A recent press release published on Pentagon’s own news website, DVIDS, claims that the so-called “Nintendo Generation” of military recruits has frail skeletons due to not having been toughened by previous physical activity. At the same time, the US military doesn’t shy away from using video games such asCall of Duty: Warzoneto enlist young people into its ranks.
Specifically, the issue seems to stem from the claims that recruits between 18 and 25 years of age aren’t as physically tough as some previous generations had been, with the implication being that it was video games such asCall of Duty: Warzonethat are causing this. At the same time, the article says these recruits belong to the “Nintendo Generation”, which actually includes people born in the mid-’80s and mid-’90s.
RELATED:America’s Army Recruitment Tool Game is Shutting Down
In fact, it’s interesting to note that theUS spent millions of dollars onAmerica’s Armyall the way back in the late 2000s, even though the game is now shutting down. It’s hardly a stretch to think that the army’s gaming budget has only ballooned since, and that the training necessary to “toughen” the recruits' skeletons is offset by the value of access to said recruits in the first place.
As well as being needlessly condescending to the wrong generation of people, Thibodeau has also come up with a list of things that future recruits should do to grow strong bones. Said list includes a “Couch-to-5k” running progression program, mindful dieting, and drinking milk, though he doesn’t seem to have considered the fact that theUS Army has a controversial Twitch channelthat is used to source recruits.
Back in 2020, there were accusations of theUS Army Twitch channel running fake giveawaysto draw in viewers, which was one of the reasons the said channel was banned in the first place. Clearly, the US Army at large recognizes the value of having a presence in modern media. The idea that its higher-ups would blame said media for the fragility of recruits' skeletons certainly seems a tad tone-deaf, to say the least.
Call of Duty: Warzoneis available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
MORE:How the Military Uses Call of Duty As A Recruitment Tool
