I think a lot about how much is too much when it comes to
video games and my 8-year-old son. Playing
video games is one of his favorite things to do, and I worry that he may
develop an addiction. I can relate to
him because I had a similar draw to the original Nintendo games when I was his
age. Even though I don't play very many
video games now, I think it's important that my son know that I understand the
desire to play all the time. So, here is
my plan so far: (1) talk to him a lot about the pros and cons of video games
and why it's not a good idea to do any one thing too much, (2) set time limits
on video games and computer usage, and (3) play video games with him on a
regular basis. I feel like as long as he
is comfortable talking to me and playing with me, I'll always know enough about
what's going on to make informed parenting decisions.
Watch "Parenting in Cyberspace"
I really appreciated Dr. K's comments about being ware of where your kids are going and going with them. I have always avoided WoW, but if I ever did play, I would have loved to have my parents tag along in a raid. In high school, I loved to have a LAN party when it was my birthday. My stepdad and his dad would play with us, and I thought that was the coolest thing in the world. I know I had a more open relationship with both of them because I could tell they really cared. They cared enough to engage in activities that mattered to me, so I showed I cared by really listening to the counsel that mattered most to them to share with me.
ReplyDeleteI actually just finished a rough draft on this subject myself. The post will officially be up on davidfritch.wordpress.com September 19, 2011. I think it is important that youth only play video games after the most important tasks are finished first in their lives, such as playing with family, playing with friends, playing outside, doing schoolwork, and reading. If youth do so, they will have a much more fulfilling life physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially; they will be better prepared to be a contributing member of society. When they do play games, though, I recommend video games that encourage social interaction and teamwork with other people such as the New Super Mario Bros WII, or Kinect: Adventures!. I strongly discourage the introduction of graphically violent and suggestive video games, whether Teen or Mature rated, such as Mortal Kombat and God of War. If they like RPGs and MMORPGs, I think many are very fun, but I agree that there should be time limits on how long they are played since many require 100+ hours of gameplay.
ReplyDeleteI would establish the video game systems, computers, and TV in a room open to all family members. My opinion, do not put any of these devices in the child's room. It is too big of a temptation to get up from bed and start playing a game. When I was growing up, my parents bedroom was across the "gaming room." It reduce the motivation to stay up all night playing games. Also, my dad would check to see everything was turned off in the house. If I have been in the room, Dad would ask me to go to bed.
ReplyDelete