VOA标准英语2008年-Video Game Play May Not Just Be for Slackers
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Several times a year, the Pew Internet & American Life Project releases detailed1 research findings about the ways in which we Americans use computers and the Internet. |
| While the abilities needed to manipulate video-game controls may not translate to social skills, apparently2 playing the games with others does |
And wait till you hear what the latest Pew report has to say.
It's called Teens, Video Games, and Civics.
It seems that playing video games has a connection to what the report calls social interaction and civic3 engagement. Imagine that! Playing games like Dragon Quest, Guitar Hero, or Warhammer on their computers or game consoles leads to community involvement.
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| Video-game enthusiasts4 who play the game with others develop curiosity and awareness5 that can lead to involvement in the community, the Pew report finds |
Not surprisingly, the researchers report that 97 percent of teens play computer games, usually for an hour or more a day. They say the social interaction comes from playing the games with others in the room, as 65 percent of teens do.
So role-playing the popular but violent video game Grand Theft Auto6 with your buddies7 can be social interaction. But civic engagement?
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| Playing video games isn't the waste of time that many adults believe it to be, according to a new report from the folks who monitor Internet behavior |
Pew finds that video game play parallels civic activities such as helping8 others and debating ethical9 issues. It calls these civic gaming experiences.
The researchers determined10 that teens who play video games with others seek more information about politics, are a tad more likely to raise money for charity, or may persuade others how to vote, than teenagers who don't play video games or who play them by themselves.
So what's the lesson for parents who want to get their kids involved in the community? Go out and get them that Halo Three or Dance Dance Revolution video game? And make sure they invite some friends over to play it with? Or here's a radical11 community-involvement idea for young video game players: get out of your computer chairs and go volunteer to help others in the real world.
