At his commencement speech over the weekend at Hampton University, President Obama took some time out from inspiring a generation to lay the presidential slam down on video games, iPads and other "distractions."
"With iPods and iPads; Xboxes and PlayStations -- none of which I know how to work -- information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation," Obama said. "All of this is not only putting new pressures on you. It is putting new pressures on our country and on our democracy," he added.
Obama also said an education can help people make sense of the different viewpoints and voices "clamoring for attention on blogs, on cable, on talk radio."
It's hard to argue with the characterization of video games as distractions -- that's the whole point -- but the iPad? That seems to me to be more of a tool than anything else. My doctor uses an iPad to quickly reference medical information before he writes prescriptions. Also, it's hard to take someone seriously after he says he doesn't know how to work the things he's putting down.
What do you guys think? Are you having trouble making sense of all the media voices out there? Are you being distracted right now, by these very words?
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greeknerd
Politicians slamming video games is hardly new. So much for "change" Obama.
Ewoc
WELL I would think that having all these parties in Las Vegas would be a distraction to his presidency right?
Thoreauvian
Not really new and noteworthy... I've known for a while that Obama is a tool.
aymnot
I thought that his girls had a Wii???? I also think that he mentioned that he plays with them???? So as ALWAYS HIS ASS LIES!!!!
Calikid916
Obama is the president, he doesn't have time to be playing video games, as for the comment however, he is just being ignorant to the future. VIDEO GAMES AND TECHNOLOGY ARE THE FUTURE! I'm a college student, have a 3.0 and still play my xbox with dignity. Its not his fault though, we all know he a political puppet being told what to say by the "more power individuals" you don't get to see "behind the curtain."
ColdSilence
I don't expect the President to know how to play video games. He's obviously got more important things to do, like presiding over the country and making decisions to get us out of the situations we're in.
cmdluke
I want to see a president who is a gamer. that would be interesting. =)
dr.no95
great now i have another reason to not like obama i mean who gives a crap if this generation spends time playing games or using iphones the plain truth is that without video games and the tech that the game developers have made that we would be living like its 1989 with no dvds no blue ray and certainly we would have absolutely no sense of the abilities of computers.
Calikid916
Obama doesn't have the time to play video games. He has to run the country. As for the comment, he is being ignorant to the future. VIDEO GAMES AND TECHNOLOGY ARE THE FUTURE. I go to college got a 3.0 and still play my ass off on my xbox. Its not his fault he just a political puppet being told what to say by the individuals hidden "behind the curtain."
XBOX LIVE GAMER TAG:
GeT Em LEE
dbw8906
This coming for a guy who had campaign ads in a video game! Who used facebook more than my 13yo sister! So technology was good enough to get you elected but now that you are in the seat of power, shame on evil Mario! Run Sonic is the anti-christ!
If we took away all the things people wasted their time on, we would all be sitting in empty rooms and staring at the wall. Just as many people "waste" their time with sports, knitting, the real housewives of skank county, sudoku, ect... You can't take away my freedoms because other people are not smart enough to turn the PS3 off and go outside now and then.
Mlg_Meadgrinder
I think Obama needs to go buck a Lama cuz if he is goin to go diss on video games and apple products maybe he should at least know how they function since he said he dont know how to use any of them, which makes me think he doesnt like listening to his ipod while in the oval office?...he has a poop load of money why isnt he using it, he must still b in 8track era!....
Kill Audio
This statement he made is a double edged sword. Yes, video games are indeed a distraction and a way to past time; I definitely agree with The_US_Assassin, video games were supposed to BE the distraction to our everyday lives, not make our everyday life become the distraction.
I've been playing video games for my WHOLE life, and I mean it literally. Video Games have actually helped my reading speed and understanding; even some vocabulary words I have never heard of and I see in a video game, I go and look it up to better understand what the video game is telling me. I did this even when I was 7 years old and that is empowerment. Obama needs to realize there are good effects to playing video games.
But with what Obama was saying, I completely agree with the distraction statement. I understand and have seen the effects of not controlling your addiction to video games. I have friends who not only don't have a job after High School because of video games, but also have no drivers license, and no desire to even take a step OUTSIDE of their house.
Obama does make a point with the need to not make gamers revolve around Video Games, but rather the Video Games revolve around you.
His general message, video games are distractions, is a good stance and I can't argue with that. HOWEVER, like Daddy1c3 said, if he has not even attempted or knows how to use one of the machines he is against, then how can you have a stable argument against this issue?
Know your enemy before you come to judge it.
learnedfist
oops - I meant "advice."
Slymerz
worse president ever
learnedfist
President Obama gave the Queen of England an iPod loaded with his campaign speeches. I wonder if Her Majesty will take his advise and not waste her time listening to it.
IXIELCHINGONIXI
what doesnt make sense is the man USED his Blackberry 24/7 during his campaign, its just politics talking
Tman88
I wouldn't exactly call him saying games, ipads, etc. being distractions as slamming games but like someone said earlier he is the President and most politicians say this kind of stuff so Obama's not the first and won't be the last. As for the whole socialism thingwith him changing the healthcare system, let's not forget that the things like the healthcare system where changed through previous presidential terms and it wasn't called socialism back then but all of a sudden just cause it's Obama doing it it's socialism. Not trying to act like a fanboy or anything but changing to the healthcare system to me isn't socialism and even if it was someone else in office changing the healthcare system it still wouldn't be socialism to me. I look at politics this way, whomever the President is, he/she is there for at least 4 years, so people regardless of who they voted for must deal with it for at least that long.
Venom83
I like Obama.He's got a point about them being distractions.I'd actually be a lot less lazy and anti-social without my Xbox 360,lol.But I'd be much more sad and bored as well.And yeah,can't take it personal or serious when he says he doesn't know how to work any of them.That's like a 90 year old man saying that the internet sucks because he doesn't know how to use a computer.
Slymerz
Worse president ever!!!
Krogoth117
I think he is just another old "Kids these days..."
I know more now than he did at my age. I have "distractions" apparently influencing me too... Obama is just another ignorant old man to me now. For instance he called us a democracy... I am pretty sure the Pledge says Republic. He also stated "information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation"
I believe that emancipation is something a president wouldn't want to be encouraging. I have also learned more from the internet than my public education. Also The things he listed are one of this countries biggest profits... Good job Obama, make more and more of the young people that got you into office hate you. Hey, maybe you can get a bill out to actually save money before your term is up...
Because cutting 51 mil from a 4 trillion dollar GDP is so small it barely saves each citizen a penny.
Maybe video games suck up free time... but so did Rock. It was shunned, look at it now. Video games are interactive stories. It is just a super intense book. I doubt all the books that we are forced to read through in public schooling have more than video games academically. Video games alone have increased my typing speed, my hand eye coordination, my brain activity and my over all happiness.
If being happy is a crime, then I will just be illegally happy. Video game are the only mentally challenging thing I have done since taking mandarin chinese. Public schools literally are so dumbed down that I wouldn't study, do homework, or other academic "enhancers" and I would still walk in and ace the test. Nothing like doing worse on a class because the things that are to prepare for a test are graded. Sad part is this was really hurtful to me first semester at college because it was above the 50 IQ level of public schools.
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