My parents still think gaming is a weird hobby. But for me, it's a way of thinking, a password. In his remarkable new book Playful World, Mark Pesce reminds us of Mead's observation about the pace of change in the Western world. In earlier times, Mead had written, elders could educate the young in their traditions and wisdoms, passing along important lessons that would serve the youngsters well. In many ways, gaming is at the center of this chasm.
Adults still insist they have lessons to teach the next generation.
But the young have come to believe, with increasing justification, that their elders know much less than they do, and have little worth passing along. Obviously many older people do have useful things to pass along, especially their experiences with life and their accumulated perspectives. But there are also cultural and technological advances, more all the time, that they simply can't grasp. It often seems that only adolescents really have the time, instincts and motor skills to grasp the mechanics of cutting-edge gaming, programming and other digital technologies. Gaming isn't just a hobby any longer.