When Life Imitates Video Games

Zombie Restaurant screenshot

We’re often talking in education circles about the ways that young people’s video gaming interests intersect with real world — either for good or for bad. This post is sort of a strange twist on that idea.
The other day, I had to stay home with my three boys (they had no school because of Election Day), and I took my older ones (ages 11 and 13) out to lunch at a new family diner that opened up. This was our first time in the joint. We wandered in and the two boys stopped dead in their tracks.
“This place …” one began, and the second picked it up,”This place is almost identical to the restaurant.”
“What restaurant?” I asked, as we made our way to a table. I thought they were thinking of some other place in town. A diner is often a diner, you know. But that is not what they were thinking about.
“The one in our game,” said one boy. “On the iPod.”
“Except,” the other one explained in a matter-of-fact tone, “without the Zombies.”
Apparently, one of their Zombie app games (what is it with Zombies anyway?) is structured around running a restaurant and the inside layout and color designs of that virtual business resembled the lay0ut this real business. And it was clear that was not the intent of the owners here. (Unless they really are Zombies).
My boys paid careful attention to the service we were given (which was slow and disorganized), and they played the “game” as if it were live in front of us, deducting points when the waitress gave us the wrong order and forgot to deduct a meal from our bill. And the quality of food led to a lowering of the waitress’ “score.”
“That’s another few points from her,” one would say, and the other would nod. “But if she changes the channel on the television, she can earn a few more back.” (That didn’t happen)
It was odd, watching them use the real place as a sort of gaming center as it if were some immersive experience.
But I suspect that more and more kids who are used to all sorts of gaming platforms will start to see the world through some of those same lens (minus the Zombies). It may not be as amusing as it was to my kids in that restaurant (which we won’t be going back to, thanks the huge reduction in points) but their activity is worth noticing and wondering about as we consider ways to engage learners.

Peace (in the game),
Kevin

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