I also have to agree with Eric's statement that New Media can't really change the world but more inspire. My main reason for feeling this way is because when I played the games, especially the Ben and Jerry's lickglobalwarming.org game, I was more focused on winning the game instead of the environmental facts along the way. I think younger kids might get a little more into it, and remember the things that will help them progress in the game, like carpooling. But I honestly just tried to get there fast enough. I tested this out on my boyfriend, not telling him anything other then "Here try this game" and he did the exact same thing. Just tried to get to the finish as fast as he could.
I did find one website though that I think might help inspire younger generations. Its called Environmental Kids Club (http://www.epa.gov/kids/game.htm). This is a great learning site for kids because not only does it have games, but stories told through fun characters like Morphie the Raindrop talking about the water cycle. Also it has garbage and recycling crossword puzzles and activity books teachers can give kids. I think this form of online media definitely helps inspire others to change the world.
Thanks for this experiential research Elise - I think the idea that games have target demographics, and the more sophisticated the audience, the more visually demanding and challenging the interface must be in order to be effective.
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