![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Last time I saw her, Whitebird was very excited about the new Wii in her house. She wanted me to play it with her. She knows I don't like watching videos with her, but I had been saying it might be a nice day for playing outside (with snowpants and waterproof mittens). This is a great new skiing game. With polar bears. You like polar bears, don't you, Adrian? Despite being deeply dubious, I agreed to read the package insert and consider the matter rather than turning her down flat as soon as I saw the game. Maybe we were both thinking I could be convinced to help her play if I just didn't disapprove of the game, even if I didn't actually want to play it myself.
When I started playing video games in 1979, the only warning labels were on the power cord, saying there was a risk of fire or shock if a person got it wet or used it in the wrong kind of outlet. The Nintendo package insert that comes with Wii games now warns against risk of seizures, RSI, eyestrain, and motion sickness; as well as the familiar electric shock and breaking the electronics. On one RSI-damaged hand, I'm relieved to see them acknowledge the problem. On the other, it doesn't help all that much. 20 years ago, my friends used to show me movies or video games they liked and thought I'd like. I'd watch them briefly and feel uncomfortable. It was very difficult for me to even say anything about motion sickness or eyestrain, let alone absence seizures. A warning that 1 person in 4000 may have a seizure triggered by flashing lights, even without prior symptoms, does not seem to make it easier for me to talk about it or cope with it...though I hope it helps others, of course. Being 20 years older, recognizing that I have a seizure disorder, and feeling safe with the child and her parents, have all helped some. I managed to tell her I couldn't play the game, that it would hurt my head, and we should go upstairs and play with the ponies. But it was awfully hard.
When I started playing video games in 1979, the only warning labels were on the power cord, saying there was a risk of fire or shock if a person got it wet or used it in the wrong kind of outlet. The Nintendo package insert that comes with Wii games now warns against risk of seizures, RSI, eyestrain, and motion sickness; as well as the familiar electric shock and breaking the electronics. On one RSI-damaged hand, I'm relieved to see them acknowledge the problem. On the other, it doesn't help all that much. 20 years ago, my friends used to show me movies or video games they liked and thought I'd like. I'd watch them briefly and feel uncomfortable. It was very difficult for me to even say anything about motion sickness or eyestrain, let alone absence seizures. A warning that 1 person in 4000 may have a seizure triggered by flashing lights, even without prior symptoms, does not seem to make it easier for me to talk about it or cope with it...though I hope it helps others, of course. Being 20 years older, recognizing that I have a seizure disorder, and feeling safe with the child and her parents, have all helped some. I managed to tell her I couldn't play the game, that it would hurt my head, and we should go upstairs and play with the ponies. But it was awfully hard.
