Should Children Play with Monsters?

If you go by word origins, monster must demonstrate a moral, a lesson, a value. What values do the Pocket Monsters demonstrate? "Pokemon appeals to children's desire for mastery," says Stephanie Pratola, a child psychologist. "That begins to develop at age six or seven. There are so many things to master--the games, knowing all the rules for the cards, what makes a good trade." It's a world of expertise in which kids can revel, free from parents who don't understand the rules. Pratola says the marketers have taken huge advantage of this developmental niche among children, but she spreads the blame...

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