Video Games and Children

Freeze tag, hide and go seek, dodge ball. Does any of these games sound familiar? Well perhaps they do to those born before video games got really popular. Growing up in the early 1980's, these were games my friends and i played everyday. I guess it was just something about the element of human interaction that i found fun and entertaining. Needles to say, these activities fostered teamwork, cooperation, and exercise out side of p.e during school hours. Back in those days not everyone had access to an Atari or a Nintendo so it was very common to "get up, get out, make friends". Now understand, i am in no way, form or fashion am i bashing video games or anyone that plays them. Anything done in moderation is fine, however, when you get to the point where that's all you do; then there is a problem. According to research, these are some effects that video games have on youth: 1.) Increased aggression - children arguing and getting into fights with other kids. Acting out the video game. 2.) Decline in academic performance, i.e. neglecting school assignments and homework 3.) Trouble deciphering between what is reality and what is fantasy. 4.) Minimal physical activity, which can lead to obesity (whole different discussion) Finally, there are some social problems with which excessive gaming can be attributed. Many gamers that i have come across over the years are what i would consider loners. They do have a couple of friends, but for the most part, their main interaction with others are through online games. I also know people whose home and family life suffer because they are glued to the XBOX or the PC playing games. I find this to be a serious problem, but as i said, moderation is the key. I believe parents need to monitor their children's video game habits, as well as keep a close eye on the games they do play. As a society, we can ill-afford to have cases where people are trying to act out scenes from GTA, Call of Duty, or Tekken, due to their inability to distinguish fantasy from reality. ( A bit extreme, I know) The bottom line here is, technology is rapidly increasing, and video games are big business, so we know they aren't going anywhere. With that said, we realize we can't hide our kids from video games, but it is our place as responsible adults (and parents) to sort of tighten the reigns on gaming activities. GET THEM OUT OF THE HOUSE!!!