In a recent blog post on Zen and the Art of Admissions, I made a somewhat controversial statement about the types of extra-curricular activities that students should pursue. In the pursuit of excellence, I suggested that any activity from the math team to video games might be valid. I’ll use this post to elaborate and clarify my stance on the matter.
First off, I should reiterate that extra-curriculars should never come before academic obligations. They are, as the word implies, “extra.” So students should not lobby to replace homework with the Call of Duty 3. Also, I’m not suggesting students wile away all of their free time with a Wii-mote in their hands. Rather, if a student is going to make a case for video games as a genuine extra-curricular, the activity should be treated as if it were a sport or musical instrument. That is, hours of mindless play should be replaced by focused practice, thorough evaluation, and meaningful competition.
If you don’t believe me, here’s an excellent TED Talk by Jane McGonigal, video game expert and believer in the power of video games to enable collaborative problem solving and change the world:
Play is not practice. Practice is not play.
As with any other activity, genuine improvement comes from practice with measurable results. If you were a basketball player, drills, training, and repetition of simple tasks would be as important to improvement as game experience. Video games are no different. If you want to improve your skills, you have to focus your efforts on individual skills and track your progress accordingly.
As with any game in real life, video games have various facets – strategy, offense, defense, shooting, maneuvering, etc. – over which certain players have varying degrees of mastery. If you want to be the best, you’ve got to systematically practice each micro-skill and apply those skills to a game setting.
The most famous name in professional is Johnathan Wendel. He has earned over $100,000 in a single year of competition. Jonathan, however, admits that such success requires no less than eight hours of practice every day.
It’s all in your head
Without a genuine physical component to video games (though consoles are evolving), the key to being a successful video game player is not only the dexterity of your thumbs but also your brain. That means video games can’t be about shutting off your brain. Instead, you’ve got to employ all of your cognitive capacity when at play. Rather than zoning out to the point of catatonic drooling, you need to remain conscious of your activity, incorporating frequent breaks for analysis.
While playing a sport, musical instrument, or video game, breaks are essential. They allow you to gather your focus and give thoughtful consideration to your progress and mistakes. Most of all disciplined and frequent breaks allow you to maintain control over your activity rather than the other way around. In short, video game addiction is real; genuine and productive involvement requires careful time management to prevent being overwhelmed as happens in South Korea. A policy of requiring 30 minutes of off-line time for every hour of gaming is an essential practice for managing one’s self.
Compete against the best
In any extra-curricular activity, regional, national, and international recognition are essential measures of success. Moreover, competing against the best raises your personal expectations and performance. Playing against the best brings out the best in you. Some international competitions include the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) and the Electronic Sports World Cup.
As always, dedication to a single activity – be it video games or violin – must not force other activities to the margin. Adolescent maturation requires balance and exploration of several interests. In conclusion, video gaming can be a valid activity if conducted with discipline, dedication, and competition. In our changing landscape, digital natives will be essential actors in the economy and society of the future. But managing online and real-life performance is essential for a happy and balanced life. Here’s a fascinating Frontline episode that investigates our evolving digital culture.
