| No matter how great a parent child relationship there is | | | | I used to think that my daughter was wasting her time, |
| always going to be a generation gap. As much as we | | | | hours on end, playing in this virtual world. I would say to |
| parents might think we understand how it is to be | | | | my wife "It's not real, it's all made up; why doesn't she |
| young, we were once after all; today's children are | | | | go out to play with real friends, real games?" Then last |
| growing up in a world very different to the one in | | | | week I read something that made me realise why she |
| which we started out. | | | | spends hours and days fixed in front of the computer. |
| My daughter can't imagine a world without computers, | | | | It is real and it is hers. Personal space for an 11 year |
| the internet and the multitude of game platforms. In the | | | | old is limited; you live in a house with grownups who |
| 70s what we take for granted today would have | | | | rule absolute (almost) and you can shut your bedroom |
| seemed like the stuff of sci-fi books. | | | | door but that space is never really all yours. The door |
| There are three main things that I have recently come | | | | can open and your environment changes. On line in a |
| to understand about children; that social interaction is | | | | virtual world you meet characters, other children, and |
| more important now than ever, and thriving; that the | | | | interact with them, build friendships and learn social |
| virtual world of gaming and simulated personalities is | | | | skills. |
| where they can express themselves freely and learn | | | | Best of all you own it, you can be exactly who you |
| to be individuals; and that learning in the old fashioned | | | | want to be, dress how you like and colour your hair. |
| way is boring and outdated. | | | | You have complete freedom to go where you please |
| The first of these understandings has come to me | | | | and do what is available to do. You can chat and |
| through a progression of thought and exposure to | | | | interact, work to earn virtual money and buy things. I |
| media. At first, and especially to an outsider, the social | | | | was amazed that my daughter opened a virtual |
| networks that are now so prevalent seem to be false | | | | business and had customers and made virtual money. |
| and shallow. How can someone have 2000 followers | | | | She found a girl who was doing some art and |
| on Twitter and call them friends? How can you have | | | | commissioned her to do a picture for her and then paid |
| even a fraction of that number and meaningfully | | | | her for it. |
| interact with them? | | | | This interaction and cooperation is inspirational and I |
| Well perhaps you don't need to and a small interaction | | | | believe that we all can learn from this; which brings me |
| is enough to express a common interest or like. | | | | on to the third and final point about education. I wonder |
| Tweeting is limited to just a sentence or less, what can | | | | that children can sit still in classrooms at all and learn in |
| you really say? But it seems you can say enough to | | | | the way that I did as a child. Things have changed and |
| identify with someone and to gain from that. | | | | now children can learn skills through experiencing virtual |
| On MySpace you can form greater bonds and | | | | situations that mimic reality. School is getting left behind |
| interactions and once again have huge groups of | | | | and one hears increasingly of children with attention |
| friends that you communicate with. For sure within | | | | deficit disorder but I am starting to wonder if it is not us |
| those groups there will be a few that are in the inner | | | | adults that are just not stimulating enough to keep that |
| circle. This is just as it would be in a large group or | | | | attention. |
| organisation such as at work or school. You meet | | | | We must now learn to engage and encourage our |
| people all the time and have different levels of contact | | | | children in new ways that stimulate them and help |
| with them; it's normal. Some people will filter down and | | | | them grow. In doing this I believe we will also learn a lot |
| become greater friends and it is through all this | | | | and come to a new understanding of the world that |
| interaction that personalities and life skills are grown. | | | | we now live in. |
| This brings me on to the next point of gaming and | | | | Taking this forward we can consider new ideas for |
| simulated online environments. My daughter was, and | | | | business and ways to involve our prospects on line. |
| is, a big fan of The SIMS games and has many a | | | | Peering and cooperation are becoming more and |
| family to run and different people to be. This is the role | | | | more powerful ways of building products and business. |
| playing that might have been done with dolls in the | | | | I am working on ways to open up my businesses to |
| past; and still is on occasion. | | | | involve anyone who can make a valuable contribution. |
| The SIMS has its limitations though because one plays | | | | Not only from the sales side through affiliate programs |
| "with the game" as opposed to other players. That is | | | | but also in new ways that involve people in the |
| why now the online virtual worlds have blossomed so | | | | product itself. Watch this space (and my website) for |
| much and we see the emergence of Club Penguin | | | | how I decide to open up my business and please get |
| and Small Worlds. The latter is perhaps for the slightly | | | | in touch directly if you have any ideas or would like to |
| older child and I came to a new understanding of this | | | | get involved. |
| just recently. | | | | |