outer banks child

Game Off? Maybe. Game Over? Never.

Video games are here to stay. Just remember who controls the power.

by Matt Walker

Okay, we caved. Foraging for yard sale items one Saturday, my six-year-old discovered a vintage Nintendo 64 and a whole box of games — for $5. Sure, his mom and I had been saying ‘no’ to more modern systems for months. But how do you keep a kid from buying the equivalent of an electronics antique? With his own allowance? My wife and I discussed, debated and decided we couldn’t. And with one reluctant ‘yes,’ we made our first choice involving our child and video games.

It won’t be our last. Not in an age where handheld devices ride school busses more often than lunch boxes. Where the 4-H summer camp devotes a whole day to playing PSPs — but none to planting seeds. After naively thinking we could stonewall my son’s gaming campaign for at least two years — only to crumble inside of two months — I realized we had some learning to do. Here’s what I discovered from just a few minutes with Google.

1. Video games actually can be educational — from improving coordination and judgment to problem-solving skills. There’s even a growing movement among educators to maximize technology to encourage academic success. Until then, stick to the companies that target learning — like Leap Frog’s Didj and Leapster series. Truth be told, my son got a Leapster two years ago as Christmas gift from his computer geek uncle. Granted, Jedi Math hasn’t made him a calculus whiz, but he “feels the force” of each correct and incorrect answer. More notably, Ratatouille helped the world’s pickiest eater try a few new foods, a reward that’s worth any future risk. (Perhaps even a lifetime of Star Wars conventions.)

2. Join in the fun. Not only does playing along offer another chance to bond with your boy or girl, it makes sure they’re at least playing with someone. (One of the main drawbacks to “single-play” systems is the lack of social interaction.) You’ll also be able to discuss any questionable material, and nuke anything over the top. If you can’t participate, at least watch — and keep the system in a common area, not their bedroom. Yes, video games come with a rating system (see below), but yesterday’s PG-13 movie is way different that today’s. Ditto for digital media. Chances are Mario’s next princess will ditch the full-length gown for a pair of tassels — and possibly an explosive device. Which brings us to…

3. Stop the violence. Seems obvious, but with games like Vice Squad topping popularity charts it’s worth repeating. Even if they’re not jacking cars and killing people, studies show acting out moderately violent acts is worse than watching a similar movie, leading to more aggressive behavior, fights and confrontations with authority figures — even poorer grades. And the more you repeat a behavior, the more you incorporate it. Scary when you consider researchers said boys were playing almost two hours a day back in 2003.

4. Set strict time limits. Every week, the average kid gets 42 hours of “screen time” — be it TV, computer or video game. With obesity in children 6 to 11 more than doubling in the past 20 years (17% in 2006) — and tripling among ages 12 to 19 (17.6%) — no parent should ever feel guilty about hitting the kill switch. The sooner, the better. (Our son was so happy just to get a machine, he gleefully agreed to one hour on weekends.) You can always loosen up later. Just remember: like manners, diet and other habits, you’re setting a pattern for the rest of their lives. Turns out the average gamer’s age isn’t 15 — it’s 35. And he, or she, is also prone to being both depressed and overweight.

5. Work ‘em out. Just because they’re stuck in doors, they don’t have to stick to the couch. Today’s motion-sensing games force players to exercise more than their thumbs. One study showed games like Wii Boxing, and Dance Dance Revolution (Level 2) were comparable to a moderate walk on a tread mill. Not the same as playing backyard football, but still more of a workout than surfing channels.

Face it: even if you don’t buy your kid a Sega, Nintendo, XBox, or PlayStation, a friend will have one — or several. So set the rules now. Ask them how much of each sleepover is spent outdoors versus online. Let them know what titles and times are off-limits — and consistently stick to your guns. And if you do make a purchase, do it wisely.

In our case that yard sale buy was smarter than we ever expected — the system died a week later.

 

January 7, 2010