News Virtual worlds destroying values?

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/10/29/virtual_worlds_destorying_values_/1

Lord Puttnam thinks so and said as much in a keynote speech given at the Virtual Worlds Forum where he was critical of worlds targetted as children.

 

Next kids will be told not to imagine just in case they dream up something politically incorrect.

 

"Lego Universe, which is about the only virtual world that's any good"

hmm maybe that should read "only virtual world <b>COULD BE</b> any good" considering it's not been released yet and isn't even in Beta. Mind you it's being developed by NetDevil who have had huge successes with Jumpgate and Auto Assault...

 

I can see his point in that people (of all ages) will do things in virtual worlds that they wouldn't dare do / no one would let them do in the real world. But then again kids have always played in imaginary worlds. The only real difference I can see is the increasing lack of parental awareness of what their children are up to - (in a sense the kids are playing farther away from home).

 

as my generation grows up (those of us from the late 1980s, currently in college) and have kids, I think we'll be the first truly competent generation in terms of parenting online and offline, since we grew up with the web ourselves.

 

I've been a genocidal, mass-murdering, drug-dealing, gun-running, car-stealing, adam-abusing, bearded mute scientist is hundreds of games in my time.
The whole point is, I could do it in my virtual world knowing full-well I'd never do any of it on real life.

As long as parents teach their kids right from wrong, and the kids know real from virtual, I don't think there should be a problem...

Oh, and there's a typo on the front page snippet.

 

I kind of agree that it stifles creativity, it's not so much about violence. I've read some pretty gruesome things in classic books and never wanted to murder anyone and the same goes for games I think most sane people agree with this sentiment now. It's the effect on MMO's on children creativity that worries me, the last thing we want is even less free thought and creativity in this world.

 

I honestly think that as long as the parent knows the child and teaches them the correct values and corrects/punishes them when they go off from those values then everything should be alright. I grew up right as the internet was taking hold so i still had normal outdoor activities, and i think that as long as parents allow their kids to be outdoors and socialize then there wont be a problem.

 

I wonder how what the effects the more pervasive and engulfing MMO's will have on children and people in general. I grew up on video games, and in highschool I played at least an hour of cs a day, however games nowadays like WoW realy are a time drain and people can get really involved in their characters, I already know a few people who dropped out of school, killed their social life or lost their job to that game, most of them don't play anymore but I wonder what's going to happen say in 10 years when developers start perfecting virtual worlds and graphics and servers make it possible to live your life in them.
With things like real money transfers and gold exchanges will it get to a point where people literally live and work in the virtual world?
I don't think there's any harm in video games but like any activity it should be done in moderation

 

QFT, coudnt have said it better

 

The only thing that is destroying the moral compass of the uk is the complete lack of any coherent education system with a mix of parental responsibility.

Though a quick fix would be to shoot people wearing burbury on sight.

 

Exactly. There seems to be a decisive shift with parents taking it out on game makers and movie producers and anyone else but themselves as the responsible party when their kids do something stupid and/or unforgivable. I don't remember Gabe Newell giving any press releases that he would personally babysit the children of millions

 

Parental responsibility first and foremost. If that was in place, children would attend school and work at it.

 

Difficult when the current benefit system provides a genuine "career" choice in having lots of babies for some people. Remove the financial incentive to have children. Maybe people will then take the decision to bring new life into the world more serious. Social services are suppose to be a safety net not a hammock.

 

I say give financial benefits to people who raise intelligent children.

That will make them give a **** about the little sprogs.