Nothing educational about roblox, Minecraft etc?

[Pastasau]

My dc is 8 & since last year all her friends have been meeting online (zoom) to play Roblox, Minecraft etc. They spend hours on these games & I understand sometimes beg their parents to buy extras within the games... Also they were huge tic toc followers also.
My dc has no device, she reads loads & loves art & crafts.
We are getting her a tablet for homeschool, I hate having finally succumbed but another device is necessary.
I know sometimes dd feels lost when they talk about the latest tic toc or what's happening on roblox😢 but I don't want her on a screen when she's such an avid reader & crafter.
She hasn't seen her friends from school since before Xmas but on the class whatsapp group last night most of the parents were so thankful for Minecraft so they could work in peace...
Aibu to think that these games are not educational & children would be far better reading, playing lego etc...?

I don't think Roblox is at all educational! But mine raft really is. My sons both know lots of different types of mineral etc and the spacial side of it is good as they're building in 3D. I think it's great BUT in equal moderation alongside reading, craft etc.

Minecraft

My DDs are 9 and 11. I don't allow Tiktok because i don't think it's safe. I think Minecraft is great though. Good for spatial skills and creativity, also great for socialising since the March lockdown because they played with friends. I'm not as keen on Roblox but they do have it and also some other games. I do limit screen time too. I think Minecraft would be a good one to start with for your DD. You could play together to begin with.

Children’s education isn’t just about the three Rs. My kids play Minecraft with their friends while on zoom, and it’s done wonders for their social skills. They’ve built huge realms with complex buildings and systems - not only are they learning logic skills and having an outlet for their creativity, but they’re learning to collaborate, organise, and how to deal with disagreements and resolve them, and that their actions have consequences.

My kids Screen addiction is one of the worst things to come out of lock down

Ha, what timing! Just yesterday my DC12 came home from school (France) and happily told me how he had won a €50 chocolate coin in Geography. He had won a class completion to name the most biomes and ecosystems. When I asked him how he knew so many, he said he’d named most of them from minecraft! And then he further explained how it also teaches you about metals and minerals and what are found where for example. Aside from that it has also been a great outlet and essential way to stay in touch with school friends. Lots of value to some games in my opinion and minecraft is particularly good because it also teaches them 3D shaping, some maths and spatial awareness.

YABU OP. You could probably be doing something better with your time than posting on MN, I could certainly be doing something better with mine. But DC are growing up in a digital age, it's really quite important they get to grips with this stuff. Learning how to interact safely online, navigate apps, socialise online, these are important skills. Particularly at the moment, she will end up being left out of her friendship groups and feeling isolated. There is really no harm in allowing her a limited amount of screen time.

Why are people so scared of technology? Are you an older parent?

We have all the devices. Switches, iPads, Xbox, PlayStation etc. Our kids play them but they also read, craft, skate, sing, dance, go out with mates etc. It’s not one or the other.

I think yabu, yes I would prefer my DD to spend all day reading but realistically this is the 21st century, and Roblox and Minecraft are not the enemy. There are far worse games to play. Minecraft at it's best is creative.

My daughter loves Roblox, she has grown out of Minecraft now (she is ten, she did like it aged 8). I agree it can be horribly addictive. But Roblox has been a lifeline because my DD chats on Facetime or Skype on her phone whilst playing Roblox on the laptop. She has been able to avoid any MH problems in lockdown simply by having that regular opportunity to natter to her friends, play cooperatively in group games, roleplay etc. Roblox has improved her confidence talking in groups (but not talking over people), negotiating which games to play, taking turns, etc.

She has also had a go at coding, too, as there are lots of YouTube videos that help teach that for Roblox. But in honesty we have mostly relied on it for fun and interaction with friends.

I do think it is important not to isolate children from their peers by cutting them off from modern life. I had a school friend whose mum refused to have a TV in the house so that she could focus on reading and schooling, she grew up totally excluded from conversations with peers, became an oddball, was bullied. I befriended her at university (we were both Oxbridge), she was nice but still very withdrawn. Despite having an amazing education, she didn't flourish, she never got over her feeling of being an outsider. She became an alcoholic and got a dead end job. Obviously it is an extreme example but I'm just making the point that it can be very damaging to be on the outside of social conversations with peers.

For me, it is balance in all things.

Both my kids have access to tablets. One plays minecraft - the other almost never although she likes to watch her sister. The gamer child is much more sociable, has a bigger friend group, still reads and does loads of craft including making jewellery for all our relatives’ Christmas presents. She also writes and illustrates her own stories. Bookworm child reads incessantly to the exclusion of everything else and probably would ignore your kids if they came round if she was reading a really good book. I find it a bit weird that this is commended but games like minecraft from which my daughter has learned loads and been very inspired creatively are demonised.

You're obviously not thinking about this very hard OP otherwise I'm sure you'd be ensuring your children are socialised (as well as maybe enjoying the educational and non educational benefits of minecraft) rather than having them sit around cutting and sticking all day.

You're a much better parent than the neighbours after all

Does your dd watch TV? Gaming is far better IMO (depending on the game). Why not switch TV time for gaming rather than reducing the crafting time?

Roblox can be amazing. My son has built the most unbelievable houses and cities on one of the games. Something to do with pets though is less fabulous. Minecraft is excellent though

Minecraft is very creative. It's like virtual Lego, and there are so many things which can be done in the world, or via programming.

Roblox, which we don't have (mostly for the following reason) encourages further purchases. Lots of in-game 'upgrades' which you can show off for your friends.

I can highly recommend Minecraft.

My child is an avid reader, she likes a bit of craft and she loves tech. Her functional maths and problem solving skills developed using both Minecraft and Roblox.

You can set screen time on tablets. My children love Roblox and tic toc, but are only allowed in them for so long during day and do other activities aswell.

@squeezeapplesmakejuice

Yanbu my ds is 7, he does not have mine craft etc. He uses an iPad for online school work, I do think it's ridiculous that small dc are allowed to play these junk games. Not very safe either. He is fine reading, drawing etc

How much do you know about them?

Well seeing as you can't actually spell Tik Tok I'm not sure you're that clued up on online games.

I was using computers in the 80/90's, I'm not sure how educational Frogger was, fun though!

If you completely remove her from playing games you may also remove her involvement with school friends during lockdown.

Calling all games junk is so lazy.

I grew up in the nineties and played a lot of video games. Playing The Sims taught me a lot of English (non-native speaker here). I've played some amazing historical games which then inspired me to read books about the subject.

When I was ten I got into building websites which eventually became my career.

Some of my friends parents were very restrictive with computers and that didn't do my friends any favours. They had a much harder time getting the hang of things like Word and Excel, plus I am sure there are snails that type faster than them!

Urgh. No experience has a negative educational value.

Dd1 looked around all kind of museums and space centres in mine craft last lockdown they were really good with free bolt ons then.

I think mine craft is quite creative. It's not what I allow the dc to do all day long though!

My ds has played Minecraft since he was 12. He has asd.
The love of Minecraft has evolved into making Minecraft animations and general computer skills.
This has led to a choice of IT course in college and a route to computer based work. Which in my book is a great career path.
All thanks to being obsessed with Minecraft.
So no I don't think screen time and gaming is bad at all in moderation and in our case has been a positive influence.

The person who called Minecraft junk clearly knows nothing about it. It is very educational and you can be creative in the game too. You don't play with randoms like some other games so it's not unsafe. You can play on your own or invite a friend and talk through a headset.

TikTok is the opposite end of the scale and best avoided as long as possible.

Oh my god how judgemental ! I also don’t love these games and my kids haven’t played them yet (oldest boy is 7) but for parents who have to work and have kids who don’t love reading / crafting independently (like your precious angel) then what are they supposed to do??? I’m lucky I’m on mat leave so can do stuff with the kids but not everyone is

My friend's two boys 9 & 7 love Minecraft. It's baffling to me but at the end of the day, they miss their friends and the social aspect bridges a gap a little.

DD (14) does all her school work and homework, then spends ages on her phone to her social circle. She also joins Zoom meetings with them. I encourage this because she misses them terribly. Once all the crap is over with we might tell her to scale it down again. Kids need social connections, and I'm glad we now have a range of tech to enable this.

It doesn't make you better or them worse for using technology. Your post oozes snobbiness.