Family Gaming

This morning at the library I witnessed a very enduring bonding moment between a little girl and her grandmother due to gaming. It made me reflect on the on campus session and the discussion we had about gaming and the positives and negatives that come with it. The little girl (5yrs old) sat down at one of the YS gaming computers and started to play a Disney Princess game. The computer next to her was open, and she prompted her granmother to play the same game she was playing. To my surprise the grandmother was very open to this experience, and sat down, put on the computer head phones, and started playing too.

As they got started, the little girl instructed her grandma on how to get started, telling her which keys on the keyboard to push to control the characters, perform certain actions, etc. The grandma asked questions along the way, talking a little loud just like the kids do because she has headphones on, and relying on her grandaughter when she was confused or unsure of what to do next. The little girl was great at multi tasking, watching both her own screen and her grandmothers, and comenting or instructing her grandmother when she felt it was necessary. The little girl was very enthusiatic and excited, sitting at the edge of her seat and encouraging her grandmother when she was doing well and had performed tasks correctly. The grandmother’s attidtude and demeanor was so impressive. She was not annoyed or overwhelmed to be on the computer learning to play an unfamiliar game. She was very engaged with the game, and was interested and commited to what was taking place on the screen. She was enjoying herself, and the time she was spending with her grandaughter. It was a way for them to connect and bond, and for the grandmother to take an interest in what the little girl enjoyed.

This scenario allowed me to view gaming from a new perspective; as an intergenerational activity. Through the Disney Princess game a little girl and her grandmother were able to interact, socialize, and connect in a new way. Also, game literacy was occuring, but with the little girl teaching, instructing, and guiding her grandmother; the child was teaching the adult, with isn’t traditionally the case. You could tell it was a great self-confidence booster for the child- she was the one with the expertise and experience, and she was excited to be sharing it with her grandmother. Most often when grandparents bring their grandchildren to the library they bring them over the the game computer, and then go find a chair nearby and read a magazine or book. However, this grandparent used this opportunity to get up to speed with the activites her grandaughter is interested in, and tried to learn what they were all about so she could participate to. She took an incredibly active role in gaming with her grandaughter, rather than passively supervising her as she played.

Witnessing this experience led me to an article in Library Journal about Eric Riley, branch manager at the Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Interim Library in Washington DC who places an emphasis on multigenerational programming. He sees it as an opportunity for generations to connect, share, appreciate, and learn from one another. For instance, his library has a co-aged knitting club for ages 8-80 and hosts an intergenerational Wii workshop. With good planning and promotion, I think hosting a family game night could be a great way to bring families together in the library. Many adults seem to view gaming as a waste of time for kids, and fail to see the positive social connections and interactions that can come with it. Also, because they have never played, some adults are unaware of the different types of literacy so many games target. A family game night would allow kids to share their gaming interests with their parents, siblings, or grandparents, helping them to form connections and engage in new ways.