The title of this post comes from a Slate article criticizing programs like One Laptop Per Child. The article looks at the effectiveness of a computer distribution program in Romania. The Romanian children who received computers on average did worse in school, showed less interest in higher education and those who did show interest in college were no more likely to go into computer science. Surprise, surprise.

In my village in Georgia, kids would ditch school to go play Counter Strike at the NGO run computer center. I’m sure that similar situations exist all around the globe as well-meaning Westerners attempt to close the “digital divide“. A computer without internet access, without a printer, is essentially a PlayStation. I think it would be great to give the poor children of the world PlayStations.

Who doesn’t love a little GTA?