IS IT HARD TO GET YOUR TEEN AWAY FOR THE GAME CONSOLE? Read below.
Healthier Video Game Habits: 5 Tips for Parents of Teens
Nearly 9 in 10 parents in Mott national poll say teens spend too much time playing video games. An expert’s top tips on preventing gaming from negatively impacting a child’s health.
But is there a “healthy” way to game?
“With appropriate boundaries and supervision, video games may be a fun way for some children to enjoy time with each other and for parents to connect with their kids,”
“But prolonged gaming has the potential to interfere with other elements of a teen’s life, such as sleep, family and peer relationships and school performance.”
Here are some suggestions for families:
1. Set limits: It is recommended that teens should have no more than two hours per day of screen-based entertainment.
Parents should create a “media plan” that dictates what hours a child can enjoy video games without affecting behavior and homework. Gaming systems must be kept out of bedrooms, have a digital curfew.
2. Keep tabs: Although researchers remain divided over whether violent games provoke real-life violence, it’s crucial to monitor what a child is playing. A few studies have shown that, immediately after playing a violent video game, kids are less likely to show empathy and more likely to show unsafe behaviors such as handling a gun.
3. Look for trouble: Overall, parents surveyed say gaming often gets in the way of other aspects of their teen’s life, such as family activities and interactions, sleep, homework, friendships with non-gaming peers and extracurricular activities.
The excessive solo and sedentary behavior can hinder sleep, academic performance, interpersonal skills and healthy weight. If such issues arise, it’s time to scale back or pull the plug. Or ask a pediatric provider for help.
4. Play together: In some situations, gaming together may offer a chance to bond and potentially open the door to other conversations and interactions.
5. Offer alternatives: Encourage other activities, and provide incentives to limit gaming.
It’s important for kids and parents to understand that video games are designed to hook players by “giving you coins or a new weapon or something else that feels like a little reward,”
This may lead to prolonged play with potentially negative impacts.
So when (or before) a time limit is met, helping kids find other activities that could offer a similar sense of mastery, such as a computer coding camp, group sports or music lessons.
We hope this article provides some solutions.
Article credit - healthblog.uofmhealth.org
Video credit - Ajani Banton
www.youtube.com/channel/UCuQXf3kseOAwo1ZY2nGnCcA
ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT SENDING YOUR KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL 📚 DURING THIS PANDEMIC⁉️
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Yes I am very concerned in sending them back, especially with these numbers climbing
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