LJ_Reloaded
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https://feelsandreals.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/coming-clean/
In August of 2014, a friend on Twitter drew my attention to several articles that had been posted, later dubbed the “Gamers are Dead” articles. The first I read was by Gamasutra writer Leigh Alexander. In this article, Ms. Alexander described “gamers” in the following way:
“They don’t know how to dress or behave….. ‘Games culture’ is a petri dish of people who know so little about how human social interaction and professional life works that they can concoct online ‘wars’ about social justice or ‘game journalism ethics……”
She used an entire article to demonize a certain, and very specific, type of person. A young man, who isn’t socially tuned into her idea of ‘acceptable’ social behavior. Who doesn’t know the right way to behave, or engage, or dress, or shop, or live. Who cares about things she does not.
Leigh Alexander was describing a male version of my 3 year old daughter.
My little girl was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Global Developmental Delay days after her second birthday. We were blessed enough to receive an iPad grant through a local foundation, which opened up a huge world to her. She began using PECS (picture communication) to request time with her iPad. She then began using it to request other things. Her first word was “iPad,” and she had an inexplicable fascination with Fruit Ninja. I had always been the sort of parent to limit television and electronics to certain times and amounts. That all went out the window with her.
Went out the window because the only reason I ever heard my baby girl’s voice was because of a game.
At the age of 3, she can now identify every letter in the alphabet out of order, upper and lowercase. She can count to 30, and backwards from 20, without a single error. She can spell words. She can identify every color and shape. Yet, she can not say “no” if she doesn’t want something. She can not express when she DOES want something. She can not socialize with other children, or with adults. She will fall into a sensory meltdown and can not tell us how to help ease her struggles.
She does not know the ‘right’ way to behave, or engage, or dress. She is the person Leigh Alexander described with blatant and unapologetic contempt.
In August of 2014, a friend on Twitter drew my attention to several articles that had been posted, later dubbed the “Gamers are Dead” articles. The first I read was by Gamasutra writer Leigh Alexander. In this article, Ms. Alexander described “gamers” in the following way:
“They don’t know how to dress or behave….. ‘Games culture’ is a petri dish of people who know so little about how human social interaction and professional life works that they can concoct online ‘wars’ about social justice or ‘game journalism ethics……”
She used an entire article to demonize a certain, and very specific, type of person. A young man, who isn’t socially tuned into her idea of ‘acceptable’ social behavior. Who doesn’t know the right way to behave, or engage, or dress, or shop, or live. Who cares about things she does not.
Leigh Alexander was describing a male version of my 3 year old daughter.
My little girl was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Global Developmental Delay days after her second birthday. We were blessed enough to receive an iPad grant through a local foundation, which opened up a huge world to her. She began using PECS (picture communication) to request time with her iPad. She then began using it to request other things. Her first word was “iPad,” and she had an inexplicable fascination with Fruit Ninja. I had always been the sort of parent to limit television and electronics to certain times and amounts. That all went out the window with her.
Went out the window because the only reason I ever heard my baby girl’s voice was because of a game.
At the age of 3, she can now identify every letter in the alphabet out of order, upper and lowercase. She can count to 30, and backwards from 20, without a single error. She can spell words. She can identify every color and shape. Yet, she can not say “no” if she doesn’t want something. She can not express when she DOES want something. She can not socialize with other children, or with adults. She will fall into a sensory meltdown and can not tell us how to help ease her struggles.
She does not know the ‘right’ way to behave, or engage, or dress. She is the person Leigh Alexander described with blatant and unapologetic contempt.
