Play more videogames...
Every once in awhile people will ask me how I do what I do. when I'm not feeling difficult I assume that the "what" in this case refers to my work as a technical support rep. Most of you already know this, but on the off chance that some of you don't, technical support people are not bespectacled geniuses in white lab coats. As much as I think it would be awesome to have one of those pulsating mega-brains radiating intellect, generally speaking tech support people are regular people who have trained to view the world a particular way, and to relay that viewpoint back to others. So when someone asks me how I do what I do, the answer invariably comes back, "Play more videogames."
Here's the deal: Videogames are all about problem solving. Yes, even the shooters. All that nonsense about videogames rotting your brain? Videogames are designed to stimulate and challenge the mind. If they didn't, people wouldn't buy them, because they wouldn't be entertaining for very long. Most videogames are also designed to place you in an unorthodox situation, and to figure out a way to overcome, circumvent, or generally defeat it. As an additional bonus, videogames often come with poorly written instructions, forcing you to learn about what you're doing in order to even do it in the first place. Basic network structure? I learned that shit so I could play videogames against other people. Rapid classification and troubleshooting of a problem? I learned that by playing videogames. ("That's a zombie, and you need to shoot it in the head or take out it's mobility. It's not too dangerous alone, but there are often a lot of them, and they're probably sneaking up behind you right now. Find a corner, and a shotgun.") ("That's a werewolf, only silver hurts them.")
In a videogame, no one is going to tell you how to solve a problem, unless you're a big baby and you've headed out to the internet to find a walkthrough or strategy guide. (Which is honestly another form of technical support anyway.) You're going to try stuff. You're going to experiment. You're gonna make mistakes, and learn from them. There's nothing wrong with that.
Long story short, a lot of the way I learned to troubleshoot, and to deal with issues that might be outside of my comfort zone were picked up as gaming habits. You want to make your kids more inquisitive, more self sufficient, and generally more rounded. Let them play videogames. Let them learn to be problem solvers. Let them do other stuff as well, but if they're passionate about gaming, encourage that. It's got definite benefits.
Here's the deal: Videogames are all about problem solving. Yes, even the shooters. All that nonsense about videogames rotting your brain? Videogames are designed to stimulate and challenge the mind. If they didn't, people wouldn't buy them, because they wouldn't be entertaining for very long. Most videogames are also designed to place you in an unorthodox situation, and to figure out a way to overcome, circumvent, or generally defeat it. As an additional bonus, videogames often come with poorly written instructions, forcing you to learn about what you're doing in order to even do it in the first place. Basic network structure? I learned that shit so I could play videogames against other people. Rapid classification and troubleshooting of a problem? I learned that by playing videogames. ("That's a zombie, and you need to shoot it in the head or take out it's mobility. It's not too dangerous alone, but there are often a lot of them, and they're probably sneaking up behind you right now. Find a corner, and a shotgun.") ("That's a werewolf, only silver hurts them.")
In a videogame, no one is going to tell you how to solve a problem, unless you're a big baby and you've headed out to the internet to find a walkthrough or strategy guide. (Which is honestly another form of technical support anyway.) You're going to try stuff. You're going to experiment. You're gonna make mistakes, and learn from them. There's nothing wrong with that.
Long story short, a lot of the way I learned to troubleshoot, and to deal with issues that might be outside of my comfort zone were picked up as gaming habits. You want to make your kids more inquisitive, more self sufficient, and generally more rounded. Let them play videogames. Let them learn to be problem solvers. Let them do other stuff as well, but if they're passionate about gaming, encourage that. It's got definite benefits.