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Oh Nos! XBOXes are teh evilz! wrote: President Obama's commencement speech Sunday at Hampton University caused a little stir in tech circles after he took a swipe at some of our favorite toys — "iPods and iPads and PlayStations and Xboxes" — for turning "information" into a "distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment." Oh, and he admitted that he doesn't know how to make any of them "work," either. Shocking!

Here's the passage of Obama's 2,000-word speech, delivered at the historically black college in Hampton, Va., that got the blogosphere all a-twitter (sorry, couldn't resist):

"And meanwhile, you're coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don't always rank that high on the truth meter. And with iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations — none of which I know how to work — information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation. So all of this is not only putting pressure on you; it's putting new pressure on our country and on our democracy."

So is the president saying that iPods, iPads and PlayStations are bad (as the Inquirer puts it, "on his axis of evil list")? Or is he simply saying we should switch off our Xboxes once in a while and, I dunno, read a book or something?

Movies and video games have always been easy targets for politicians looking for a quick applause line, and President Obama isn't immune. Back in 2009 he also dissed the Xbox (poor Xbox, why does Obama hate you so?) during a speech to the NAACP, in which he exhorted parents to "accept responsibilities to help [kids] learn. … That means putting away the Xbox, putting our kids to bed at a reasonable hour."

Obama said Sunday that students must not be distracted from developing the skills to "fortify [themselves] against the uncertainties of a 21st century economy." He delved into his information-overload theme in the second half of his speech:



"Allowing you to compete in the global economy is the first way your education can prepare you. But it can also prepare you as citizens. With so many voices clamoring for attention on blogs and on cable, on talk radio, it can be difficult at times to sift through it all; to know what to believe; to figure out who's telling the truth and who's not. Let's face it, even some of the craziest claims can quickly gain traction. I've had some experience in that regard."



Xboxes and iPads are just the delivery mechanisms for clamoring voices, Obama appears to be saying, whereas education "has honed your research abilities, sharpened your analytical powers, given you a context for understanding the world. … You've argued both sides of a debate. You've read novels and histories that take different cuts at life. All of this, I hope, has had the effect of opening your mind, of helping you understand what it's like to walk in somebody else's shoes."

Obama seems to be saying that while your iPod and iPad can certainly deliver you a galaxy of information, opinions and "crazy claims," a college education can teach you to synthesize them. Obama isn't really condemning iPods, iPads and gaming consoles, one could argue — he's just dismissing them.

Another way of reading the speech is that Obama is slamming the unfiltered Internet, where anyone can rant about anything — or even rail against the president and his policies! — for all the world to see. All those "crazy claims" and unfiltered opinions are dangerous — indeed, they're "putting new pressure on our country and on our democracy," Obama says — and you students out there need our guidance to put it all in the correct perspective.

And what about the fact that some universities are embracing devices like the iPad and the Kindle, which could become a viable replacement for a bag full of textbooks?

Some key questions to consider: Are iPads, iPods and game consoles mere "distractions," or can they actually be tools for enlightenment? Can the Xbox help free my mind (as Morpheus might say), or does it simply keep me busy with Halo instead of cracking open "Middlemarch"?

And should Obama actually try an iPad or a PS3 before he knocks them?

Discuss.

The video can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwg636CQnrc

News that Tawmis posted wrote: President Obama's commencement speech Sunday at Hampton University caused a little stir in tech circles after he took a swipe at some of our favorite toys — "iPods and iPads and PlayStations and Xboxes" — for turning "information" into a "distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment."

And should Obama actually try an iPad or a PS3 before he knocks them?