|
|
|
|
By Carolyn Jabs
When Santa makes his list of toys for good girls and boys, he’s sure to need extra space for video games. With new gaming systems on the horizon, the challenge for Santa—and parents—is finding games kids want to play with content that won’t corrupt young minds. It’s a serious challenge because video games are extraordinarily effective at teaching kids. One recent study in the United Kingdom concluded that games were such good teachers that they should be incorporated more often into school curriculum. For most video games, of course, the learning is incidental and often inappropriate. Thirty is now the average age for video gamers, so many games were never intended for kids. That doesn’t mean kids won’t want them. If anything the ratings on games often make kids even more eager to “play up.” Parents need to stick ESRB age ratings, a task made easier by newer game systems which include controls that simply won’t play games beyond a certain rating. The newer game consoles also allow kids to play online, a feature that should be disabled for most children. Although online play can be exciting, it exposes kids to all the usual risks of online activities with strangers especially if the game allows players to chat with each other. Online play also exposes kids to “griefers”, meanies who think it’s fun to harass other players. In addition, many online games allow players to insert code so the game may differ significantly from the original. Children under 12 aren’t mature enough to handle all these variables. Even older teens should probably be restricted to private games played with invited real life friends. Parents also need to think carefully about content. Although the ESRB ratings offer a general guide to sex, violence and appropriateness, they don’t always flag material that parent will find offensive, and they can never tell you whether a game will support or undermine your family’s values. Take violence, for example. Many video games include some form of it. So, for that matter, do most fairy tales, cartoons, movies and sporting events because conflict makes entertainment interesting and exciting. At the same time, research about the connection between violent media and aggressive behavior in kids is so unequivocal that the American Psychological Association has issued an official statement declaring that video game violence “increases aggressive thoughts, aggressive behavior, and angry feelings in youth.” To choose a game, parents have to think both about the susceptibility of the child and what they want their child to learn about conflict. Does the game ask players to initiate violence or use weapons defensively? Will your child be fighting “monsters” or characters that look like people? How realistic is the violence? How serious is the harm done to other characters? Is violence an end in itself? Thoughtful parents may answer these questions differently. Sex is another area where standards aren’t necessarily obvious. Video games (like other media) are dominated by male characters. When females appear, they often have exaggerated characteristics such as super slim waists and big chests. Parents have to ask themselves whether it’s better to play such a game because it includes a female heroine or to avoid it because it presents such a warped idea of female attractiveness. Though the answers to these questions may vary, they will always require some research. Start with friends and relatives who have kids—and values—similar to yours. Then visit websites with parent friendly reviews. Kidscore (http://mediafamily.org/kidscore) gives games a red, yellow or green score in different categories. The Holiday Gift Guide from Parents Choice (http://www.parents-choice.org/holiday_portal.cfm) makes recommendations for 3-6 year olds as well as kids over seven. Common Sense Media (http://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews/) allows parents to search their extensive database of reviews by age or gaming platform. If you still have doubts, enter “Demo” and the name of the game into a search engine to find even more detailed reviews that often include screen shots or even video clips. Finally, take advantage of the seasons of peace on earth to seek out video games that aren’t violent or biased. Here are promising places to look: Classic. The game may have been around for a while but your child hasn’t. Choosing established games also means their content has been thoroughly reviewed so parents aren’t likely to discover that, for example, the game becomes more violent the longer it’s played. Musical. Several innovative games replace destruction with dancing and fighting with fretwork. Dance Revolution actually gets kids up and moving on a dance pad that looks like a controller. Guitar Hero gives their fingers a workout on a controller that resembles a Gibson SG. Strategy. News stories which say kids can actually get smarter from playing video games are invariably describing games that ask kids to master a complex 3D environment to find clues and solve puzzles. Games that embed clues in text messages may also reinforce reading skills. Social. New research shows kids like to play games with other kids–and parents–so look for games that allow multiple players. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a gamer, let your child teach you how to play or simply show you what he or she has been able to accomplish. Finally, before any new videogame is unwrapped, kids should be clear on family rules about when and how long games can be played. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 1 to 2 hours of quality TV and videos a day. During the holidays, parents might allow a few days of over-indulgence, but then it’s back to a sensible diet of sensible games.
Carolyn Jabs, MA, has been writing about families and technology for over ten years.
|
