PSP – Poor Social Progress
Teachers, is your most hated gadget the PSP?
Well I know it is for me. I have gradually developed such an intense hatred for this sickening device that I even loathe all the people whom I see playing it on the MRT, on the bus, at the shopping mall, anywhere. I just can’t stand the sight of it.
My class was interrupted one day when a form teacher and his student from the previous lesson came in all sweaty and panting looking for the PSP he left in the classroom. We spent 15 minutes searching everywhere and emptying students’ bags but it was nowhere to be found. That’s also when I discovered just how many students own and bring the device to school. About 10% of the class.
Quite possibly, one of my boys took it, told me he had to go to the loo and then ran off to hide it in his locker. I have no proof, but I don’t know how else it would have disappeared.
I wish the school could ban students from bringing or playing the PSP. What the hell – why doesn’t the Singapore government ban it? Just like how we banned the chewing gum. Simply because it’s a nuisance and does nothing for our kids or the society.
It’s a nightmare trying to stop students from playing it in class. And they are simply amazed with me because I recognise they are playing the minute I see their heads hanging down.
But duh! These gadgets are really doing the kids’ heads in. They don’t realise it doesn’t take a genius to know they are doing something underneath the desk, and what else could it be apart from PSPs and mobile phones? Dictionaries?
You know I wouldn’t even be so mad if they were reading newspapers or comics, because you can actually learn something from them. But PSP? It just ruins your eyesight and retards your intellectual development.
I don’t know. Maybe that’s part of the reason why the gadget generation is so poor in human communication and social skills, understanding and appreciation of art, history and literature, and are so uncouth and uncultured.
But they have strong thumbs: an absolutely useless skill which they spend every waking hour training for.
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Through my tinted glasses 
February 24, 2008 at 1:43 pm
er, actually ive been wanting to buy one myself!?! can play music, movies, games, it’s kinda cool. but in the case of your class, i might respectfully confiscate them until the end of the lesson or only allow them to play word games with it (tall order i know). BTW there are intellectual games that can be played on psp, just that they’re not preferred la. I’ll research on that and keep you posted…
February 24, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I understand that kids in the classroom should be paying attention and that goes without saying and I agree that they should be taken away during class time but I’m sad that it changes your perception of this device outside the class. The PSP is a pretty cool device. That is probably why it is such a good distraction as much as a book or any other activity. You might love the PSP if you understood all that it could do. It plays movies, music, web radio, photos, can also take photos, be used a GPS device, gets TV remotely, can control a system at home, can browse the web, can be used to make phone calls and also plays games. It is a pretty handy device.
I also think there are things people can learn from playing games. Many games have intricate plot lines and interesting character development. Depending on the game one could say that it is a type of interactive literature. Yes I know many games do not fit that and yet they still provide value by advancing a persons spatial perception and exercising a persons ability to take in and analyze large amounts of data at once. Of course hand eye coordination is improved. Improved focus and reaction time may also improve. I believe all these things are skills that can help a person in their daily life.
February 25, 2008 at 4:20 am
wow. who’s that educated gamer man?
anyway…i’ve actually been thinking of getting one for the longest time.. 😛
February 25, 2008 at 11:31 am
I’ve been wanting one too! In cool silver or pretty pink! Haha
February 25, 2008 at 12:06 pm
WHAT? You guys! Call yourselves my friends? Well can’t stop you if you want it but don’t you dare come near me with that thing, or I would confiscate it for life!
February 25, 2008 at 2:51 pm
I disagree, thumbs are very important in certain activities. Like stimulating the …. *cough*
June 16, 2008 at 4:39 am
…so I guess we’ll have to rid of theaters, mp3 players, web media, laptops, email, watches, cell phones, HDTVs etc.
The PSP should NOT be allowed in the classroom!!! Dislike the abusive “user” not the device.
To say games kill a person’s intelligence is a statement that is void of intelligence. I’ve learned from games like Gran Turismo(Automotive), Call of Duty(History), Age of Empires(Civics), Puzzle Games(Mechanics).
Most games are like taking part in an actual, interactive movie. Are all games beneficial to the betterment of society in general? No, but neither are all books, papers, movies, music… well you get my drift.
Besides, I can catch up on your blog from my PSP. 😉
Cheers