One roll after another

Whatever happened to the friendships of days gone by? It used to be that two or three kids would play ball, go skating, ride bikes, play with guns made out of tree branches, and eat lunch at one mom's house, then do it all over again. Bonds grew out of trying to build a fort in the backyard, fashioning a go kart out of stuff lying around in the garage or, later, playing pick-up ball in the park every Sunday morning.

I can't speak for young girls and their bonding or lack thereof, but for the guys, this physical and constructive activity formed enduring friendships that could span time and perhaps even space. However, this latest generation, and more, have surrounded themselves with ready-made sources of entertainment. Entertainment that occupies their minds, plans and social interaction. The most dominant that comes to mind is the video game.

Given the abundance of movies, fast food, shopping malls and high tech gaming, our youth and young adults are never at a loss for things to do. The video game craze has apparently extended to the 20 to 35 year age bracket with a vengeance. New wives are no doubt losing some husbands to it, and I'm sure more than enough sick days have been determined by the emergence of the latest release.

Granted, the participants, at least in gaming, have developed some admirable skills, but what have they lost?

When it comes to creating something, be it poetry, a meal, a business report or a relationship where one knows more about a friend than the size of his hard-drive, I feel this group of individuals, is missing something. How much will they be able to count on each other if one of them gets into trouble? Will their basic skills suffer or be handled carelessly? Will they lose interest in activities or tasks that don't provide some form of entertainment? And will they become so disjointed from the world their parents know that respect for their elders will never have purpose?

As with so many emerging technologies, gaming brings with it new benefits and problems that we cannot foresee. Advancements are revealed and adopted so quickly that no single body I know of exists to analyze and predict whether or not such intrusions will help or hinder. There are no risk assessments.

Essentially, mankind is at the mercy of mankind, and we just have to take our chances, but I'm sure we haven't seen the last of the negative implications yet.