One of the biggest concerns for parents these days is video games. It's not that hard to find kids glued to their iPads or locked in their rooms playing video games with their friends for hours on end.
If this is your child, you've probably wondered if the video games they play are good for you. So what happens to video games? Do they influence your child as much as you think?
On the latest episode of “Open Relationships: Transforming Together,” certified therapist Logan Cohen talks with host Andrea Miller about video games and the impact they have on children, which most parents will find extremely helpful. You shared a powerful insight.
How to tell if video games are a problem for your child
“Video games have become a cultural norm at this point,” Cohen says. However, it is important to understand that every child is different and video games will have a unique impact on each child. Some children can do their homework without problems after playing games for several hours. For them, gaming is just a stress reliever and a way to relax after a long day.
Conversely, some children have difficulty controlling their impulses. They have a hard time detaching from their emotions and may even react with extreme anger or crying if they have to walk away from a video game before they feel ready. Of course, some video games penalize players for turning off the game before the session ends. This is not asking the child to self-sabotage within the game, but rather to end the session and exit the game. Log off normally.
Cohen says it may be helpful to think of human behavior as a canine analogy. “Some dogs can be rough-housed and then cool down, but others can't.” He continued, “What I really want to focus on on everyone's side is when it's drop-off time. It’s about how they are regulated.”
If you want to know if your child is addicted to video games, observe their mood immediately after finishing the game.
“If they get angry and become more combative towards you, they become compulsively focused on video games,” Cohen explains. This is dangerous because video games can quickly turn into maladaptive patterns that are difficult to control.
“But if you can manage and maintain enough regulations, you're probably fine,” Cohen said.
If you're not glued to video games all the time, you're probably fine. And if you're not immersed in games all day long, you probably have a healthy relationship with them.
Make sure they come into their own, regardless of their hobbies. Cohen continued, “And the other aspect is being very respectful in respecting the vulnerable in the community.”
Children must be well socialized within the community. They need to know how to interact with men, women, and children of their own age. Video game habits aren't that big of a problem as long as they are achieving their social goals.
Next, make sure your kids aren't playing violent video games before they reach the developmental stage where they can handle violent video games. This is a hotly debated topic, and data shows that they both may and may not contribute to violence. Dr. Sumuru Bilge Johnson, a child psychiatrist, told Akron Children's Land that children should avoid highly violent games, saying, “Exposure to violent video games… “This may contribute to aggressive behavior in children.”
Of course, games aimed at kids have their advantages, such as the more violent first-person shooters that older teens prefer. Pediatrician Dr. Carla Natterson says in her book that these include increased creativity, better spatial reasoning, and strategic thinking. decoding boys.
That's why it's important to strike a balance in situations like this. Limit your child's video gaming to one hour a day for him on weekdays and two hours a day for him on weekends. And always remember that your child's game is not so worrying if it is balanced.
Balancing a child's hobbies, especially video games, is not easy. We worry that our children will miss out on opportunities to develop social skills or become emotionally unstable.
However, if your child is emotionally balanced and shows no signs of compulsive behavior, allow them to play video games for an hour or two a day. This little luxury might be just what you need to relax after a long day.
Marielisa Reyes is a writer with a BA in Psychology who covers topics of personal development, relationships, career, and family.
