Another Brick Out Of The Wall...

Ofcom has announced its withdrawal from a diversity scheme run by LGBT+ charity Stonewall.

Good for them! It's not the first and hopefully it won't be the last:  

The communications regulator said in a statement it has withdrawn from the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme because of “the need to remain impartial and independent at all times” and because taking part “poses a conflict or risk of perceived bias”.

Other organisations including the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the Cabinet Office have also quit the scheme in recent months.

As Fahrenheit211 points out, this is a group that - while set up in a time of undoubted need, and with initial good intentions and sucesses - has long since lost its way and now endangers the very social cohesion it initially fought to establish. 

A Stonewall spokesperson said (Ed: no doubt through gritted teeth...): “We respect Ofcom’s decision and will continue to work with them in their role as the UK’s communication regulator.

“It is sad, however, that involvement in a programme that supports an inclusive workplace for LGBTQ+ employees should be in any way regarded as an unimpartial act.”

You only have to look at the PR disasters you've had in recent months to see why a government department of impartial arbiter might be leery of you, unnamed spokesperson... 

“As with every membership programme, organisations come and go depending on what works best for their inclusion journey at the time, and we’re very proud of the work we’ve done with Ofcom and wish them the best in their ongoing efforts to support all of their LGBTQ+ employees.”

They've decided the best way to do that is not to trample on the rights of those LGBTQ+ employees in order to appease a miniscule and unrepresentative section. And who can blame them? 

You're Asking Them To Parent...

...and for an increasing number, that's just too much like hard work.

Video game trade body Ukie has launched a campaign to encourage more parents and carers to use parental controls, teaming up with ex-footballer Rio Ferdinand.

The organisation wants to raise awareness that everything from screen time to in-game purchases can be monitored and controlled.

Yes, it can. If you're prepared to put in the time and effort.

But given so many so-called 'parents' can't be bothered to teach their children to read and write, or use a knife and fork, what are the odds they'll bother with this?

In my experience, many parents both dread and disdain video games. I’ve seen parents at my talks despair at being asked to engage with an Xbox or PlayStation console – it’s a totally alien environment for some, and one they occasionally feel aggressive antipathy for.But simply succumbing to technophobia is not acceptable today.

It shouldn't be, but I fear it is...

It’s not enough to wave it away, or just to take notice when the latest moral panic hits the tabloids. We teach our kids to cross the road, to swim and ride a bike, to be wary of strangers – these are considered vital stages in learning to navigate the lived environment. But the digital environment is as much a part of our kids’ lives.

Sadly, a lot of people out there have children for the wrong reasons. And will never put one iota of effort needed into this.

I’ve no idea how successful Ukie’s campaign will be. At every talk, I recommend two things: that parents play video games with their kids so they understand what’s going on, and that they visit Ukie’s excellent website AskAbout Games, which has information for parents about new titles. But I often observe expressions of indifference and uncertainty on their faces.

I suspect you'd observe that were you trying to get them to toilet train their children, or prevent them from going out at night stabbing other people's children...

It surprises me, a gamer since the late 70s, that in 2020 we’re still having to point out that parental controls exist. But figuring games and games consoles out is not only an important part of parenting, it can actually be a really fun part of being a parent.

You're preaching, far too often, to the non-converted. Because this isn't just about games, is it?