Hotmilkydrink: The Digital Home of Derek Robertson

Is he really playing a PS3? I don't think so....

Have a close look at this picture. It looks like a young boy about 6 years old who appears to be playing a computer game using the sixaxis controller for the PS3. Take a closer look and maybe, like me, you'll begin to think that something's not quite right here...

First of all, look at his face: does that look like the face that children make when they are lost in a game? His bored and indifferent look suggests that maybe the computer game is not switched on at the wall!

Also, look at his posture. Again it shouts out that there is a clear lack of engagement and disinterest in what he is playing.

What on esrth is going with this young man I ask? Does he really have a PS3 that works?!!! I don't think so and neither do I think do Sony! Well this picture was taken from a short video clip that is currently being used in a new campaign by the Department of Health via their Change4Life initiative.

Take a look at the short clip from which this photo was taken and try not to feel the presence of the director at the side asking the young lad to look unhappy and unhealthy.

"That's it son, give me a big sigh, yeah, bored, that's it, you really want to be out playing football don't you son!"

I have recent experience of this attempt to reinforce uninformed and unhelpful stereotypes of game players when I accompanied a BBC crew to a school in Scotland to investigate our use of Dr Kawashima's Brain Training in schools. The editorial take was such that they wanted to show the transition form 'old school' to 'new school' by taking a shot of the kids using pencil and paper and looking 'glum' as they did this. Happy faces would then return when the DS came out! Needless to say we intervened to ask this not to happen because it's not the message that we want to give nor is it the ethos that we aim to nurture. It does look like we still have to fully address the easy negative image that has been associated with computer games. I bet the production team all went home to play with their Wii that's in the living room though ;-)

A tip for Director's who want to construct an appropriately negative image of children and games in future. Get real! Children do not look like that when they are challenged, excited and engaged by the complex environments that games can offer them. Maybe eventually the message will get through...

More exertainment!

Here's another piece of kit from GymKids.

The Cyberbike hooks up to one of five in-built computer games and the movements of the on-screen characters are controlled by how fast the player cycles. Must try this out...

Exercising with games-bribe or incentive?

Last month I posted an article about an exercise device that hooks up to your games console and requires you to keep keep exercising otherwise the console game pauses. Now a similar device aimed at children has been released. The Step2Play exerciser from GymKids is doing the same thing but it is built for 7-11 year olds.

It kind of reminds of the Anthill Mob's bullet proof bomb car from Wacky Races. The Guys inside had to put their legs through the bottom and run to make the car go!

The BBC site has a short article about this and it briefly touches on the comments from Dr Ian Campbell of WEight Concern who said the device would be "useful" but that it was "a terrible indictment on society thyat children needed to be bribed to take exercise".

For me, it's all about balance. Nothing replaces active games, sports, walks etc. but where games are played and some exercise is required then there is the option to use a number of peripherals such as Eye Toy, Dance Mats etc.

In a world where children play outside less and less it then it seems slightly unfair to point any finger of causality with obseity solely with computer games.