Is YouTube gaming video same as sports on TV?

My daughters, 8- & 12-year-old were watching a YouTube video today. The video featured a girl who was playing a video game and of course provided continuous commentary as she played. The commentary was loud and so I sat down with them to see what all the hullaballoo was about. I asked them why they found it interesting to watch someone else play a game for such a long time. Then they switched to another video where there was another guy playing the same game. Now I was even more annoyed. This led to the “Daily Verbal War”…

“This is such a waste of time”

“no it is not…..what happens when Dad watches cricket of football? Isn’t that a game too? You don’t understand new stuff so you don’t think anything we do is useful………blah blah blah …..”

This led me to think; were they right? We also watched games that other played. Then why did this matter? Was I really being an annoying old generation parent? Or was it just my ego that had to tell them to study or do something else that “I” thought/understood was worthwhile?

This is what I concluded; I was not wrong. Not just because it is an egoist decision, but I did find the differences between what we watched and what they are watching

1. We watched sports. They watch games

What’s the difference? Its sportsmanship. Playing video games individually is not developing any sportsmanship. Its just like watching a movie and nothing more

2. We understood effort. They understand comfort

We had favorite players and they won or lost, we understood a lot about the efforts they put in and how they became what they are. We idolize and try to become them. If nothing else, we understand a little more about winning and losing again going back to sportsmanship. These YouTube videos don’t have any tinge of this.

3. Language

Every sport telecasted has decorum. Foul language is not tolerated. All commentators are professional and trained for public commentary. This is not the case with the YouTube kids putting up videos. They scream anything in any language they wish.

4. Playing fair

Every sport that is professionally played has the concept of “Foul Play”. Players are expected to play fair. When we/kids watch this, it brings in the concept of fair play always. Absolutely lacking in YouTube videos. The video in many cases is created to show how you can cheat, or what they did to trouble another player. There is basically nothing that restricts them from what they do in the game.

5. Reality Vs Imaginary

The sports that we watch are real. There are real people with real efforts and everything that happens is reality. The video games are all imaginary.

6. Effect on the bran of a child

This brings me to the point that because of all the points above, a child who is as young as 7 to 8 years old gets easily carried away mentally. Their brain is not mature enough to understand the difference between reality and what’s on screen. They have not seen enough of the world and experienced enough so they believe that foul play is ok…sometimes good and needs to be done. Usage of any kind of language is ok. Nothing needs effort. The screeching voices of the youtubers on these games are sometimes nerve racking.

I know that a lot of youtubers will now get enraged and say that this is all nonsense. But unfortunately, when you see a small child at home unable to move off the YouTube and getting addicted to it not being able to think different from the game; you might see what I mean.

This is not written here to hurt anyone’s sentiments. It is just a reinforcement for mothers like me who tend to get cornered by comments that they don’t blend with current generations. That’s not true!!!