Who says that video games aren't educational? Here's the story of one 6-year-old Virginia boy who took the family's sedan because he missed the school bus:
The boy, whose name wasn't released, missed the bus, took the keys to his family's 2005 Ford Taurus and drove nearly six miles toward school while his mother was asleep, police said.
He made at least two 90-degree turns, passed several cars and ran off the rural two-lane road several times before hitting an embankment and utility pole about a mile and a half from school.
The boy told police he learned to drive playing Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam video games.
"He was very intent on getting to school," said Northumberland County Sheriff Chuck Wilkins. "When he got out of the car, he started walking to school. He did not want to miss breakfast and PE."
That boy sure is motivated to go to school! http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/AP/story/839903.html
good points, the focus on video games is distracting from how terrible his mother is. but i dont think it is as simple as you are putting it. sure, he needs to be somewhat literate to find 'D' for drive and 'R' for reverse, but that doesnt mean he would understand how to navigate IN TRAFFIC. if you showed a 6 year old how to drive, would he be able to properly turn or even pass cars?
Cars aren't spectacularly difficult to operate if they're automatics, a few minutes figuring out which was pedal was "go" and which was "stop" is probably all he needed; if he's literate enough to play GTA, he can obviously figure out that "D" is drive and from watching his parents he could discern that the steering wheel is used to turn the car. Once again, the focus on the video game is distracting from the point of the article.