Fishing, hiking, and…video gaming? The Boy Scouts of America has added a “Video Games” belt loop and activity pin to its offerings for Cub Scouts. The new credit is right in line with the century-old traditions of Scouting in the U.S.

by Bethany Young Hardy

Cub Scouts can now earn credit for playing video games with their families. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) recently announced that Cub Scouts can earn belt loops and activity pins in the area of "Video Games." The accomplishment is the latest addition to a long list of activities offered to help Scouts develop diverse knowledge and skills.

Renee Fairrer, a spokesperson for BSA, says the new video game offering encourages families to spend quality time together doing something that their kids already want to do. The Scouts are keeping pace with today's challenges of parenting children.

“Video games are in two-thirds of American households. They’re in schools, in libraries, and most kids have a handheld game, even if it is on Mom or Dad’s cell phone,” Fairrer says. “Through the academic and sport sections of the Cub Scout program, we hope to provide an outlet for kids to pursue those activities which are within their areas of interest.”

Opening lines of communication with parents

BSA also hopes that working on the belt loop or activity pin will help parents and children by encouraging communication while they spend time together and by assisting families to families set limitations on the amount of time spent playing the games.

“Building [video game time] into the family structure means that you also must build in restrictions,” Fairrer notes.

That’s probably a good idea, if data on young people’s use of television, video games, and computers are any indication.

An electronic media obsession?

According to a study released in January by the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids aged 8 to 18 spend an average of 7.5 hours a day consuming “electronic media,” or about 53 hours per week.

And a 2007 study on the video gaming habits of adolescents found that compared to their peers, “adolescent gamers spent 30% less time reading and 34% less time doing homework.”

The study, conducted by Hope M. Cummings, M.A., of the University of Michigan and Elizabeth A. Vandewater, Ph.D., of the University of Texas at Austin, showed that 80 percent of adolescent gamers are boys and only 20 percent are girls. Consequently, the researchers warned that “playing video games may have different social implications for girls than for boys.”

Still, there are plenty of good reasons to play video games, according to Scott Leutenegger, professor of computer science and director of game development programs at the University of Denver.

“There’s actually a lot of learning that occurs just in playing [video] games,” Leutenegger says. “There’s learning in terms of planning, learning in terms of cooperation in multiplayer games, and learning in terms of strategic and critical thinking.”

The University of Denver was the first traditional university to offer an undergraduate degree in game development. Leutenegger and other professors also lead outreach classes in the Denver area, sponsoring after-school programs that challenge middle- and high-school students to get involved in creating their own video games, and using the project as a gateway to math and science education.

Honoring the Scouting tradition

The video game belt loop and pin also honors the tradition of Scouting, notes David C. Scott, a Boy Scout historian and author of We Are Americans, We Are Scouts.

“In my opinion, the founders would approve because it promotes healthy growth of mental acuity,” says Scott, who has co-authored a new book, The Scouting Party, released in June 2010. “[These] are wholly responsible requirements and promote healthy gaming with the family. We’re not talking Grand Theft Auto, we’re talking games approved by parents and those that will educate in academic subjects, like math.”

Cub Scout belt loops and activity pins provide diverse ways for Scouts to develop scholarship and sportsmanship, according to Boy Scout Trail, an online Scouting resource:

“The emphasis of the program is to try new things and to put forth a best effort, not of achieving proficiency or winning. This program is one method of addressing the third aim of Scouting:  the development of physical, mental and emotional fitness. Fitness includes the body (well-tuned and healthy), the mind (able to think and solve problems), and the emotions (self-control, courage, and self-respect).”

Leutenegger offers one more reason that encouraging Cub Scouts to earn their video game belt loop or pin can be beneficial:  it may lead to a full-time career.

“The games get kids interested in technology and science, and the fact is there are likely to be more jobs in technology fields in the future than in most other sectors,” he says. “This is where we want to lead.”

 

Bethany Young Hardy is a mom, writer, and public relations consultant. Her experience includes political, nonprofit, and healthcare communications.

© Lead photo by Alexshalamov | Dreamstime.com; Belt loop and activity pin photos courtesy of Boy Scouts of America