With the never ending advancement of technology, many households are being filled with video games. Every year there seems to be a new game system, and we can't even begin to discuss how many new games are coming out. And now, the question of where to draw the line. Many parents feel the need to expose their children to technology such as the computer, but how much exposure is too much?
No one can draw a solid line, but as parents, it is your responsibility to find a balance. With new game systems such as the Wii, children and families are being brought together to enjoy time and are getting physical activity. When deciding on how much time your child should spend playing video games, evaluate their lives and decide if they are spending adequate time on important things for their development.
The Child Development Institute suggests:
1. Parents should be aware of the content of the games and question whether it is appropriate for the age and developmental level of their child.
2. Parents should monitor how much time their children spend playing video games as well as other activities.
If a child is getting physical activity, keeping up with school, helping around the house, and doing other things that are applicable to them, then playing video games can be a nice reward and relaxation.
There are also many new electronic games that help kids learn and stimulate their brains. Products from Leapfrog, Vtech, and Fisher Price, are are available to educate children.
There used to be a concern about how much television children should watch, but in our world today, parents worry about how much time on video games, cell phones and computers children should use. Create boundaries and rules that allow your child to use technology but also set times when they need to be paying attention to what is around them.
Most importantly, practice what you preach.
I think that it is good to involve the child in creating a plan that limits the time they spend playing video games. Also, I think that the limited time spent playing video games would benefit the child best if it were an educational game they played.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was researching information for our technology powerpoint project I found a lot of information about video games. The effect that they can have on kids is amazing! I remember a teacher once saying that violent video games were a commonality among high school shooters. A more positive note: video games are being used to help promote healthy lifestyles aka the wii!
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of the above comments. I think it is an active, participatory process in which the child and the parent work together to determine the best course of action. Video games can be a good thing, if used sparingly, or with educational objectives in mind. We all know it's easy to fall into the trap of inactivity, time wasting, and exposure to violence, drugs, and other negative behaviors as a result of playing too many "worldy" video games.
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