as a parent , you should try and allow your kids to be as well-rounded as possible. I feel that if you restrict your kids too much, they are not going to be well-rounded. Their experiences are not going to be equal to their peers when they get older. They may even struggle to fit into society as young adults. She’s obviously never actually looked into most video games. There are many things one can learn from gaming that can have a positive impact on your life. I’m not really sure what to say about this article other than the fact that Janice Turner needs to stick to subjects she knows something about. Video games are not evil. They do not cause violence and can actually be a positive influence on someone’s life when used responsibly. The last time I checked, playing games on the Xbox 360 is nothing like smoking crack. Crack cocaine basically releases large amounts of dopamine which leaves you with feelings of euphoria for about 15 minutes. After you come down, you are left feeling depressed and low. Gaming is a high that lasts a lifetime and you are far less likely to shank someone for a game than a crack rock. The entire article is just another rant against gaming since it’s the thing to do in journalism and writing these days.
I wonder if Tyrone Biggums plays Xbox 360 games when he’s not smoking crack.
Via Kotaku
I remember the first time I shanked a sucker to get my game fix.
@Handshakes: lol. I can’t say I’ve ever shanked someone to get a game fix.
People who write about things they have no knowalage of are pathetic. This woman should stick to what she knows.
besides video games if nothing else improve a child’s awareness and comfort with technology which will be important in a world of ever increacing technalogical presence.
In ireland the ECDL (a computer qualification) has become a standard part of secondary school (highschool) education
You made an excellent point about improving child awareness of technology. Some people are raised to fear it, but being strong with technology is a basic requirement of life these days.
So it seems she would rather leave her kids in front of the tv watching lame cartoons and soap operas, instead of interactive games that stimulate the senses and encourage children to develop creative solutions to in-game problems. Many games have puzzle sections that engage the mind, plus more interesting plots than any “reality” show, and good character development to boot. Most tv shows that are on now a days are mindless. I would much rather play a game on my PS3 than watch network tv.
Now if you’re talking WOW though, yeah, that makes crack look like mother’s milk.
The ring thing is that I truly think it’s bad parenting to restrict something from your kids without at least researching it a bit first. There is such a thing as too much gaming for kids, but it can be a positive experience for them in the long run if it’s handle correctly.
As far as video games not teaching moral lessons, I think television is far worse at doing that. If you want your kids to learn some moral lessons, have them play RPGs such as Final Fantasy, which is full of many life lessons that teaches people that you are rewarded for making the right choices.
Yes but then she will rant about mass effect.
I personally think tv is worse than videogames. Everything is the same on tv, and everyone uses stupid humor.
This woman doesn’t know her ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to parenting. As a parent myself I will teach my kids to be well rounded. I bet this woman home schools her kids too which is horrible for buildling any kind of social skills………
she’s just messing her kids social life as nowadays 360’s and PS3’s are owned by a lot of kids and blocking her kids from them is restricting their social interactions with other kids.
she is an ignorant fool. period.
You all dont understand. You are calling her ignorant of video games. Do we know if she even played one. Have any of you did crack. Probally not. My point is, if Janice Turner a crack whore says its like crack then she knows. I dont say crack is like xbox cause I never tried crack. But she definetly knows. Next year I heard shes getting into Heroin and attacking the Wii. But on that note most schools have computer programs now and its gonna have to be the way to graduate soon. Only thing is her kids will fail. Which is typical kid behavior having a crack whore mom.
I think the reason her children are playground outcasts has more to do with having the ranting mentalist mother who cant stand to see normal people enjoying themselves. Is the Times a crack paper for middle classes? I was on a train the other day talking to a friend you know.. interacting when a Times reader buried their head in the paper and refused to come out from the warmth of its inky folds.
Ignorant, rude or just someone doing their own thing? Thats individuals for you.
Oh heres a article she wrote on her two kids both having ipod nanos and rambling on about her crack hoe gut.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/janice_turner/article3105386.ece
The rest of her feeblish mutterings:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/janice_turner/
You guys are as biased in favour of gaming as she is biased against it. Your comments sound like those that a bunch of 14 year old morons, taking a 5 minute break from their computer game, would post.
Yea Rod well you smell of poo and wee.
Hee Hee…His name is Rod
Xbox 360 is like Crack? i see. This lady is madness, i wont say what else Tyrone Biggums does for crack, but this lady should give that a try and suck some ????!
@art
i got £50 that says that she’s never tried crack or played any kind of computer game in her life.
and even if she has done both, she is still talking crap.
for a start, i dont suffer from 360 withdraw symptoms after not playing on it for a few days.
@ron
im not a 14 year old moron, but you sound like one, though.
@Art… I read her iPod rant.. she really is one cracked out person. Is it really a big deal if the kid has the latest iPod anyway? I kept my 1st generation iPod for 5 years until it finally stopped working and then upgraded.
It’s obvious that she’s just an ignorant bigot who like Jack Thompson just hates games.
She is kinda like JT, but I have to wonder what her angle is. JT obviously goes against games for big financial gain…. I couldn’t imagine she’s getting paid a lot to write on that site.
@ xboxlenny – you said it! LMAO! I wanted to say it, but personally, I really like my job here at Gaming Today.
She must be dumb as hell. I have an Wii, I’m 11, I have an PS2, And an Xbox. This lady is an another (but worse) Jar Jar Binks that is human, and VERY retarded.. This lady is an Retarded Jackass. She should go get her kids an gaming console, the least. She must want to have Anti-Social kids that fight a lot. She is a total dumbass. I raised my IQ and my Awareness Skills by alot .
this fucked up bitch
she doesnt kno how to stay current with the trend
this generation is not about smoking and doing crack and dancing disco like the 80s
videogames are wat everyone plays and cant change that
lololol is right
ppl cannot deny that videogaming is the mainstream
this anti videogame bitch should double penetrated with another dick in her mouth