Minecraft--Teaching Society to Destroy Natural Resources One Tree at a Time

Hello All,

Today, I had my first productive venture in Minecraft. I have heard so much about it over the years and how it is used in education by other teachers, but I have never actually played it. I was excited to try it out and to be quite honest, it is a little fun and quite engaging. I found that once I got the hang building I started to intuitively create bigger and more elaborate structures. This makes me wonder if this same feeling is the feeling human kind at the dawn of civilization had. Once you start building, build bigger and more grandiose. I think some of our Natural Wonders testify to this theory.

 I wanted to gather as much wood and other resources as I could, basically hoard them, make sure that I always had a surplus so that I would not run out. Scarcity, became prevalent right away, when I noticed that after I chopped down trees around me I had to travel further and further to find more wood. Or when I needed to find water it is few and far between. Or when gathering certain rock to build, I had to search for it, then mine it. As engaging as this game is, and it does put into immediate practice, problem solving skills, what is it really teaching our youth?

The first thing I notice is how the goal of the game is to gather and use natural resources. One mode called "Survival Mode" creates inherent fear that some one, like the mobs, are going to take what is yours. Therefore you have to build huge structures and compounds to protect your self and your resources. This game perpetuates the fundamental drives of capitalism and therefore is inherently evil (I am dramatic, I know). Capitalism can not stay stagnant it has to grow, thus consuming and swallowing up all resources as it grows. Hence globalization. Minecraft teaches us to consume resources just like capitalism.

It's funny how when you chop down the trunk of the tree, the leaves and branches stay, giving you the illusion that you are not participating in deforestation. But, the purpose of this game requires that we become talented at deforestation. Also, teaching that we need to mine the earth for its precious resources. These types of ideals are what have gotten us into the environmental pickle we are in today. And the search for more and more natural resources and wealth is THE NUMBER ONE reason for oppression, slavery and imperialism round the world beginning back in the 15th century and world expansion.

I was blown away to see a game so basic in what you have to do and what it teaches. I am not going to say the game itself is the problem, but it certainly is not helping matters. There use to be the old argument about violence in cartoons. Some kids have and might hit another kid over the head with a hammer because when Buggs Bunny does it to Yo Simmity Sam, Yo Simmity doesn't die, birds just fly around his head and then he gets all better. Giving the illusion that whacking someone over the head with hammer is a harmless act. That is a very childish example, but on a more subconscious and insidious plane, Minecraft is teaching youth that you can deforest the planet and race for resources all in the name of avoiding scarcity, and everything will be all right, there are no environmental consequences and that we will get another free life. Not cool.

Any way, sorry for the rant but that is my position. Here are some pictures.

PS: The avatar choices are terrible. You are either white or dark brown.


Here is the compound I built with bridges from roof top to roof top and making them all interconnected.

One structure I built into the ground with a low door in case the zombies come and I have to shoot them one by one as they try to get in.

My first basic structure, at first I was happy to be out of the rain then I figured bigger is better

Wood just wont do, so I started the idea of building a huge castle out of stone, but it then I got tired or mining the resources.

Here is what an awesome structure can look like, buts my piddly little structures to shame