Beyond the Call Of Duty: how to teach your kids about the reality of war.

[TechCzech]

This is a special sort of news and I decided to post it and share it with you because it is game/social related and the idea struck me as 'crazy' at first but upon further reading I understood why he did it.
"...it has made them aware of a conflict that even many adults do not fully understand".
"Parents have a responsibility to teach their children the truth"

I don't think I would bring my children to see the remnants of war and what it means to real people in the real world up close.
However living in oblivion unaware what is happening around the world is not an option for me and will not be for my children.
I think watching a documentary on the same would be I would go. That should at least make them aware and more understanding of the real world.
And what age is appropriate to try to educate the youth? I think 10/11 might actually be perfect age to do it. Anytime later and they have already learned about guns, sex and rock n' roll from someone/somewhere else.

Please, do share your opinion.

Kudos to you Carl-Magnus Helgegren!

Read more here (original source(s)):

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/relationships/fatherhood/11030428/Beyond-the-call-of-duty-how-to-teach-your-kids-about-the-reality-of-war.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2722609/Swedish-father-fed-sons-obsessions-violent-Call-Duty-computer-game-takes-SYRIA-guns-worked.html

Note, I sure am not against FPS games (unlike Mr. Helgegren). I am pro AWARENESS and pro KNOWLEDGE.

[Guest]

I just play BF3 because it's fun to play.

It's a game, not a war simulator.

[Speedbird]

I just play BF3 because it's fun to play.

It's a game, not a war simulator.

Shut up, you're not supposed to tell that! It's not what the media says

[TheRoss0411]

This is about 1 month old, it has been reposted many time and i am pretty sure was on the WAN show

[Victorious Secret]

You know what I do in BF4? 

 

I strap C4 onto my F35 and ram the living shit out of everything I can. I put C4 on my MAAs and then charge head first into capture points because the MAA is one tricky bastard to kill and when I get into trouble I click-boom. I routinely press the spacebar with 10 feet left to open my parachute and splatter myself against a building because my Top Gun antics didn't work. 

 

But I'm smart enough to know that games ≠ reality. Not even remotely. Well, one set of games. Racing simulators. Those tend to impart some meaningful skill, but thats a different topic entirely. 

[Trik'Stari]

I always love when the non gaming community tries to tell us what our games are about. Kinda like being told that sex is a sin by virgins in cloaks (who sometimes fondle little boys)

[Sauron]

Cod can't teach anything on the reality of war. If you really want some sort of media that can do that, watch full metal jacket, or saving private Ryan (both of these still have some flaws in authenticity of course, but they're certainly closer to the truth than any videogame).

 

A documentary is probably the best way to go.

[Đỗ Đức Huy]

Nah I play it because it is a damn game to pass the time, not a war simulator. As some of the first generation in my country that have lives all their lives in peace, I'm grateful for that and don't want to have anything to do with war real or simulated.

Ps: My country is VietNam and my father is a Sino-VietNam war veteran. No need to bring up war in my household. We know what we are doing and need no media to sensationalize non-news like this 

[Faceman]

Learning about the dire consequences on civilization when diplomacy fails.

[TechCzech]

This is about 1 month old, it has been reposted many time and i am pretty sure was on the WAN show

I tried to look for the father's name "Helgegren" but didn't find any post. I watch WAN show pretty much every week...if it's true I must have missed one.

[ShadowCaptain]

I am going to teach my son about life by letting him play GTA

[TechCzech]

I always love when the non gaming community tries to tell us what our games are about. Kinda like being told that sex is a sin by virgins in cloaks (who sometimes fondle little boys)

Yes, we can discuss whether this is real news or not...not important. The way I look at it...I don't care if the kids play some FPS as long as they know what the reality is about as well.

I am also not trying to generalize FPS gamers either. Maybe they could pack a documentary on some real conflict with games like CoD. Good idea? .-)

[WereCat]

I am going to teach my son about life by letting him play GTA

Listen boooy! If you become wanted in future by a police just jump under going car. When you wake up at hospital later your crimes will be pardoned!

[ShadowCaptain]

Listen boooy! If you become wanted in future by a police just jump under going car. When you wake up at hospital later your crimes will be pardoned!

 

Just drive through glowing badges and the police will disapear, also if you get a hooker and fuck her in your car, make sure you cave her head in and get your money back

[Raid]

I've seen many young men as of recent who've been thinking about their place in the current situation of the world. If war reaches the border, they'll have to kill the enemy or be killed by their own for disobeying orders. They don't want to fight, they're afraid of war, and they've managed to realize this all without ever seeing war. And these are not 10-year old kids. These are mostly 20-somethings who've grown up playing Call of Duty and other such games. If their mind can barely handle this, I can not even imagine what it must do to a 10-year old.

[TechCzech]

I've seen many young men as of recent who've been thinking about their place in the current situation of the world. If war reaches the border, they'll have to kill the enemy or be killed by their own for disobeying orders. They don't want to fight, they're afraid of war, and they've managed to realize this all without ever seeing war. And these are not 10-year old kids. These are mostly 20-somethings who've grown up playing Call of Duty and other such games. If their mind can barely handle this, I can not even imagine what it must do to a 10-year old.

Would you watch a documentary that would show all or some of this? With a 10/11 year old.

[lttiscancer]

I always love when the non gaming community tries to tell us what our games are about. Kinda like being told that sex is a sin by virgins in cloaks (who always fondle little boys)

fixed.

[ItsComrade]

I always love when the non gaming community tries to tell us what our games are about. Kinda like being told that sex is a sin by virgins in cloaks (who sometimes fondle little boys)

 

That;s one way to put it....

[ItsComrade]

That fucking swedish journalist is a questionable parent. The kids just wanted to play a fucking video game and have fun and now A. It may have been ruined for them by seeing an actual fucking warzone and B. you shouldn't be so vehemently against such an innocuous thing that is so far removed from reality that there is hardly any comparison from the game to real life. Sure, it's based on concepts from real life like guns and war but it's a fucking video game. 

[RH00D]

The father wasn't trying to teach his kids that video games are bad or cause violence....

 

All he was trying to do was educate them on reality before allowing them to play video games so that their perception of reality wasn't formed by the video game.

 

It is always important to teach children true realities before video games teach them false perceptions. That's just good parenting.

[Trik'Stari]

The father wasn't trying to teach his kids that video games are bad or cause violence....

 

All he was trying to do was educate them on reality before allowing them to play video games so that their perception of reality wasn't formed by the video game.

 

It is always important to teach children true realities before video games teach them false perceptions. That's just good parenting.

Try the military channel, much better and you learn a lot.

 

Here's a better idea, for the love of god, START FOLLOWING THE PARENTAL ADVISORIES ON THE GAMES. I don't know about everyone else but I'm tired of fighting 8 year olds screaming "fag, your mom, umadbro(I hate that one) etc" into chat.

 

Edit: Anyone that quotes me and says "umadbro" gets an ignore. seriously I hate that meme more than anything in this universe.

[TechCzech]

The father wasn't trying to teach his kids that video games are bad or cause violence....

 

All he was trying to do was educate them on reality before allowing them to play video games so that their perception of reality wasn't formed by the video game.

 

It is always important to teach children true realities before video games teach them false perceptions. That's just good parenting.

I absolutely agree.

It is important to differentiate between people who just say video games are bad and the ones who are trying to find the right way to educate the new generation. I would myself choose a way of watching documentaries than taking my children to see everything up close.

I also do not agree with parents switching to 'autopilot'...meaning I don't think you can depend on children raising themselves. That doesn't mean to force all your opinions and values on them however there are basics you should and always challenge them to learn more themselves and form their own opinions.