Friend or foe?

Tonight at midnight, thousands upon thousands of people all across the country are going to drop $600 for the new PlayStation 3. For those of us who wish we could be there, so sorry. For those of us who value sleep more than the temptation to stare at yet another screen for hours on end, enjoy your sleep. But from our perspective, this highly anticipated release also releases another not-so-highly anticipated problem; our students have yet another reason to disengage from reality and withdrawal from authentic community. Even if you don't agree, the hours spent playing a gaming system, no matter what it's called, is time that we or they will never get back.

So what can you do? Likely nothing. But the worst thing you could do is to ignore it. Our challenge is and will always be, to provide opportunities for these kids to redefine commonalities and community with the people around them. The world offers plenty of opportunity to be isolated and lonely. It's our job to guide our students into community and real communication.

Be proactive, not reactive.