Nintendo Okie

Where was this when I was a scout?  Oh so many years ago I was in Cub Scouts and moved on to Boy Scouts.  I advanced to the rank of First Class before giving it up in favor of athletics.  This is a great opportunity for young boys to learn how to become responsible when dealing with video games.  There are a number of requirements that have to be met in order to obtain these awards for gaming, but they’re not unreasonable and they’re great ways to get kids and more importantly parents paying attention to what young gamers are playing. 

There are two different types of awards.  The first, the belt loop, has the following requirements: 

• Explain why it is important to have a rating system for video games. Check your video games to be sure they are right for your age.
• With an adult, create a schedule for you to do things that includes your chores, homework, and video gaming. Do your best to follow this schedule.
• Learn to play a new video game that is approved by your parent, guardian, or teacher.

These are excellent beginnings for young people to understand when they want to get into video games.  My son is six years old and almost ready to join the Cub Scouts.  He already would meet all of these requirements.  We’ve discussed the ratings on the front of games and he knows what all of the different letters means from EC all the way up to M.  We haven’t delved into the world of AO just yet.  [=^)   He already has a schedule set up for schoolwork and that must be completed before any game playing occurs, and that boy can already play dozens of games that have been approved by his mother and myself. 

I’ve said many times in the past that I think video games are a double edged sword.  They are a great way to pass the time with some fun entertainment and can help develop skills that will be necessary later in life.  They’re also a gateway to darker things if left unchecked.  Gaming is something, especially with young people that really should be regulated by parents.  I’m against government enforcement of rating systems and legal penalties only because I think the government would screw it up.  The ESRB is a good system that has lots of information available to parents and gamers alike.  These building blocks set up by the lower tier award are perfect for establishing a base and ground rules for a hobby that will carry many people through the rest of their lives.  It also works towards making sure the parents are involved and helping to make those decisions with their child, not for the child. 

Once you’ve earned this award you can move on to the more advanced one that has kids doing things that are a bit more complex and challenging. 

• With your parents, create a plan to buy a video game that is right for your age group.
  Compare two game systems (for example, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii, and so on).
• Explain some of the differences between the two. List good reasons to purchase or use a game system.
• Play a video game with family members in a family tournament.
• Teach an adult or a friend how to play a video game.
• List at least five tips that would help someone who was learning how to play your favorite video game.
• Play an appropriate video game with a friend for one hour.
• Play a video game that will help you practice your math, spelling, or another skill that helps you in your schoolwork.
• Choose a game you might like to purchase. Compare the price for this game at three different stores. Decide which store has the best deal. In your decision, be sure to consider things like the store return policy and manufacturer’s warranty.
• With an adult’s supervision, install a gaming system.

These requirements really go on to do more than just help learn about how to responsibly choose a video game and gets more into making more appropriate choices that will help outside of gaming.  Making purchasing decisions based on comparison shopping, using games as an educational tool and teaching someone to do something they may not know how to do.

This is probably the best set of requirements I’ve seen for earning a merit badge in a while.  Granted, I’ve been out of scouting for 15 years and so my memory is a little fuzzy.  The one thing I remember about Boy Scouts was that it wasn’t just about camping and tying knots.  It was ultimately about learning how to become a responsible adult.  They’ve taken a subject that just about every young boy (and more and more girls) in America likes to do and used it to teach lessons that are important to becoming a responsible member of society.  They’ll teach you about the value of a good deal and economics, how to use something you like to help with something you may not like and even cooperation and teaching.

I applaud this effort by the Boy Scouts of America.  They’ve been an organization I’ve supported for a number of years and looked forward to being a part of with my son in the future.  Most importantly they’re taking an aspect of society that many people shun and blame for the ills of the world and showing people it’s not all that bad.  When used responsibly it can benefit everyone from the gamer to those around them in a good way.  It’s things like this that will make gaming more and more acceptable to people who haven’t taken the time to understand why people enjoy this form of entertainment so much.  That can only be a good thing.