Recently I came upon a news story on Facebook asking people their thoughts on a local New Jersey library banning violent video games being played on their computers. Children were apparently logging onto the internet at the library and playing games like Call of Duty. When I began to read the comments I realized that most of them were people angry at how the library would think that video games are the cause for violence in children. I could not believe the reaction from these people, many of them parents and I'm sure some of them teens or young adults.
Let me start by saying, I myself enjoy video games. When I play action games, which tend to be violent, I enjoy the stress relief of beating the hell out of digital creations. But, I am far from a violent person. I've played video games my entire life and I've never once cause physical harm to another or even considered it.
But the violence of the games is not where my issue lies in this. What angers me is the knowledge that libraries allow people to play any games at all, other than those that may be educational. When I was growing up the library was where you went to find books that would take you to another land OR to research a project for school. When we used the computers it was either to look through the digital card catalog (though when I was much younger there was no such thing) or to do online research for projects. I don't remember there even being a way to play games on their computers.
When did the library stop becoming a place for education and enrichment? Library is defined as "a place set apart to contain books, periodicals, and other material for reading, viewing, listening, study, or reference, as a room, set of rooms, or building where books may be read or borrowed." Where in there does it say: to play video games? I don't care if you're playing Call of Duty or Toejam and Earl (yes, we're going way back now!), the library is not the place to be playing them. Isn't that what arcades are for? I bring my child to the library to take out books and it excites her to get 5 or 6 (or 10) more to take home and enjoy each night before bed.
It's no wonder so many kids of today don't understand what a good book can do for you. It's no wonder they consider it boring to read for fun. Our lives are ever changing with the constant introduction of new technology, but does that really mean we have to stray from what was once so amazing and wonderful? I myself will allow my child to play video games (nonviolent, she's only a preschooler) BUT she will learn the value of a good book.
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