Bat and ball replaced by Web and games?

After reading through the comments on yesterday's column discussing why Sony and Microsoft should view Nintendo as a competitor, I came across an interesting post by one reader who told us to "get rid" of our gaming consoles and go outside.

The person contends that children are playing too many video games and watch too much TV when they should be playing outside. The reader makes an interesting point, but I think that it fails to address one issue facing this generation's parents: in order to prepare children for their adult lives, they need to ensure that their children are well-versed in the technological realities of our world.

"Get rid of your gaming consoles, and send your kids outside to play "actual reality" games," Choclatpup wrote. "When, exactly, did video games replace balls and bats, or bicycles? With everything in the news about the obesity of our young today, the answer is to create 'active video games' such as the Wii Fit? Asinine!"

It got me thinking: are our children replacing the bat and ball with the Web and gaming?

It's possible.

Just last week, my cousin's children came to visit and I asked them if they wanted to throw a football around. The kids, a 7-year old and a 5-year old, both gave the same response: "let's play video games instead." Once they had enough with video games, they wanted to show me a "cool" Web site they came across at school.

It may sound strange for a technology journalist to say this, but I was a little disheartened that the children wouldn't go outside and engage in some physical activity. Sure, it was cold, and it's possible that they just don't like football, but it makes me wonder if today's children are too engrossed with the Web and video games to enjoy anything else.

I'll be the first to say that using the Web and playing video games is good for children. It affords them opportunities previous generations never had growing up and contributes positively to their development. But at times, I don't think there's anything wrong with telling them it's time to put the controller down, pick up a baseball bat, and start playing Home Run Derby with the other neighborhood kids.

A recent study from the BBC found that children who play outside, away from their TVs and computers, laugh more than those who stay connected all day. An older study found that since the 1970s, children have lost 12 hours a week in outside playtime.

Parents who were polled claimed that the reason they don't allow their children outside as much anymore is because of their children's "dependence on TV, computer games, and the lack of safe areas to play outside."

Assuming that study is representative of the entire population across the United States, it seems that children really have given up the bat and ball for the Web and gaming. But now a new question arises: does it matter?

I don't think so. I think it's incumbent upon parents today to ensure that their children are adequately equipped to face the new world we find ourselves in. During the 1970s, children weren't expected to know how to design a Web site at work, and playing video games was hardly a concern. But today, gaming, the Internet, and computers themselves have become such an integral part of our culture that not being well-versed in the storyline behind Halo or understanding the difference between Facebook and MySpace has become a liability for kids at school.

But that doesn't mean that physical activity has been thrown out the window. There are still a slew of children playing baseball in Little Leagues across the country, and soccer is still an extremely popular youth sport.

And maybe it's for that reason that we shouldn't simply look at children as "gamers" or "ballplayers," but rather as children that may have more opportunities for growth than previous generations did. And maybe we should come to realize that gaming and baseball, or Facebook and soccer, complement each other in the lives of today's children.

Check out Don's Digital Home podcast, Twitter feed, and FriendFeed.

[Dylan_Wisor]

Parents shouldn't buy a Wii for their five year old kids a Wii at Christmas then. If you're exposing them to it, you're responsible for the "addiction" so to speak. As you sow so shall you reap.

And Don throwing a football? Laughable.

[gefitz]

Well said, Don. Parents need to know that BOTH physical activity AND comfort with technological advances are a necessary part of the world we live in; and to encourage children (prod them?) to partake in both can only help their children more easily adapt to whatever world they grow into.

Yes, that means actually telling your kid "No, go play outside" or "C'mon in and burn a DVD for me" when the balance has swung too far in either direction.

[Pete Bardo]

Yes, it's up to the parents to teach their children just as it is up to the children to teach their parents. If it's too dangerous to send them out to play, and I'm sure there are plenty of neighborhoods 6that fall into this category, maybe the parents should go out with them? If it's too dangerous for the parents to go out, they could find a safer place for the kids to play. Outside or inside, it doesn't matter as long as some physical activity is involved. Play basketball or go swimming at the neighborhood YMCA.

[canberra_photographer]

Oh Don, finally, a well written article. Great job, knew you could do it.

This is indeed an interesting era for kids, and those I know of typically spend their free time glued to a TV with an xbox. Of course kids need to become adept at technology, but I question how much kids really learn about tech from gaming? That's the excuse parents use, but I see every day teens who only use a PC to chat and type assignments. They don't know how to use creative apps, or even how to do decent formatting in MS Word, but they can tell you every cheat code for Xbox.

[donsms]

When was the last time you heard kids outside playing Don? Today,instead of going outside and playing when they come home from school-kids plop down in front of their computers and do their homework till dinner then top off the evening till bedtime with more computer time.The only place you`ll hear kids outside today is in the inner city or way out in the sticks.Wow,what a life weve made for our kids.We should all be ashamed of ourselves.

[aztec92154]

I agree. I grew up in the 80's. I remember playing baseball outside every day with my friends. One day, this nice old man walking his dog said that it made him so happy to see kids playing baseball in the street, chalk base markers and all. Back then, he said he thought the era of a Louisville slugger, a regular baseball bat, and a bunch of kids playing on the street was dead. Unfortunately, no one plays baseball on our street anymore. In 1985, when the NES came out and solidly when the SNES came out - we never needed to play outside again. I'm sure our parents thought it was more responsible to have all the kids somewhere they could watch them. Good intentions - bad result (because they went too far). We've got a real problem with the abusive "barney", "teletubbies", parenting generation. As was written in the article, its not that video games are bad, it just that we need to mix it up a bit.

[jtbrehm]

I disagree with you Aztec, I grew up in the late 80's and 90's and had both systems that you gave as examples, I even got the N64 later on and had a Sega Dreamcast for a while. While my brother and I enjoyed playing video games together, and our parents didn't mind us doing it while we weren't doing chores, we still took time out to do physical activities, our parent's never made us, we did it all on our own. We would go for 10 mile bike rides, play baseball in the yard, play football, etc. Our parent's never pushed us to play outside and yet somehow we made that "right" choice to balance it out ourselves. I think the problem now days is the "unsafe" areas, but it doesn't have to be that way. Get out there and do something if you feel your area is unsafe or take your kids to the park to play. Kids love playing, but since most families won't let their kids out of the house to play outside it is hard to find others to play with and thus it is less fun and turning to video games where you can play with others becomes a draw. My wife and I are teaching our kids both, they play Wii with us and enjoy it, and I must say my 3 year old can out Wii-Bowl anyone I know, but we also take them outside on hikes, to play baseball, soccer, frisebee, kickball, etc. Daddy is an IT guy, but he was also a runner in High School. Mommy is an Administrative Assistant, and was a cheerleader in High School. We love tech, and the outdoors, embrace them both.