Video games have been around since I was a kid. Back in the 80's growing up with an arcade was a rare treat. We got to play video games once in a while - at the mall or at the movie theatre maybe. A friend of mine even had an Atari. It was a big deal. Today, my kids don't know how good they have it. It has now become a problem of how many games should I allow my three boys to play and what possible effects could these games have on them.
Studies show that these video games can have both positive and negative impacts on players. The most widely used "positive" impact video games are said to have on children is that they may improve a player's manual dexterity and computer literacy.
This quality makes the video game industry a powerful force in many adolescent lives. However, numerous studies show that video games, especially ones with violent content, make teens more aggressive. Part of the increase in aggressive behavior is linked to the amount of time children are allowed to play video games.
In one study by Walsh (2000), a majority of teens admitted that their parents do not impose a time limit on the number of hours they are allowed to play video games. The study also showed that most parents are unaware of the content or the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating (see below) of the video games their children play.
In another study, adolescent girls played video games for an average of 5 hours a week, whereas boys averaged 13 hours a week. The authors also stated that teens who play violent video games for extended periods of time tend to be more aggressive, are more prone to confrontation with their teachers, may engage in fights with their peers and see a decline in school achievements.
There are ways to curb these effects. With some parental intervention, you can decrease the negative impact that they have on your child. Here are a few tips: Know the rating of the video games your child plays (see below), do not install video game equipment in your child's bedroom, set limits on how often and how long your child is allowed to play video games, monitor all of your child's media consumption - video games, television, movies, and the Internet, supervise your child's Internet use. Ask your children how they feel about what they observe in these video games, television programs or movies. This is an opportunity to share your feelings and grow closer with your child.
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