Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: parenting in cohousing. video games

[Brian Tremback (brian.tremback]

Maraiah Lynn Nadeau:


> "We are OK with parents deciding what video games their kids play, but
> the issue becomes stickier when their playing "Halo" in the CH makes
> some passers-by clench up and get intensely upset at the concept that
> the players are being rewarded, in the game, for blowing up things and
> beings."


Do you find that video games actually have much of a social component? Given
that's it's been a few years since my kids were actively playing them in our
home (before cohousing days), I rarely saw them actually play cooperatively
or interact much during the game. The most social it got was watching each
other play. This may not be typical, but I wonder what your experience is.
Is your CH providing a personal service (game playing equipment) or a social
one (getting together with friends), and how does that fit in with the
agreed-upon purpose of your CH? The fact that some people are getting
"intensely upset" is worrisome, since it seriously diminishes the value of
the CH for them. We haven't had to deal with this yet, but I'm curious if
other communities have developed specific missions that are a guide for the
use of their CH.

Brian Tremback
Burlington Cohousing East Village
Vermont