If you're liberal you probably don't like the idea of public schools using "abstinence-only" education. If you're conservative you probably don't like the federal government wasting tax dollars on stupid things. Finally the University of Central Florida has brought us a project that everyone can hate: an abstinence-only video game financed by $434,800 in federal money.
The game will be aimed at Latina middle school girls. They'll interact with life sized computer avatars and supposedly learn social skills that will help them say "no" to sex.
"The best time to teach girls abstinence and peer-resistance skills is during middle school -- those approaches are less effective once girls become sexually active. And many Latina girls may lack role models who can help them learn how to resist peer pressure," reads a press release.
The young girls will interact with computer "puppets" being controlled by a skilled "inter actor" who is hidden from the "player."
"One person controls many characters by jumping into the skin," a professor working on the project tells a local Orlando news station.
And here we thought the point of abstinence education was to get kids not to jump into the skin of many "characters."
The game will continue to be refined over the next two years, and will eventually be used in after-school and outreach programs.
So who's footing the bill for this kind of ridiculous program? You are, taxpayer. The federal government has shilled out $434,800 to help develop it.
Yet research shows sexual education that teaches kids to say "no," only really works if young boys are taught the same thing. No word on whether or not the video game will be taught in conjunction with tips about safe sex.