I have a little brother who is absolutely fascinated by Video Games. I have never been supportive (although I am aware that there are 'educational' ones) and have actively encouraged my parents to refuse when he demands video game consoles or borrow computer games from his friends unless they have checked them out themeselves. While I understand that many people come to librarians for their opinions, I feel it is necessary for the parent themeselves to understand what the computer game is teaching the child, and whether it contributes to the learning and development of the youth in question. Every parent has a different opinion when it comes to how they want their child to be raised. The maturity and understanding of the child must also be taken into consideration. A child who is slow in developing his reading skills will become addicted to the instantaneous gratifications that shooting someone or scoring points in a game will offer. This often leads the child to become intolerant of slower processes (much like learning to read). However, it may also boost his confidence level- seeing as he/she has struggled in so many other areas. It's always important to remember that children are unique and although parents will not forget it, they are often prone to the comments of other parents and may feel pressured to either give the child what all his friends have, or to speed the child's education up to the level of their classmates. I know I've put in far more than my two cents here, but I've just read the previous posts of the teen librarians on Runescape, which no one answered to. What is your opinion on video games in general? If you have a younger brother or sister who enjoys them, how do you restrain them from playing more than their fill of games? If you have any advice you'd like to share, please comment.

Miss Anne Thropic
Isabelle