Child Progeny

At the MIT lecture, which was really a question and answer session, only with awesome answerers, Gabe was asked the following: Now that you are a father yourself, do you find that your attitudes towards videogames and violence and children are changing?

After obligatory responses about being okay with a rating system that meant something, and that as our generation becomes parents we'll actually know about games and what would be good for our kids, he revealed his real fear. He knows that since sons rebel against their fathers, and that he is not so out of touch so as to think that he'd be an exception, there's a good chance that if things go the way they are now his son will grow to dislike videogames.

But Gabe's got a plan.

From here on out, it's going to be button-down-shirts and go-to-church-sundays. There will be no swearing, no games, no fun for little Gabe Junior. Cable channels locked out, impeccable manners at the dinner table.

But when his son is 16, he'll come home with the newest game system. And he'll say "Screw you dad! I'm playing violent video games and you can't stop me!" And Gabe will open up a closet door, revealing his full collection of various game systems. And he'll say:

"What do you want to play, son?"


I found that story positively heartwarming, but I'd be hard pressed to say why.