The Christmas lists in our house this year are filled with video games and their accessories, not unlike many of our friends' houses. The video game industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, extremely popular with a wired generation and increasingly so for a generation raised on board games. However a modern tragedy which recently occurred back east has cast a pall of parental trepidation over online video gaming. A family struggled with doing the right thing for their online video game obsessed son, and his accidental death after he ran away from home has got us all wondering if we are doing the right thing for our children. I must admit this story hit close to home for us, since all 5 of us (mum, dad and three pre-teens) enjoy online gaming and the internet. It sparked discussion, teachable moments and some soul searching as a parent. In addition I heard anecdotally of a backlash against online video gaming, saying the games are addictive, violent and rife with predators. Some parents pulled the plug on their games while others took a stand, not allowing them to be set up in the future. Obviously every parent has the right to determine what is best for their family. With the rapid onslaught of online video gaming there is much to be considered in making informed choices, so I thought I would run through the information I took into consideration when making the decision to continue to allow my children to play online video games.
Our children are the first generation of "digital natives", as opposed to us older "digital immigrants". It will be their generation which will figure out how to actually use the digital tools that have been created. The MacArthur Foundation in the US recently released a study suggesting that teenagers and their online social world tends to be downplayed as strictly recreational by many adults, when in actual fact their online world is a new kind of a social dynamic which is rapidly evolving. The study claims that "spending time online is essential for young people to pick up the social and technical skills they need to be competent citizens in the digital age." Facebook, MySpace and online video gaming are all part of this online social world. I was amazed to see my son play Halo 3 online on his Xbox 360 with a friend who had recently moved to Costa Rica, talking the whole time on their headsets back and forth like they were sitting together on the couch. He can just as easily play with his friends in Calgary, each sitting in their respective houses. Often times he has friends come over and he teaches them how to play while they are online with other friends. This has become a major socialization skill and ordering tool apparently. He has even set tangible goals for himself like improving his gamerscore to 10,000 by Christmas. My daughter plays Stardoll, an online doll dress up site, wildly popular with tween girls. By using the chat component, she was able to help a fellow player from Argentina work through an english assignment and she in turn helped my daughter with her spanish homework. My boys have spent many hours watching and creating YouTube videos featuring parodies, glitches and tips relating to the video games they play. The gameplay and the internet itself allows for creativity and self-directed learning. Games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band have introduced them to a whole discography I only could have hoped they would listen to. Even basic skills like eye-hand coordination have improved. All of these skills will be needed in their future.
Reaching a comfort level to have the kids independently using these games did not happen overnight. Countless hours were and are spent monitoring play. Teaching net etiquette and safety while online are crucial. These are great opportunities to spend time with your child, and playing online with them is even better! Our kids know to not respond to questions outside of the realm of gameplay unless they are certain they know who they are talking to. Beware of internet "trolls" who may just want to provoke or disrupt normal gameplay or discussion. They know to never give out personal information and never ever to meet an online contact in person without a parent present. There are parental controls on game consoles which can be adjusted depending on the age and maturity of your child. Games are rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) as to their age levels. Everyone can play E rated games, however T(een) and M(ature) games can be more graphic and/or violent. It is up to you and your family to decide what games are appropriate for you. There are thousands to choose from so rest assured if there is a conflict there will be alternatives to offer. For every study claiming video game violence encourages real life violence, there is another study claiming violent games show the consequences of such behaviour. We learned the hard way to not associate a credit card with your Xbox Live account. Simply purchase online play card at your local gaming store. These games teach a great deal about patience when it comes to set up and on-going connectivity! Being part of a new technology involves a learning curve with bumps along the way. We had Shaw crank our internet speed up a notch to prevent lag in gameplay. We have struggled with time limits for gameplay. A three hour stint should be the maximum. The initial attraction to a game will generally fall away as time goes on and/or once game points have been achieved, only to be replaced by a new game. Some rules are carved in stone: game playing does not interfere with school, homework or extra-curricular activities such as soccer and dance, as well as games should be wound up at least one hour before bed to allow the brain to prepare for sleep. Reading books is an appropriate before bed activity once teeth are brushed and pjs are on.
Instead of closing the door entirely and potentially denying children the chance to join their peer group online, parents can and should educate themselves and subsequently assist their children learn safe and healthy ways to play online video games. This skill is now a crucial component of your child's life and they will appreciate your interest and your guidance.
The MacArthur Foundation
http://www.macfound.org
Andrea Garnier Spongberg is a full time mum in a blended family and part time writer/accountant living in both urban and rural Alberta.
1 comment:
Awesome post .thanks ........
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