Korean moms power leveling their kids?
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…many mothers are actually doing those virtual chores for their children. Thanks to this sacrifice, their daughters and sons can enjoy respectable status in the virtual world without sacrificing their schooling advancement.
How curious is that?
My children play games that require alot of time and we’ve chosen to game as a family in part so that this time is, in fact, family time.  But I do not power level my kids characters, if anything, they level mine!
It seems that Korean moms are leveling their kid’s characters so that they do not get sidetracked from school, while at the same time keep their gaming social networks progressing. My own experience certainly deals with similar issues: how much time is my child spending in game rather than ‘learning something useful’ and what are the social ramifications of gaming?
My oldest, who is currently the most hardcore gamer of the family, is also engaged in a lot of other things. If I may boast for a moment, he is:
- a “straight A” student in advanced courses at his middle school
- the first chair saxophone player in the Symphonic band (the most advanced band at the school)
- an avid reader
- playing on a flag football team
He’s doing all of this while also mowing the lawn on weekends and generally being a fantastic kid. No need for me to power level his characters, he’s mastering his time quite nicely.
On the social front, his best friends are actually in game. Turns out, his best friend from elementary school moved to another state, and now the two boys meet each other regularly in game. If it weren’t for the game, they would have lost touch. I can’t level his friendships for him.
The way cultures respond to parenting and gaming is fascinating, and I don’t know any Korean gamers first hand. If you hear of any Korean gamermoms, let them know I’d love to chat with them!
