Post by MamaCrossroads on Mar 4, 2018 5:45:10 GMT
From educateempowerkids.org/child-hooked-video-game-5-questions-consider-developing-action-plan/
My Child Is Hooked On THAT Video Game?! 5 Questions to Consider When Developing Your Action Plan
By Melody Bergman
This is the second article in a three-part series addressing video games and the fan culture that surrounds them. In our fast-paced digital world, parents need all the tools we can get interpreting the gaming world (media literacy) and teaching our young gamers how to participate in in a healthy, responsible way (digital citizenship).
Even if you’ve never witnessed it, you’ve heard about it. Somewhere there’s a 30-year-old gamer who lives in his mother’s basement and only emerges to eat. The rest of his life is spent wearing headphones, glued to a console battling monsters with his friends online.
Be honest. When you observe your child’s gaming habits, do you worry this is where he’ll end up?
It seems every time we turn around, there is another study linking children and video games to dangers such as psychological disorders (Gordon, 2011), sleep problems (Gardner, 2011), and focus issues (Swing, 2010), just to name a few. These are real problems, and we as parents have a right to be concerned.
But take a breath, Mom and Dad. You don’t have to solve the “video game conundrum” for the whole world, just your kiddos. And you CAN educate yourself and create a plan that will work in your home. Here are some things to consider:
1) Where do our brains live?
No matter what our household gaming philosophy is, we would be wise to ask ourselves: How are we preparing our kids for the future? Do we encourage them to engage in real life? Or do we allow them to escape into digital fantasy for most of their waking hours? These are becoming more legitimate questions with every passing year and every new electronic device.
2) What time is it?
When it comes to video games, how much is too much? Every parent has to answer that question for themselves. But there are lines where playtime becomes obsession, and obsession becomes addiction. Sometimes identifying those lines can be difficult. Be honest. Do you know how much time in your home is spent gaming? Start keeping track. If your family needs help with time limits, there are dozens of options for software that can help.
*Apple computers come automatically equipped with parental controls that include timers for individual users. These work great for my kids, and they didn’t cost me anything extra! (Go to System Preferences > Parental Controls)
*Circle with Disney pairs with your WiFi and allows you to set filters, time limits, and even bedtimes on every device in your home.
*The Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation hosts a page including several Internet Filters (Covenant Eyes, ContentWatch, and NetNanny and more) that have great accountability software and parental controls.
3) Are you in there?
When a child has serious difficulty disengaging from a game and interacting with reality, it’s probably a red flag. But what do we do then? Do we panic? Do we bring down the iron hammer of justice? Although these might be our first instincts, they may not be the best way. Empathy and compassion go a long way. Try starting a discussion with your children about gaming and addiction before slapping on the accusatory tone. Read the articles below. Show love and concern, and then listen. See what they have to say in return.
4) Should we ditch the game?
Chances are, if the game is already in your home then you were okay with it in the first place. Try not to retrace your steps and retract your decision, except as a last resort. Be consistent. When you really think about it, it’s not the game that’s the problem–it’s the behavior surrounding it. If you ban the game and don’t fix the behavior, then when the next game comes along, you are going to end up with the same problem all over again, right?
5) What else is on the agenda?
In order to help a child who is addicted to any kind of media (not just video games), take a look at basic things like time management, life balance, and rules for screen time in general. Focus on creating positive activities to replace the addictive behavior. Have your child brainstorm for ideas rather than laying down the law yourself. Work together to solve the problem.
My Child Is Hooked On THAT Video Game?! 5 Questions to Consider When Developing Your Action Plan
By Melody Bergman
This is the second article in a three-part series addressing video games and the fan culture that surrounds them. In our fast-paced digital world, parents need all the tools we can get interpreting the gaming world (media literacy) and teaching our young gamers how to participate in in a healthy, responsible way (digital citizenship).
Even if you’ve never witnessed it, you’ve heard about it. Somewhere there’s a 30-year-old gamer who lives in his mother’s basement and only emerges to eat. The rest of his life is spent wearing headphones, glued to a console battling monsters with his friends online.
Be honest. When you observe your child’s gaming habits, do you worry this is where he’ll end up?
It seems every time we turn around, there is another study linking children and video games to dangers such as psychological disorders (Gordon, 2011), sleep problems (Gardner, 2011), and focus issues (Swing, 2010), just to name a few. These are real problems, and we as parents have a right to be concerned.
But take a breath, Mom and Dad. You don’t have to solve the “video game conundrum” for the whole world, just your kiddos. And you CAN educate yourself and create a plan that will work in your home. Here are some things to consider:
1) Where do our brains live?
No matter what our household gaming philosophy is, we would be wise to ask ourselves: How are we preparing our kids for the future? Do we encourage them to engage in real life? Or do we allow them to escape into digital fantasy for most of their waking hours? These are becoming more legitimate questions with every passing year and every new electronic device.
2) What time is it?
When it comes to video games, how much is too much? Every parent has to answer that question for themselves. But there are lines where playtime becomes obsession, and obsession becomes addiction. Sometimes identifying those lines can be difficult. Be honest. Do you know how much time in your home is spent gaming? Start keeping track. If your family needs help with time limits, there are dozens of options for software that can help.
*Apple computers come automatically equipped with parental controls that include timers for individual users. These work great for my kids, and they didn’t cost me anything extra! (Go to System Preferences > Parental Controls)
*Circle with Disney pairs with your WiFi and allows you to set filters, time limits, and even bedtimes on every device in your home.
*The Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation hosts a page including several Internet Filters (Covenant Eyes, ContentWatch, and NetNanny and more) that have great accountability software and parental controls.
3) Are you in there?
When a child has serious difficulty disengaging from a game and interacting with reality, it’s probably a red flag. But what do we do then? Do we panic? Do we bring down the iron hammer of justice? Although these might be our first instincts, they may not be the best way. Empathy and compassion go a long way. Try starting a discussion with your children about gaming and addiction before slapping on the accusatory tone. Read the articles below. Show love and concern, and then listen. See what they have to say in return.
4) Should we ditch the game?
Chances are, if the game is already in your home then you were okay with it in the first place. Try not to retrace your steps and retract your decision, except as a last resort. Be consistent. When you really think about it, it’s not the game that’s the problem–it’s the behavior surrounding it. If you ban the game and don’t fix the behavior, then when the next game comes along, you are going to end up with the same problem all over again, right?
5) What else is on the agenda?
In order to help a child who is addicted to any kind of media (not just video games), take a look at basic things like time management, life balance, and rules for screen time in general. Focus on creating positive activities to replace the addictive behavior. Have your child brainstorm for ideas rather than laying down the law yourself. Work together to solve the problem.