Ask A Tween
This is the first part in what will probably be a one-part series that I am calling “Ask a Tween”. It just occurred to me that we adults love to make pronouncements on what is acceptable for kids. Should we let twelve year olds supervise other children at the mall? Are video games appropriate for kids? What do they like?
Take this review of games marketed to girls aged eight to twelve years old on Wired. The author ponders whether kids are sent the right messages by video games. Will girls become flaky, silly, stupid, shallow and vacuous if they play a video game about high school cliques? Is this as bad as letting young boys play Grand Theft Auto? Is marketing video games especially to girls a good idea? Let’s ask a tween!
Katy says, after reading the Wired review, “They all look pretty stupid and what the site said was pretty funny. They were all about makeup and high school cliques and crap like that. I’d never buy any of them. The video games I like to play are !!!!!MARIO!!!!!!! 
”
So there you have it. All those games are stupid and Katy won’t beg me to buy them any time ever. Meanwhile, we will play Paper Mario. We borrowed a copy of Mario Galaxy from Katy’s friend and we have also played Mario Cart. It seems that collecting coins, jumping on shrooms, throwing rocks, solving puzzles and flying through the air having adventures are fun for everybody. Making Peach, the frilly Pink Princess, a character in Mario that is playable doesn’t hurt either. Katy always chooses the Princess Peach character when we play Mariocart.
Are you listening video game manufacturers? My advice won’t cost you a thing and it’s foolproof. Boys and girls aren’t all that different when it comes to video games.
July 23rd, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Canoodling is way better than Mariocarting, especially in the summer – says he back from the marvelous river.
October 26th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
mom you spelled mario kart wrong! they spell it with a k on the game!