Jun 15, 2021
Are you a parent who is constantly worried about your teenage child’s addiction to video games? Are you a teenager who wonders what exactly is wrong with your parents as they impose new rules at home to control your game time? Well, if so, you are reading the right article. With the exponential growth of video games, it is essential you look at the positives and negatives, and strike a good balance while dealing with video games.
Why are your parents so worried?
One of the main problems that worry parents and medical experts is the adverse effects video games have on the wellbeing of children. Too many teenagers these days are left with restless fingers on controllers and eyes glued firmly on their screens after playing video games for hours and hours on end. Many parents pick up on this and express their concerns. One such parent is Mrs. Calvet, the mother of two, who has recently posted her problems with video games online. She is one of many parents who are having trouble controlling their children's screen time and what they are exposed to while playing. She wishes that her children spend more time with the family and that they sever the unhealthy bond they have formed with the weapons, slaughter and enemies of their virtual world, but just like almost every parent, wonders if it may be too late now.
Is gaming addiction real?
In addition to this, children are growing so addicted to these video games that they only take a break for junk food that they can eat while playing. Family time, sports and reading are all seemingly things of the past. Nowadays, clicking buttons on controllers is very much a hobby for most children, and it is simply dreadful to think of the complications that can arise because of it. Arthritis, diabetes and obesity in children is rapidly rising and it is now quite clear why video games may well be the main cause for it. If you are a kid who loves playing video games, we very strongly advise you to understand these issues and control the time you spend on video games; it can very much kill you.
Does gaming influence behaviour?
Another evident disadvantage of video games is the behavioural impacts that video games, particularly violent video games, have on children. We may argue that what you do on the screen, stays on the screen, and can have no impact on children's reactions to real life situations. However, modern video games are made to be so lifelike and graphically intense that it can be very hard for children, particularly younger children, to understand what is right in real life and what is not. It is very scary to think how a child might process and react to a situation that does not favour them after being desensitized to such mindless, vulgar violence.
Is limited gaming beneficial?
However, contrary to many parent’s beliefs, video games are definitely not just the destructive, dreadful devices that they are made out as being. There are very many beneficial impacts that video games can have on children, if used correctly. Jobs of the modern world and the world of the future demand for people that have at least moderate technological expertise. There is virtually no job these days that do not require some sort of computer skill. Thinking on these lines, are we not doing the children a favour by allowing them to discover on their own how to handle a device of any kind? Are we not at least indirectly feeding into their minds the capabilities of what a machine can do? True, exposing children to technology can lead to them loving their devices too much, but is that truly bad in a future where they may need to work with these devices for the rest of their lives? This reason should be enough to persuade you that you are wrong in trying to completely stop your children’s use of video games.
Should you as parents consider its educational value?
In addition to this, there are many video games that are both educational and much more compassionate, that many critics of video games choose to ignore. Games that allow kids to have pets, learn programming, become an Olympic champion, songwriter, dancer, things people can only dream of, all from the comfort of their house and made much easier than it would be in real life. For those struggling to keep the family life alive, and have only video games to blame, that is no longer a reason as there are countless different 4-6 player games that do not need to involve violence and can be fun for the whole family. It is up to you whether you are willing to adapt for the sake of interacting with your children or remain stubbornly glued to traditional methods of entertainment. Instead of making your children’s lives miserable with threats