Alone Together: Why Your Kids Are Watching Others Play

by R.K. Holliday

Are your kids always on YouTube or Twitch?In the midst of social media, toxic news, and insanely complicated research, many parents get lost. Feeling pressure to know "what" their kids are seeing on the internet and understanding "why" they're clamoring for more, it’s easy to lose sight of how we got here and why our kids are into this strange, new trend.In this easy to understand book, R.K. Holliday offers parents much more than a to-do list. Instead, he presents us with a big-picture view of a child's life way back when, in his day, and now. Outlining reasons centered on no-agenda, normal observations, he shows that we need to understand what's behind the screen to understand what's making our kids tick. We need to put ourselves in our kids' shoes with little grace and understanding.Freed from the burden of trying to understand complex studies that simply don't apply to everyday kids, we can embrace a good perspective of video games and streaming that will enrich your understanding of why children can't get enough of YouTube and Twitch streaming.

141 pages, Paperback

Published March 22, 2019

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC from the author, and I was quite interested as I am already a fan of gaming streams but can see why many people would be puzzled it. Despite my already knowledgeable stance I still learnt so much from this book and I loved how clear the layout was and that it was so easy to read. I read it all in one sitting! I appreciated that Holliday compared three different generations which I felt really put it all into perspective for all readers. Although it's not a parenting guide I'd definitely recommend it for parents of children who enjoy streams as they will find it quite insightful. Hoping that the author produces more analysis in this field as it was very interesting!

You can read my full review here:
https://pagesplacesandplates.com/2019...

[Leslie - Shobizreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Alone Together, the author doesn't just talk about kids playing video games, but explores the history of how kids play in 3 different time contexts - showing us that the motivation and types of play have similarities even if we don't initially see it.

As a mom of 4 boys who play sports and video games, this book offered an interesting perspective around what has been a conundrum for me (kids watching each other play video games) and challenged my pre-conceived notions of this being a lame or unworthy leisure activity.

I appreciated the 3 time periods that the author outlined: my parent's childhood, mine and then my sons' childhoods (now). It was a fascinating look at the ways that play, community and leisure have evolved. And a very timely read for our house as our kids are begging for us to allow for Xbox live. Up until now, we have given them very limited access to video games and not allowed for our Xbox to be set up for Live play with friends & strangers.

With Covid and the closure of school, their peer time has been drastically reduced and they are excited about the idea of being able to play with their friends without parents having to drive them to each other's houses especially in light of each families different social distancing measures.

I learned a lot about the motivations behind active video game play and inactive (watching) and the parallels to live event chat rooms, watching sporting events and other ways that we as adults engage in these types of leisure.

This is a great book for parents as they shift through the choices they approve and the boundaries that they put in place around gaming and online presence for kids.

Thanks to the author, R.K. Holliday for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free physical copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a really interesting, really quick read! I’m in the unique position of being in-between two generations: Millennials and Gen-Z. I’ve grown up in the technological era and have watched it evolve from flip phones to iPhones. I’m old enough to remember when YouTube was a new thing. So, this was a really fascinating read for me, as someone who has grown up in this world.
I found the pacing to be light and quickly moving, which helped in the development of the ideas and also kept me, someone who isn’t super into video game culture, entertained and invested. I think Holliday balances his own opinion with general facts really well and he comes off as a reliable narrator. His voice and style is very clear as well.
Though there were a few typo errors (which comes with the territory of being self-published! I applaud anyone who works this hard to get their writing into the world!) I didn’t feel like it detracted from my reading experience.
One of my favorite parts of this book is the way each chapter is split into the past, Holliday’s childhood, and current times. I think that’s such a clever way to connect all these ideas across generations and really hammer home the point that this behavior is a very normal part of childhood and adolescence.
All in all, this was a really enjoyable read for me! I definitely haven’t seen any other books out there tackling this subject, and I’d highly recommend it for anyone, regardless of age or interest in gaming!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a physical copy from the author to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for giving me access.

I will firstly admit, this was not at all what I was expecting. Was it bad? Not in the slightest. But it was definitely informative and opened my eyes more to my childhood upbringing and how it differed from that of my parents.

Holliday takes us through three generations of upbringings: Way Back When, In My Day, and Now. He definitely brings our attention to the reasonings behind the fascination of why kids today watch other people play games.

After reading this, and listening to my kids watch Parker Plays/Player Select on the TV, it now makes sense as to why they find it more interesting than I do. I mean, if I had access to watching gamers at their age, I would be obsessed too.

This was very different from my usual fantasy or thriller books, but I really did enjoy it. It is a super short read and I definitely suggest giving it a gander, especially if you too question why kids are obsessed with watching others play games.

Don’t let my 3 star rating fool you, I did enjoy this read. As I said, this is not a typical read for me. For those that enjoy more of a non-fiction/education/informative read, this is perfect for you! Even if not, I would still highly suggest it just for the information that is given.

[Clued-in With A Book (Elvina Ulrich) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always wonder why kids enjoy watching gamers play online games on YouTube or Twitch.tv. I just couldn't understand where is the fun and enjoyment in that. If you're wondering the same, then this is the book for you. The author lays out a few convincing reasons for this growing phenomenon by comparing three different generations: Way Back When (50s - 70s); In My Days (80s - early 00's); Now - which I think is brilliant, making it easy to understand.

I certainly gained some understanding after reading this book. It's a quick read and I wish that there are more depth (details) in the content as it is an interesting topic! Nevertheless, it is still a good read and this is the only book that I am aware of that addresses this topic.

******I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed in this review are my own and was not influenced by the author, publisher or any third party.***