Britain’s Byron Review, in which the big-smiling Dr. Tanya Byron made a series of measured, generally reasonable findings and recommendations regarding children’s use of video games and the internet, has now produced an “action plan” from the UK government.
The dust has settled on the gaming and internet review from game playin’, booze drinkin’, clinical psychologist Tanya Byron. Now that it’s finished, what is Dr. Tanya going to do? First up, she’s going on vacation with her family. But after that…? Will she be returning to the gaming industry? Dr. Tanya seems reasonable enough, we’d love to have her back! Says the good doctor:
Tanya Byron, the clinical psychologist behind the now-quasi-infamous Byron Review actually enjoys playing some games herself. With friends. And booze. I have talked about the fact we play Nintendo Wii with our kids, and we have all sorts of consoles in the house. And my husband and I, at the end of the day, quite like trying to play tennis on the Wii with our mates who’ve had a few drinks.
A few drinks?? She continues:
Or, at least, you’ll fear its cover. Yes, this is actually on the actual cover of the Byron Review. No, I’m not taking the piss. Isn’t it great? Zombie molesting handhelds and inappropriate double entendres…it’s like Fahey’s worst nightmare come true.
As expected, much of the British press (and even isolated pockets of the British gaming press, who should know better) have been grossly misreporting the findings of Dr. Tanya Byron’s pleasantly reasonable review into how the internet and games are adversely affecting children. And if you can’t trust the media to get it right, who can you trust? Yourself, hopefully, so if you’d like to read the review sans alarmist mainstream media spin, the whole thing’s at the link below. Safer Children in a Digital World: the report of the Byron Review [British Department For Schools & Families]
