In "Reading, Writing & Videogames," parent and New York Times features editor Pamela Paul seems to be arguing that digital games are just that – games – they should just be fun. They don't need to be educational, and they don't really belong in classrooms. The first part of her argument makes perfect sense – hard not to agree that kids need to have fun and parents don't need to feel that every … [Read more...] about Challenging the idea that games can’t be fun AND meaningful
gaming
PS4, gaming & the new privacy reality
One thing we all need to teach our kids now is that the privacy spectrum we really need to be aware of isn't so much private-to-public as private-to-convenient – or, from kids' perspective, private-to-social (or just to-spontaneous-&-fun). The more convenience we want (e.g., not bothering with password-protecting our phones or giving services all kinds of access to our movements so they can … [Read more...] about PS4, gaming & the new privacy reality
Apple’s settlement with parents
Interesting: On the one hand, I hear a Nickelodeon executive saying kids are hard-pressed to spend $10 in the Apple App Store, and on the other I read that Apple reached a settlement with an untold number of "parents who sued the company for making it too easy for kids to rack up charges by buying add-ons to games and other apps." That's according to the Washington Post. Parents won't be able to … [Read more...] about Apple’s settlement with parents
Notes from a ‘Digital Kids’ conference
In case parents are interested in what the toy and digital industries are thinking about and designing for kids... Digital play that's both mobile and tactile was the centerpiece of what all the adults were talking about at the Digital Kids conference in New York last week, but their insights were like "frozen concentrate" compared to those from a panel of kids aged 8-13. Moderated by … [Read more...] about Notes from a ‘Digital Kids’ conference
Good move: Game company takes down cruel ad campaign
This was good to see: What looked like a truly anti-social media company, game developer Square Enix, saw irresponsibility for what it was and quickly reversed a stupid marketing decision. I'd like to take it as a sign that – in this very social media environment where users are co-producers with the providers of their media experiences – media companies and users alike will be increasingly wise … [Read more...] about Good move: Game company takes down cruel ad campaign