by Thomas Hobson
Child Life Director

So, for the past several Mondays, I have been talking about video games and children.  Up to this point, research, ESRB ratings, and video games in general have all been covered.  There are a lot of factors to consider with video games and children.  Still, the fact remain that video games have become, and will continue to be, a part of the childhood experience.

After everything discussed in the previous Video Games & Children posts, I would like to leave parents with some practical advice:

1. Know Your Child: When figuring out the right age for a child to begin playing video games, think about your child.  If you’re child has shown interest in video games, it might be time to look into it.  You know if they’re ready.
2. Age Appropriateness: The age and stage of your child will go along way to help you decide what kind of video game system to buy.  Just because your child is interested doesn’t mean you need to go out and buy the top of the line system, with 35 buttons.  There are some great options for young children.  Don’t be afraid to start there.
3. Know the Games: The rating systems are great, but know about the actual game is even better.  Many of the current video game titles aren’t cheap.  So, take time to read the reviews of the game.  It will take you just a few minutes, and you’ll know lots about the game.  Some sites I would recommend are Game Informer, G4, IGN, What They Play, and 1Up.
4. Set Limits: Even with the right system and right video games, you still need to set the limits for your child.  Develop rules for when they can play, and what they have to do before the can play.  Time limits are another useful rule.  This could serve as a motivator to do other responsibilities, like homework.
5. Play Along: One of the most important things that you can do is play the video games with your child.  If you know the games that they’re playing, you’ll have a better idea of the content.  It is also a great opportunity to spend time with them doing an activity they enjoy.
   

by Thomas Hobson
Child Life Director

Over the past decade, it would seem that there has been a great deal of research done on the impact of video games on children.  So, when I began this series, I started by doing a review of the research in medical journals on the topic.  What I found was that typically video games were lumped together in the concept of media, and the studies looked at the overall impact that media had on children.  Media was typically thought of as television, movies, video games, print, radio, computers, and the Internet.

In an extremely simple summation of the research, children are exposed to a great deal undesirable experiences through media.  For instance, one article, by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) stated that in 2001 children were spending an average of 6 hours and 32 minutes a day with media. This is more than any other activity in their day.  So, you can imagine the impact that all of this can have on children.

In the previously mentioned AAP study, it was mentioned that by age 18 most children have viewed over 200,000 acts of violence, and that is only through television. There have been numerous research studies done on the increase of short-term aggressive behaviors in children after exposure to media that includes violence.  I’m sure we’ve all heard about people becoming desensitized to violence or other behaviors.  This research begins to make sense of it.

However, does that mean that there is not a time and a place for these activities?  No.  The fact is that there were some positives seen from various forms of media.  In the arena of video games, there were improvements noted in hand-eye coordination.  Additionally, it was discussed that in certain medical situations video games have been a useful tool in pain management.

The role that parents need to play is both simple and complex: know the media with whom your children are interacting and set limits.  Set up family guidelines on what, were, and when.  This may mean setting rules like the television cannot be turned on until all homework is completed.  It may mean that your child has to meet certain criteria (i.e. grades, behaviors) before being able to play video games.  If there was one repeated theme in most of the research, it was that limits needed to be set by families.

by Thomas Hobson
Child Life Manager

When it comes to video games, families can quickly feel like a fish out of water.  If they’ve played video games previously, there is a good chance that the technology is extremely different.  They may even feel they as though they have to learn a totally different language.

When choosing a video game for a child, it can be an overwhelming decision.  A parent may be faced to selected a game that they know little, if any thing, about.  So, then comes the tough choice of selecting the must have game your child wants that could be full of inappropriate content or saying no to a reasonable game that leads to a moody child. What’s a parent to do?

Have no fear, there is help.

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has been around for about 16 years and they maybe the best resource available.  The ESRB is the group that provides a rating for video games.  Awareness of the rating system can help parents to make a more informed decision about which games to rent or buy.

ESRB’s rating system breaks into the following levels:

• Early Childhood (EC): Ages 3+
• Everyone (E): Ages 6+
• Everyone 10+ (E10+): Ages 10+
• Teen (T): Ages 13+
• Mature (M): Ages 17+
• Adults Only (AO): Ages 18+
• Rating Pending (RP)

The ESRB has a wonderful explanation of each of the rating levels, as well as the symbols associated with them.  I highly recommend reading their guide, and becoming familiar with the system.  It mentions the levels of violence, suggestive themes, and others in it.

Additionally, the symbols for the ERSB ratings are listed both on the front and back packaging of the video game.  Specifically, you will see the main symbol on the front, and the backside will have the symbol with an explanation.

Knowing this rating system can help you to buy the most appropriate games for your child, and do so without having to “test” every game that comes home.  If you think of them as the same way as movie ratings, it gives you to the tools to make the most informed decisions about the media your child sees.

by Thomas Hobson
Child Life Director

Quick question: What was the last video game you played?  My guess is that the response will vary greatly by the person answering the question.  The fact is that video games and children seem to be a combination that has been linked for the past several decades.

There have been many strides and changes to the systems.  From the birth of the Galaxy Game, in 1971, to the latest video gaming systems on the market, there have been many changes in the technology.  Video games have moved from giant coin-operated arcade games to sleek specialized computer systems that are played at home.  One fact remained constant during this change: children and teens flocked to them.

Amazingly, the current generation of workers joining the workforce has been playing video games their entire life.  They don’t put age caps on playing, and many list “gaming” as one of their favorite activities.  Needless to say, it appears as though the video gaming culture is now an integrated part of our society.

Parents are now left with many questions about what to do when their child asks about playing video games.  It is with that in mind that I’ll start posting about various topics and questions about video games and children.  You can expect to see the posts on Mondays over the next few weeks.

In my effort for full disclosure, I am a casual gamer that has grown-up playing video games.  Despite referring to myself as a causal gamer, I do own two major gaming systems.  Additionally, I have a five-year old son that is deeply interested in video games.  So, I am approaching this from the perspective of a parent and gamer.

The goal is to provide some information and answers about video games and children.  If you have specific questions you would like addressed, please feel free to leave a comment.  I’ll do my best to answer them all.