Topic: Dr. Kawashima Doesn't Believe Studying Should Be Fun

[Kairon]

The iconic brain doctor from Brain Age hasn't pocketed any royalties from the games that bear his research and forbids his children from playing video games on the weekdays.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=15210

 Dr. Ryuta Kawashima's polygonal disembodied head is front and center in Nintendo's best-selling Brain Training video games, encouraging players to do better in mentally stimulating math and logic exercises. But the brain researcher's opinion on the value of gaming sounds more like that of a concerned parent than that of a video game icon.    

"I don't think playing games is bad in itself,"  Kawashima says, "but it makes children unable to do what they should do such as study and communication[sic] with the family."    

Indeed, it's ironic that Dr. Kawashima's work has helped Nintendo sell millions of copies of their Brain Training video games for the Nintendo DS. The brain researcher forbids his four sons from playing video games on weekdays and only allows them an hour of game time on weekends. Once, he even destroyed a game disc when the rules were broken.    

"Having fun is not studying," he explains. "Making them study is not to entertain children but to pressure them to make efforts. People fall to lower and lower places unless they are driven to go higher."    

Further defying expectations, Dr. Kawashima hasn't pocketed any of the royalties from the Brain Training games for himself or retired to a tropical island. ("I wouldn't know what to do there.") Instead, he's used the proceeds to build new laboratories for the Institute of Development, Aging, and Cancer at Tohoku State University, where he works.    

"Everyone in my family is mad at me," he confesses, "but I tell them that if they want money, go out and earn it."    

These are easy remarks coming from a self-confessed workaholic. "My hobby is my work," Dr. Kawashima says, and his work keeps him so busy that he's even stopped playing the games based on his own research. "I'm confident I'll go senile," he jokes. "Researchers, especially those in medical fields, are said to die of what they are studying." With a grin, he added, "since I've been studying the brain, I'll die of a brain disease."

[Kurisu]

Hmmm, I wonder if his kids have to spend their hour of gametime on Brain Age?

[Kairon]

I... have come to the conclusion that I wouldn't be able to survive growing up in Japan.

[oohhboy]

Man this dude is hardcore. Poor kids.

Although quite clearly he doesn't study what I study which is always fun, although quite stressful all the same.

[Ian Sane]

For a guy who's a brain doctor he sure is a f*cking moron.  Take the money you self-righteous prick.  Nintendo's pocketing it so why not you?  Why let them benefit from your likeness when they're just interested in the almighty yen?

At the very least I would consider my family my priority.  If I could retire early I would and instead of spending my time working I could spend time with my kids.  Now I wouldn't spoil them but I could give them so many opportunities and it would be nice for work to never get in the way.  That's why I never relate to workaholics.  Work is just what I do to support myself.  I'd rather spend that time with my loved ones.  I would jump at the first chance to be financially set for life.

[Kairon]

The guy makes $100,000 a year already IanSane. That's VERY decent income, unless he's living somewhere exorbitantly expensive or something. (like San Francisco...)

[MegaByte]

But he could have used that money to further his research at the very least.  Though perhaps that would be a conflict of interest that could undermine him.

[Kairon]

Quote
Originally posted by: MegaByte
But he could have used that money to further his research at the very least.  Though perhaps that would be a conflict of interest that could undermine him.

He used it to build new research buildings for his program at the University. The rest of the royalties go to the school he works for. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough in my article write-up... He's taken none of the royalties personally, but all the royalties are being paid. It just goes to the university instead of to him.

[King of Twitch]

Hmm a workaholic anti-gamer resists a non-game. Nintendo needs a new ocean strategy for this.

[ShyGuy]

So if he has a philosophical disagreement with Brain Age, why did he license himself to it?

[wandering]

Quote
Originally posted by: ShyGuy
So if he has a philosophical disagreement with Brain Age, why did he license himself to it?

I don't think the good doctor disapproves of Brain Age. Here's what I think he thinks:

An older person spending a few minutes each day keeping his brain nimble with Brain Age - good, productive.
His kids spending hours playing Mario each day - bad, unproductive.

I think the title of NWR's article - actually, the whole article, is misleading. I think that he thinks that, in general, games don't have much value, and having fun isn't as important as studying. But I don't think he has a problem with Brain Age specifically, or the fact that Brain Age is fun.

[Kairon]

Hey! I wrote that!

I don't believe the title is misleading at all, it's merely a re-phrasing of what he said. In fact, I think you guys are mis-interpreting what he's said if you think he's suggesting that videogames are bad. He's merely become too busy to play his own game, supervises his children's time judiciously (as every parent should), and actually states the following to which every gamer should be able to agree: ""I don't think playing games is bad in itself."

Just because he believes that studying shouldn't be fun doesn't mean that he thinks that fun is useless. I think that instead, he rather agrees with Calvin's Dad in the good effects of building character, apparently through study. Sometimes the value of doing something isn't because it's simple or enjoyable, there's much to be learned and gained from long and difficult endeavors where rewards are few and far between. To discover a confidence in yourself in the face of grave and tireless, yet important, tasks would be a boon to anyone, I'd like to think.

[ShyGuy]

So Brain Age isn't study? or Brain Age isn't fun?

[Mario]

Studying can still be fun, just a different kind of fun. Kawashima sounds really boring. Still very smart though.

[Tuxedo.Bond]

I've seen far too many people who are very pressured to study and be something big because it's what the parents want. A good way to develop resentment and anger.

[Mario]

And serial killers.

[Kairon]

CRIMM! Crimm! CRIMMINY!

Click on the letters AFP in the actual NWR news story! You just said in the podcast that I, news writer Kairon, obscured our source link!

Ahhh! My rep! No one will respect me now Crimm!