Do Video Games Alone Impact Your Child’s Behavior?

Anyone who listens to the news or reads the newspapers, without being in the videogame industry, will probably have a negative view on videogames and their affect on children. We have all heard the reports of a child learning violence from a videogame title, or a crime being blamed on videogames. Even the politicians have entered the arena, and are trying to enforce restrictions on what your children can and cannot buy on their own. However, if you are in the know when it comes to gaming, you will notice one key factor missing from all of these ‘alleged’ reports – the parents.

As a parent you are obligated to monitor what your child absorbs mentally, whether it is via a movie, a television show, or a videogame. All of the efforts politicians and news reporters make are in affect pointless, if you as the parent are not involved. As we have touched on in previous articles, the Xbox console makes monitoring, and limiting the type of content that can be viewed by your youngster very easy through the use of the Parental Control feature. But are all of these precautions necessary and are videogames really as evil as they are made out to be? We think not, let us explain our thoughts on the matter.

Games are fun, but are they more than just entertainment for your child?

It’s fairly inconceivable to imagine anyone that has never played a videogame, but if you’ve played, seen, and reviewed the number of titles we have, you will notice a couple of things about the games that make them a bit more than just eye candy and split second fun. Many games have a good storyline, and these types of games are almost like reading a book, in a more interactive fashion. Not only do they challenge the mind through various puzzles, plot twists, and interesting dialogue; they also teach the player how to follow the story, point out important facts, and give a sense of accomplishment when completed. I am an avid reader, in fact I have more than 4,000 books in my collection, and while I have yet to read them all, there are some videogame titles that rival a few of the better books I have read when it comes to striking a nerve in your creative mind.

These types of story driven games, such as Role Playing Games, Action / Adventure, and even some of the better Third and First Person Shooters aren’t always for every age group, but there are titles available for everyone, no matter what their skill level or age. Mentally stimulating games are perfect for children, but as we have said, the parent has to make the final judgment on what is, and what is not, appropriate for their child. Introducing your child to a variety of different types of games is recommended to see which ones he or she has the most fun with, and which ones he or she learns the most from as well.

In the case of a younger child, a selection of games from the Family genre usually works nicely. Games in this genre are geared specifically for the younger players, and although they are no cake walk, they will teach your child patience, how to think before reacting, and improve their eye/hand coordination. Not to mention the pleasure it is to see a child with a huge grin on his or her face as they accomplish certain goals within the game, or in the case of true parental involvement, they show their skills by beating out their parents in a good old fashioned multiplayer match.

Another genre that is well suited for children are Sports titles. If your child likes football, there are several titles to choose from, and in addition to having some fantastic graphics and game play, they will also teach your child the rules of the game more clearly. We recommend staying away from the extreme sports titles for the younger children. We actually have spoken to quite a few parents, and one in particular sticks out in my mind; a father of about 30 years of age that refuses to play with his seven year old son because he always gets owned by him, this is fairly common. Children generally can not only react quicker than adults, but they also learn more quickly. Consider learning a new language at the age of 30, this would be much harder than it would have been when you were five; such is the case with video games.

When my parents bought my first console, too many years ago to mention without bringing a blush to my face, I would beat my older brother in almost every game we played, which not only said I was a more proficient player, but made me feel better about myself, thus increasing my overall self esteem. You see, games have much more to offer than just entertainment, and it is a sad fact that negative reporting sells viewers in newspapers and on television far quicker than a touching story about a parent and child having a good time playing a game, and enjoying the bonding process that comes along with it.

I am not going to rehash what we have already said in previous articles regarding the ESRB rating system, or the parental controls of the Xbox; but choosing a quality title that fits you and your child’s needs and desires is becoming increasingly simple due to the advanced technology that helps developers create more engaging, interactive, and user friendly titles.

So what’s the verdict? You decide.

When all is said and done, nothing in the media will change, all of the reports will still be negative. It is just like the negativity music and movies received, and now that the video game industry has become larger than box office sales, it has also become a target for media outlets looking for a catchy story, or a politician attempting to steal the limelight from the real issues in society. The library of available Xbox titles that will suit your needs is becoming increasingly large. We touched on a lot of subjects, but we purposely did not mention any suitable game titles, as we will be covering some of the more recent child friendly videogame releases in depth in our next article, so keep your eyes peeled for it, right here at Xbox Solution.

Filed under: Editorials

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