Eric,

I was a professional clown for few years. Some people hate clowns. Some think that hiring a clown for a birthday party is a waste of money. My mother was ashamed that I was a clown. How bad is that? Then, I got a job in the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit. We visited kids in hospitals. It validated what I did.

So, how do you validate what you do while facing criticism from doctors and social workers that you agree with? Parental negligence would exist even without the ability to plop kids in front a TV screen, and it would take a systemic change for people to abandon video games.

I think your dilemma is partly epic crossover ("lumps of stupid") and partly aftershock (Ashley's "helping people find outdoor shoes is ... annoying.").

But you need to work. Working on video games pays the bills.
You're too young to remember, but Rock 'n Roll was supposed to destroy our youth. I admit that the video game revolution seems different: instead of sweaty teens gyrating to Elvis, some kids lose themselves in situations that have little to do with real life and that can leave them disconnected. Still, you're not working for a drug cartel. A game can be a harmless diversion or an outlet for frustration, and you aren't responsible for people's irresponsibility. I don't know what kind of games you work on, but people need to exercise common sense when they buy them.

And without your training, you would not be able to understand or suggest that ... techno-language-warrior stuff that I have no clue about & that Brian says he only vaguely understands.

There is good in what you do and what Ashley does. When I was a clown, I wasn't curing cancer, but my efforts allowed people to forget their problems - if only for one moment. And there's something to be said for that.

Marlene