Obama Believes Video Games Can Help Kids Be Productive

Obama hasn't always been a proponent of video games, and once gave kids the advice to stop spending so much time on the Xbox. To be fair, the man has a point—kids do spend too much time on the Xbox, often times playing mature-rated games they shouldn't have access to in the first place.

In any case, Obama's prior advice shouldn't be seen as an attack on video games, but rather on an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles. Speaking with the public in a new Google+ Fireside Hangout, Obama had much nicer things to say about the matter. He believes schools should introduce computer programming requirements because children are interested in both the Internet and in video games.

"Part of what I'm trying to do here is make sure that we're working with high schools and school districts all across the country to make the high school experience relevant for young people, not all of whom are going to get four year college degree or advanced degree," he said (via Polygon).

Obama cited Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's creator, as an example of someone who found success through his programming skills, which he only picked up due to his interest in gaming.

"There are a whole bunch of young people out there who I suspect if in high school are given the opportunity to figure [that] out — 'Here's how you can design your own games, but it requires you to know math and requires you to know science,' or you know, 'Here's what a career in graphic design looks like, and we're going to start setting those programs in our high schools not waiting 'til community college' — Not only does it prepare young people who are not going to a four-year college to be job-ready, but it also engages kids because they feel like, 'I get this,'" said Obama.

In all fairness to Obama, he doesn't want to take gaming or computers away from kids, but rather for them direct their passions towards productive pursuits instead of simply melding into their sofas.

"Given how pervasive computers and the Internet is now and how integral it is in our economy and how fascinated kids are with it, I want to make sure that they know how to actually produce stuff using computers and not simply consume stuff," he said.