There’s no denying that gaming gets a bad rep when it comes to children. We see the same blame every time, about the exposure to violence, addiction, and all kinds of other behavioral problems.
There’s no denying that too much gaming can have a negative impact on a young child’s mind. But, the blanket ban suggested by many is a little over the top in our opinion.
So, to level the playing field a little, here are some awesome excuses you can use when someone pulls out the ‘kids and gaming are bad’ argument.
Problem Solving
Playing suitable games can help your children develop their problem-solving skills. All games are puzzles, in essence – although some may not seem like it in the eyes of horrified parents.
But, when you think about it, there is a lot going on when you play a game. You have to find different routes to win and use your brain to start strategizing. There is a lot of planning involved, too – not to mention the hand-eye coordination required. Sure, too many video games can frazzle the mind, but the right amount of use can give your kids significant skills.
Social benefits
There are plenty of social benefits to gaming, too. The days of young children being locked away in their rooms engaged in solitary activities – of the gaming kind – are behind us. People play games together today, whether it’s friends from school or people they meet online from all across the world.
Of course, there are dangers of predators contacting your kids. But, that’s all down to you and how you teach them to use the Internet safely. If you aren’t having those conversations, then yes, there might be a risk. But, if you are upfront and honest about the dangers that lurk on the web, few kids in their right minds are going to be irresponsible when it comes to safety.
Options
As the parent, it is up to you about what your child plays. You have the control – and there are plenty of choices out there for any age group. Educational games can be a fun way to teach young kids about math, English, and the sciences. And, as they get older, you can reward their hard work with more advanced games. At this point, of course, things can get a little expensive.
The typical MMO these days might be free to start playing, but has plenty of in-app purchases that many kids will want. You have options, of course. You could set up access rights on your phone. Or, you could try finding a source to buy cheap MapleStory 2 Mesos or whatever in game purchases exist for the game your child is playing at the moment. The point is, you have the control and plenty of options available to you to stop your kids from gaming too much.
Encourage exercise
Finally, never think that playing video games will reduce a child’s desire to take part in physical activity. In fact, there is plenty of evidence to suggest the complete opposite. Kids who play sports games are more likely to take part in the real-life versions of those sports – and plenty of others.
Again, it’s all about being in charge of the situation, and having strict rules in place to encourage more physical activity.
OK, so there you have it – four great examples of why video games aren’t all that bad for your kids. Can you think of any more excuses?