Gaming Technology in Your Library
Given the library’s mission to provide open and equal access to information, literature and ideas, we have developed this page to offer various viewpoints on both the merits and concerns of gaming. Print resources, weblinks and video clips are included. We hope you will visit this page to learn more about gaming, as well as to find resources for how adults, parents and educators can provide guidance to children and youth in their lives in navigating gaming and technology.
Websites
Common Sense Media: http://commonsensemedia.org
This site has reviews for games and other media, age suggestions, research, tools for parents, and more. Their mission statement is as follows: “Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology. We exist because our nation’s children spend more time with media and digital activities than they do with their families or in school, which profoundly impacts their social, emotional, and physical development. As a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization, we provide trustworthy information and tools, as well as an independent forum, so that families can have a choice and a voice about the media they consume.“
Entertainment Software Rating Board http://esrb.org
The Entertainment Software Rating Board has ratings for games, and a link to education for parents on research related to gaming. Parents can also find tools and information on navigating the world of emerging technology.
Web Articles & Books
Pew Research Center Publications: Teens, Video Games and Civics (2008) http://pewresearch.org/pubs/953/
This survey provides the first nationally representative study of teen video game play and of teen video gaming and civic engagement. The survey looks at which teens are playing games, the games and equipment they are using, the social context of their play, and the role of parents and parental monitoring. Though arguments have been made about the civic potential of video gaming, this is the first large-scale study to examine the relationship between specific gaming experiences and teens’ civic activities and commitments.
New Iowa State Research Considers Prosocial, Antisocial and Other Effects of Video Games (2012) http://archive.news.iastate.edu/news/2012/may/prosocialgames
New studies by Iowa State University psychology researchers Craig Anderson and Douglas Gentile have found further evidence that youth who play prosocial video games—games in which characters help others in nonviolent ways—can increase helpful and decrease hurtful behavior. “Video games are wonderful teachers and motivators, but content matters,“ Anderson said.
The Modern Parent’s Guide to Kids and Video Games (2011) by Scott Steinberg
http://parentsguidebooks.com
A free downloadable book which contains tips and tools for parents to deal with video games as a part of their childrens’ lives.
Video
Aspen Ideas 2012: Games: Where Intelligence is Valued
Some Youth Addicted to Video Games (research by Dr. Douglas Gentile, Iowa State University)
Books in the Library Collection
Some of these aren’t focused exclusively on gaming, but the impact of media (including gaming) on youth.
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Imagination and Play in the Electronic Age (2005),
by Dorothy G. Singer
306.481 Singer
Television, video games, and computers are easily accessible to twenty-first-century children, but what impact do they have on creativity and imagination? In this book, two wise and long-admired observers of children’s make-believe look at the cognitive and moral potential—and concern—created by electronic media.
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Gamers—in the Library?! The Why, What and How of Video Game Tournaments for all Ages (2007),
by Eli Neiburger
794.8 Neiburger
As a leading expert on producing videogame tournaments and events, Neiburger explains why videogame programming holds huge potential for libraries. Neiburger is Ann Arbor’s library technology manager.
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The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (2008),
by Mark Bauerlein
302.231 Bauerlein
While more focused on the impact of the internet and media than on gaming, English professor Bauerlein’s point is that the proponderance of electronic and digital media has caused the decline of reading and knowledge that accompanies the emergent digital universe.
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Got Game : How a New Generation of Gamers is Reshaping Business Forever (2004),
by John C. Beck
794.8 Beck
Beck and Wade, consultants on the digital revolution and information strategy, reveal the impact that the “gamer generation” will have on the future of business. Drawing on a large-scale survey and hundreds of interviews, they argue that gaming is effective training for critical business skills, and that it has created a generation of employees with risk taking, multitasking, and leadership capabilities. The authors explain how managers can bridge the generation gap and unleash gamers’ hidden potential in the workplace.
