Don't Bother Me Mom--I'm Learning!

In Marc Prensky’s book Don’t Bother Me Mom--I’m Learning!, Prensky explores and discusses computer and video gaming playing in children and adolescents. Prensky’s optimistic outlook on the technology is the overriding voice throughout the text.

On page 123, Prensky writes, “Sharon Sloane’s company, Will Interactive, makes games that change negative behavior such as drinking, smoking, and unsafe sex. Many of her products are used by the U.S. military to educate and improve the health of our soldiers, sailors, and airmen.” The idea of a video game changing an undesirable behavior, such as underage drinking, in adolescents or young adults is outlandish. For an adolescent or young adult who is displaying negative behaviors, a video game is one of the last resources that would prompt them to modify their behavior. Typically, a person who is prompted to change their behavior does so because they have a personal reason to
change--they stop smoking because their father was diagnosed with lung cancer, or stop driving while intoxicated because of a friend who got into a drunk driving accident. Or, they simply mature and grow out of irresponsible behaviors. Not only is Prensky’s statement unlikely, but it is also unfounded--where is the research or date backing up this claim? This “half-baked idea” would have been better off left out of the book.

On page 130, Prensky throws out another “half-baked” idea that is both unsubstantiated and unreasonable. He approaches the debate about cell phone usage in schools, and reasons that cell phones can actually help students learn while in school. Prensky proposes that students can use cell phones to take exams, listen to a teacher’s lecture, or study for the GRE. Although this idea is “innovative” at best, it is also highly controversial and something that the vast majority of school systems in the U.S. would be against. On a more basic level, pop quizzes cell phones simply seem unnecessary--why would students need to take a quiz on a cell phone when paper and pencil or a computer based quiz are perfectly efficient?

The one passage in Prensky’s book that seemed well thought out and logical was the story by Professor Jim Gee about how he raised his child in a way that technology was a natural, everyday part of his life. Gee’s strategy in introducing his child to technology at a young age was the most helpful part of this book. Not did his strategy in how he introduced his child to technology make sense, but the reasons he introduced technology to his child at such a young age made sense too.

Overall, I thought this book was a largely unfounded argument that had to reach leaps and bounds to make rational points about why and how video and computer games are beneficial to children and adolescents. Although Prensky acknowledged the opposing side of the argument, he didn’t discuss their opposition enough--expanding on this portion of the book would strengthen Prensky’s argument. The other major facet of this book that is missing is data or research backing up Prensky’s claims. He presents minimal research defending his position and discusses ideas that are not thought out or substantiated by any outside source. There is almost no learning to be done from this book about anything concerning the helping field--except that Prensky could use help when he writes his next book.