Take Time: Game on or game over?

Effects of online gaming, its addiction among children and what parents can do to help -- here’s all you need to know about allowing your child to play video games.

Even while some video games are instructional, there is a growing market for games that may emphasise unfavourable themes like violence, crime and disdain for law and authority. (Source: Freepik)

Everyone of all ages enjoys playing video games on their computers. Children and teenagers, in particular, spend more time indoors playing video games than engaging in outdoor activities. Even while some video games are instructional, there is a growing market for games that may emphasise unfavourable themes like violence, crime and disdain for law and authority. Cooperative, competitive, or violent video games are the three general subcategories of computer games. As a result, given the appeal of the latter two, there are worries about the potential impact that these digital game genres may have on a child’s psychosocial development.

Positive and negative effects

Children and adults alike get addicted to these video games. It has become the favourite pastime for everybody. Getting addicted to video games is not restricted to children alone, even adults get drawn to it. But video games has its own positive and negative impacts on children. It improves the reflexes and skills of a child. Puzzle-solving video games raise the level of dexterity in children. It keeps the child skillfully busy, making him more confident and gadget-friendly.

The negative effects of video games include negligence of other responsibilities such as schoolwork and other activities which results in poor academic and social performance. Staying glued to a screen, computer, mobile phone etc. to play video games for a longer duration of time results in health problems like obesity and poor or weak eyesight. Playing video games for a long time can cause aggressive behaviour and thoughts and other psychological problems in a child. The role of parents and elders is very important in monitoring the duration of playtime and the types of video games being played.

How can a parent help?

This doesn’t necessarily imply that your child shouldn’t play video games, but there are certain things you can do as a parent to encourage a positive gaming relationship for your child:

Establish boundaries and keep computers and video-game consoles out of your child’s bedroom.
Make a timetable for the permitted game time. Giving timely reminders during playtime is suggested. For instance, “You have 15 more minutes till game time is done.”
If you are a parent having trouble with your child’s videogames addiction, be sure to give them the proper punishments and rewards when they comply.
Before allowing your children to play video games, take into account the game’s rating. Some games are improper for children and can exacerbate troublesome behaviour.
Use parental control tools that let you set passwords on your children’s accounts to restrict and control what they are exposed to online.
Explain to your children how to keep their technology and personal information safe by being cautious when opening files that are linked to emails or instant chats.
Make and employ secure passwords.
Use antivirus and anti-spyware software. As a parent, guard the administrator password and monitor your child’s online gaming time.
It’s crucial to set an example for your children when playing video games if you are a parent who enjoys doing so.
The key is consistency — to encourage your child to behave more appropriately while playing games, try to maintain consistency in your rules and their enforcement.

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While competitive and violent video games have been shown to encourage aggressive behaviour in children and adolescents, cooperative games have been linked to positive effects. Long-term gaming has also been linked to a rise in addictive behaviour and a decline in psychological health. As a result, it will be crucial for parents to keep an eye on how much time their children spend playing video games and what kinds of games they play in order to prevent addiction and internalising problems in children. Psychosocial development as a whole refers to the development of an individual’s personality, which involves changes in and the acquisition of social skills and psychosocial behaviour, as influenced by environmental and social factors.

(Alisha Lalljee is a psychologist, special educator and psychotherapist practising in Bandra, Mumbai)

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