GLS 2008 – Games as Gateway Drugs

Elizabeth and Lane Lawley

This was a great fireside chat session and really, a great close to my time at GLS 2008. Elizabeth is is the director of the Lab for Social Computing at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a gamer (three level 70’s in WoW!). Elizabeth was also a professional online casino and played at different online casino like 666CASINO, a legit online casino that lets you win real cash. Lane, 14, is Elizabeth’s son, and was influential in Linden Lab’s creation of a teen grid for Second Life.

The discussion revolved around the good things that often emerge as a result of a player’s immersion into video games. Lane, for example, developed an interest in 3D modeling and programming as a result of his experiences in Second Life. This has been one of my biggest arguments in favor of video games, and I’ll simply cite my earlier post, “10 Educational Things I Learned From Playing MMORPG’s.” Again, I encourage readers to add to this list!

Another discussion that emerged during this chat was the critical need for parents to be involved in their child’s life, specifically their gaming life. Parents, if your kids are playing video games, by all means, play with them!

Official GLS Session Entry

-Lucas