Mediacology

Speaking of Grand Theft Auto, a media educator shares an interesting story about transgressing boundaries of the so-called virtual world.

Global Kids’ Digital Media Initiative:

He had, however, developed an unusual method for being a cabbie. Rather than slowing down before picking up a fare, he would often run a person over, wait for him or her to get back up (as if nothing had happened) and climb into his cab, then drive away. I could just imagine how this might appear in a newspaper: “Teen Learns Violent Acts Have No Repercussions.”

“Would you ever get in a taxi that ran you over?” I asked. Without breaking contact with the game the boy responded, “The A.I. is dumb,” referring to the code controlling the behavior of his passengers.

I love this anecdote from Global Kids‘ Barry Joseph because it illustrates how kids have a way of navigating the perimeters of media to mod them beyond the limits of their intended uses. Here Joseph talks about a kid who found his own path in Grand Theft Auto (Remember folks, it’s only a game. Really). I also appreciate how Barry made a point of talking with the kid before judging his behavior. Disclaimer: Barry and I are both authors in the MacArther Foundation’s book series on digital learning in the 21st Century.