[jdietrich]

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I think that the popularity of Minecraft speaks to a very real deprivation amongst many middle-class westerners.

I have read any number of thinkpieces about the hazards or the educational value of Minecraft, but not one of them meaningfully described the sheer beauty and joy of the game. I'm an adult with plenty of life experience and I find Minecraft to be an intoxicating experience; I can only imagine the effect it would have on a battery-farmed kid from a sterile suburb.

If you're worrying about your child being obsessed with Minecraft, ask what sort of experiences they're getting from the game that are lacking in their real life. Watching the sun rise over a soaring mountain range. Illuminating a newly discovered cave system and seeing a vast cavern reveal itself. Planting seeds, watching them grow and harvesting the crop. Building something for the pure pleasure of creativity and showing it to your friends.