The era of Minecraft

“EVERY block you place is a step towards your masterpiece.”

“Keep mining, keep building, keep creating.”

*”Ezra”, (not his real name) a 12-year-old boy has been playing Minecraft since he was 7 years old. His classmate from a prestigious school introduced the computer game to him since he’s a techy kid. According to him, it was weird at first, since it had a lot of blocks building up and it seems he gets the hang of it. He says this is a computer game in which you make quirks out of virtual blocks, from dizzying buildings to entire cities.

He created a variation of obstacles, but what he wanted was an unexpected trap that would throw his friends off guard.

I asked myself this question, while I watched him play, How would he do it though? As a Millennial, I am more of an old-school gamer than a modern gamer.

He had an idea: the virtual animals. Minecraft contains a menagerie of virtual animals, some of the players can kill and eat, or tame, or pet them. One is a red-and-white cowlike animal called a “Mooshroom”, the mooshroom is a passive mob in Minecraft that does everything a normal cow could do. But the only difference is that they’re red and have mushrooms on them. He can harness the animal’s motion to produce randomness, in other words, he can manipulate the animal. He created a pen out of gray stones and placed the “pressure plates” on the floor triggering a trap inside the maze. He stuck the mushrooms inside, where they would move forward while swaying from side to side on and off the plates in an irregular pattern.

So… Ezra had used the cow’s unusual behavior to create, in effect, a random-­number generator inside Minecraft.

“Ang tanaw nako sa Minecraft kay mas tsada kaau nga game nga maka build ka ug anything, maka survive ka ug maka himo ka ug something like houses ug cities ug adventurous siya. Maka tabang siya nko pawala sa akong stress,” he said.

While on-screen, he was heading over to the entrance to the maze while I was watching him with things popping out of my head, like an era of young generations with an imaginative bit of problem-­solving, something that computer engineers would contemplate as a tremendous hack of persuading a computer strategy to do something modern and creative.

“Minecraft is a game filled with creativity,” he said. He just floated over the maze’s exit, he also made a sign out of blocks that said, “Ezra’s World”.

So… What is Minecraft?

Minecraft is a 2011 sandbox game developed by Mojang Studios and originally released in 2009. The word Minecraft is a combination of two verbs that are to mine and to craft. The game was created by Markus “Notch” Persson in the Java programming language. Since its release twelve years ago, Minecraft has become a global sensation, captivating a generation of children. It has become the best-selling video game in history, with over 300 million copies sold and nearly 140 million monthly active players as of 2023. It has been ported to several platforms. In 2014, Microsoft bought Minecraft — and Mojang, the Swedish game studio behind it — for $2.5 billion.

There have been blockbuster games before in our time, of course. But as Ezra’s experience — Minecraft is a different sort of phenomenon.

Minecraft can be interpreted in different ways, but it’s often seen as more than just a game. Some people view it as a form of digital creativity, allowing players to build and explore their virtual worlds. Others see it as a tool for education, as it can teach concepts such as resource management, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Additionally, online players find a sense of relaxation and escapism in the game. Ultimately, the meaning of Minecraft can vary from person to person based on their experiences and perspectives.

In Minecraft, players explore a blocky, pixelated procedurally generated, three-dimensional world with virtually infinite terrain. Players can discover and extract raw materials, craft tools, and items, and build structures, earthworks, and machines. Depending on their chosen game mode, players can fight hostile mobs, as well as cooperate with or compete against other players in the same world.

Game modes contain survival mode, creative mode, spectator mode, adventure mode, and hardcore mode.

The game’s large community also offers a wide variety of user-generated content, such as modifications, servers, skins, texture packs, and custom maps, which add new game mechanics and possibilities.

Think of “Minecraft” as virtual LEGO. It’s a system for fitting pieces together to create something — sometimes amazing something — from nothing. Children would start with simple blocks, build up to more complex patterns, and then begin to see these patterns in the world around them.

The game provides endless building blocks and a blank canvas. You can create something extraordinary, funny, referential, or anything, using the tools it provides. The tools are user-friendly, as are the systems for employing those tools.

Minecraft encourages children to get under the hood, break things, fix them, and turn mushrooms into random-­number generators.

This game brings us back to the early days of the digital age.

In the late ’70s and ’80s, the arrival of personal computers like the Commodore 64 gave rise to the first generation of kids fluent in computation. They learned to program in Basic and to write software that they swapped excitedly with their peers. It is a stealth gateway to the fundamentals and the pleasures of computer science. Also, a playful renaissance that eerily parallels the embrace of Minecraft by today’s youth.

According to Mimi Ito, a cultural anthropologist at the University of California, Irvine, and a ­founder of Connected Camps, an online program where kids play Minecraft together, has closely studied gamers and learning. Ito points out that when kids delve into this hackerlike side of the game — concocting redstone devices or creating command blocks — they often wind up consulting discussion forums online, where they get advice from adult Minecraft players. These folks are often full-time programmers who love the game, and so younger kids and teenagers wind up in conversation with professionals.

For Ito, this is all a culturally useful part of the experience: Kids become more resilient, both practically and philosophically. “Minecraft is busted, and you’re constantly fixing it,” she says. “It’s that home-brew aesthetic. It’s kind of broken all the time. It’s laggy. The kids get used to the idea that it’s broken and you have to mess with it. You’re not complaining to get the corporate overlord to fix it — you just have to fix it yourself.”

Minecraft has numerous benefits that can help them develop important skills and abilities.

First, It encourages creativity and problem-solving skills: Kids can use their imagination and creativity to create structures and discover new worlds through Minecraft. This can help them expand their problem-solving skills as they figure out how to design and build complex structures.

Second, It provides opportunities for socialization and collaboration: Minecraft offers multiplayer modes that enable kids to play with friends or strangers online. This can help them develop their social skills and learn how to work together with others.

Third, it improves hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness: Minecraft requires players to utilize objects and steer through virtual spaces. This can help enhance hand-eye coordination and spatial comprehension.

Fourth, It motivates exploration and curiosity: Minecraft’s open-world environment encourages kids to explore and discover new things. This helps enable a sense of curiosity and a fascination to learn more about the world around them.

Fifth, It formulates planning and organization skills: To build complex structures in Minecraft, kids must plan and organize their resources and ideas. This can help improve skills in planning, organization, and time management.
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And lastly, It promotes resilience and perseverance: Minecraft can be a challenging game, and kids may encounter obstacles and setbacks along the way. Kids can develop resilience and a sense of grit that can help them in other areas of their lives.

What about the disadvantages?

Like any online game, parents may have concerns about their child’s safety while playing. This leads to the question of whether Minecraft is safe for kids.

First, Exposure to inappropriate content and languages.

While Minecraft is a generally safe game for kids, there is a risk of exposure to inappropriate content and language.

To address these concerns, there are steps that parents can take to reduce the risk of exposure to inappropriate content and language in Minecraft. Enabling parental controls and settings is one of the most efficient strategies to filter out unsuitable content and restrict communication with other players to help ensure that their child has a safe and enjoyable experience playing Minecraft. Parents can also monitor their child’s gameplay setting time limits on gameplay and limiting communication to approved friends or family members.

Second, addiction and excessive screen time.

Minecraft has the potential to be addictive, and excessive screen time may have adverse impacts on the physical and mental well-being of children. Excessive screen time can cause various issues, such as obesity, improper posture, and eye strain, especially when sitting for long periods in front of a screen. It also can have adverse effects on children’s mental health and It can inhibit social interaction and make it challenging for children to establish social skills and build relationships.

To address these concerns, parents can limit their child’s screen time and encourage other activities. This can include limiting their child’s time playing Minecraft or other video games and encouraging them to engage in physical activities or creative hobbies.

Parents can also set a good example by limiting their screen time and engaging in activities with their children that don’t involve screens. This can help reinforce the importance of moderation and balance regarding screen time and other activities.

And lastly, Cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying is a serious concern in online games, and it can have a significant impact on children’s mental health and well-being. In Minecraft, cyberbullying can take many forms, including verbal harassment, exclusion from groups or games, and even griefing. This can be damaging for children. Unlike face-to-face bullying, cyberbullying can happen anonymously, and it can be difficult for parents to track down the perpetrator.

To address the problem of cyberbullying in Minecraft, it is important for parents to talk to their children about the risks of online bullying and to encourage them to report any incidents they experience or witness. Another crucial strategy is to teach children how to respond to cyberbullying if they experience it. This can include strategies such as blocking the bully, reporting the behavior to moderators, and seeking support from trusted friends or family members.

Educate the children about online safety and responsibility.

Parents should educate their children about online safety and responsibility is a best practice to ensure their child is safe while playing online games, especially Minecraft.
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First, by teaching children about online safety and responsibility, parents can help ensure that their child understands the risks and benefits of playing online games and can make informed decisions about their online behavior.
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Second, by teaching children about the dangers of sharing personal information online. This can include teaching children not to share their real name, address, phone number, or other identifying information with strangers online.
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Third, parents can teach their children how to create strong and secure passwords and avoid scams and online attacks.

Fourth, parents should teach their children about the risks of cyberbullying and other inappropriate behavior. They can teach their children how to identify and report cyberbullying and stand up for themselves and others when they encounter inappropriate online behavior.

Lastly, parents can also teach their children about responsible online behavior. This includes teaching children how to communicate effectively and respectfully online and how to be a good online citizen by respecting the rules and guidelines of the game community.

Minecraft is a popular and engaging game that offers many benefits for children, including improving creativity, problem-solving skills, and social interaction. However, playing Minecraft has potential risks, such as exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and addiction. Parents need to take steps to guarantee their child’s safety while playing the game, such as setting parental controls, monitoring gameplay, and educating their child about online safety and responsibility. Parents can help ensure that their child has a positive and safe experience playing Minecraft.

Playing video games online lets us communicate with other people around the world, and maintaining real-world social interactions is also important. Set aside time to enjoy quality time with loved ones, whether it be through shared pursuits, outings, or just sincere discussion. It improves your life and prevents isolation to maintain a balance between online and offline relationships. You may experience the enjoyment of gaming without letting it overtake other aspects of your life by setting priorities, creating routines, setting boundaries, and implementing good habits.

Just like Ezra, he also has limitations in playing Minecraft. According to his mom, there are certain days when he can play within a certain time limit. There is a time to play and a time to spend time with family and friends and make time for his hobbies.