Growing up, I loved video games. I started out playing on my parent's Atari 2600 and then moved on to my very own NES one Christmas in the 80s. From that point on, my family had a love of video games and some of my fondest moments as a child involved family gaming. When my brother was born, that love of gaming was passed on to him and it's one thing we constantly have in common and can discuss around the holidays. Even though we loved our video games, we knew that it was a privilege and something that shouldn't be abused. I would have my friends come over to play games from time to time, but for the vast majority of the time, we were out playing baseball or riding bikes. There needs to be a balance for kids and you can't expect the kids to understand that balance. If given the choice, children will usually pick the visually stimulating experience over the physically demanding one. If you have a child that doesn't fall into that category, congratulations, you're an outlier. It falls on the parents to ensure that kids don't spend too much time playing games and lose out on physical activity. It can be very difficult, too. I know the temptation of turning on Sesame Street for my toddler when I really want to just have some alone time. Hell, I've fallen victim to the "just watch this and be quiet" moments. They will happen to the best of us and there really isn't anything you can do but try to minimize the occurrences. The trick is to not let their screen time get out of control. Most major video game systems have parental controls that will turn a system off after an allotted amount of time. Parental controls are your friend...use them! And don't let your children have free access to technology so that they can skirt your rules. Monitor use and have set guidelines that will help your child understand and stick to the balance mentioned earlier. Setting pass codes on devices is a great way to keep tabs on when and how often your kids are accessing technology.

Video games are not inherently bad. I think a lot of parents see the word "game" and automatically assume it's going to be age appropriate. What they don't realize is that video games have matured dramatically since the early days when they were playing Pac Mac in their local convenience store. Did you know that the average gamer is in their mid 30s? These are people who grew up with their NES and Sega Genesis systems and matured into an adult with adult tastes. It makes sense that as the medium matured, so too did the themes in video games. It's not uncommon to see full blown stories in games tackle things like sexual assault, domestic violence, depression, suicide, murder, etc. These are mature themes for mature minds, something children should not be experiencing until they are mature enough to understand. These are games for adults, just like The Wire and The Sopranos were shows for adults. Not all games are created equally and you need to put forth the effort of investing time and research into knowing and understanding what your kids will play. Mark Zuckerberg recently came out in favor of video games saying that they were one of the reasons he got into programming. I was the same way. My love of everything tech as a child was fueled by my love of video games and it helped me dive into code while in middle and high school. Because of this early dabbling in computer code, I won a full paid tuition to college based on a programming competition. Were video games solely responsible? Absolutely not. But my love of everything tech stemmed from my love of gaming and they certainly didn't hurt.
Nowadays, there are so many age appropriate games on the market that kids should be able to experience the world of gaming from a young age. Games like Disney Infinity, the Lego games, and Skylanders are perfect games to get children interested in gaming. You can also find a number of educational games on the PC that will help kids in school subjects where they may be having issues. Websites like code.org exist that make coding a game and help teach kids the basics of computer programming. It's a wonderful digital world we live in and allowing our children to experience the world of gaming can actually be beneficial for them if you closely monitor them, follow the ESRB guidelines, and make sure their time is balanced with physical activity. I can't wait until my son is able to start playing video games with me, but I know that it can wait until he is ready. My wallet is also happy to wait because I spend enough money on games myself...on second thought, comics may be cheaper...
I'm not that much of a gamer nowadays, but I couldn't agree more with this. It amazes how many people still have such negative views on games, and tar them all with the same brush.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Just because it has game in the name, doesn't mean it's automatically for kids.
DeleteWe're a big video game family. I have a great family approval process set up through iCloud for those devices and we just forbid the T games. I have a neighbor that was shocked when she saw how violent the game that she bought for her 5th grader was. Ummm, it's CALL OF DUTY. Parents need to know the games even if they don't play them. Great post and not nerdy at all!
ReplyDeleteMovie ratings are common knowledge at this point. Most people automatically search for a rating when they are picking out a movie to watch with the kids involved. I hope we can get to a place where they do the same with video games.
DeleteGreat post. I think that parents must stay informed and involved. I remember playing video games with my parents. For 2 years or so, we 3 had an intense Super Mario Brothers competition, followed by the Legend of Zelda. Video games can create great family memories.
ReplyDeleteMy son just purchased his first Teen rated Xbox game at age 13 1/2. And he still knows that many games are off limits.
ReplyDeleteLast month one of his good friends moved to CA, and the boys make plans to play a video game together via Xbox Live. I hear them chatting while they play; it's a great way for them to stay connected.
Absolutely! Playing games with voice chat with friends is a great experience! It also helps stay in touch like your kid and his friend are doing.
DeleteI couldn't agree more! I had to clue my parents into the ratings system because my 9 year old tried to pull a fast one with a mature game. Thankfully the cashier at Walmart informed them how graphic it was and they put it back.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure why video games are not viewed like movies in most families but they really should be!
I love seeing clerks in stores abiding by those rules. So many people say, "They shouldn't sell it to children!" which they aren't, and things like this help prove it. Sure, you'll find some places that will, but the vast majority are going to card/ask for an adult.
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