The impact of video games on children's brains

Playing video games has become a more popular activity for many children and adolescents. Video game consoles are a multimillion dollar industry - creating much more money than movies and DVDs. Video games have become very sophisticated and realistic games. Some games connected to the Internet, allowing children and teenagers to play online with adults and strangers.

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While most games contain violence content, most of these popular games emphasize negative themes and promote:

• Killing people or animals
• the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol
• criminal behavior, lack of respect for authority and laws
• sexual exploitation and violence against women
• racial, sexual and gender stereotypes
• the use of indecent words, obscenities and obscene gestures.

Some video games can promote learning in children, help in the solution of problems and in the development of motor skills and coordination. However, there is concern about the effect that violent video games have on young people who play them excessively.

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Some children accept violence as a way of handling problems. Studies have also shown that the more realistic and repeated the exposure to violence, the greater the impact on children. In addition, children with emotional, behavioral and learning problems may be more affected by violent images.

Children and adolescents can be constantly involved and even obsessed with video games. Spending large amounts of time playing these games can create many problems in all growth through adolescence.

This leads to problems:

• Poor social skills
• Take away the time devoted to family, school work and other hobbies
• Lower grades and less read
• Exercise less and gain overweight
• Aggressive thoughts and behaviors.

Tips for Parents.

Parents can help their children enjoy these video games and avoid problems by:

• Select the appropriate games-both in content and in the level of development
• Play video games with your children, to experience the content of the game
• Establish clear rules about the content of the games and the time they can devote to playing them, either inside or outside the home
• Clearly warn children about the serious danger potential of contacts and relationships on the Internet while they are playing online games
• Talking with other parents about their family's rules about video games
• Remembering that you are the model for your child-including adult video games online.

Is it good for children to play video games? Does it affect your development? How does it impact your brain to be hours in front of a screen killing monsters or playing Candy Crush? Is it harmful for a child to fall asleep watching cartoons on a tablet?

It is demonstrated that the prolonged use of conventional video games can cause problems in vision, indicates this foundation. Since a few years ago, with the emergence of video games in 3D, the situation deserves a separate analysis. Are we exposed to greater danger?

The visual system ends up developing at age 12 so at age 6, although these children already have a deep or 3D vision very similar to that of an adult, the binocular and accommodation system has not yet been fully developed. , for this reason, they must make a very high effort for 3D perception.

Children's games for initial and primary education

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In Tree ABC, is a web portal where children can find learning games for math, language and English, as well as games of colors, art and logic. They also offer a reading program with interactive books designed to encourage all children to learn to read. The games on this children's portal follow common educational standards aimed at fundamental learning objectives.

https://arbolabc.com/

They are sequenced in a progressive order where the skills taught in one game are expanded and built in the next. The colorful educational portal is very easy to navigate, encouraging even the youngest to discover and explore it independently.

Tell your child to show you a video game and play with it. In this way, you will know more about the attitude you have when playing: if it is calm, if it is competitive, if it is aggressive, if you really take it seriously ... This way you can detect in time if your child has a serious problem, such as not being able to distinguish between reality and fiction. On the other hand, your child will hear more about what you have to say about the Xbox.
Take away your most precious video game. Find out what is your favorite video game (probably Minecraft) and tell him that if he plays more than agreed, you will remove it. You must indicate for how long you will take it off, either for a few minutes or an hour. This can work well with small children.
Pay attention to the classification of the game and the description of contents. Do not buy or allow your child to be entertained with a game rated for older children or whose content has been categorized as violent.

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Play better with friends or family both in person and online.

Do not play before sleeping because it stimulates and goes against the sleep vector.
The game should never reduce hours of sleep. Until age 12 it is not recommended to use videogames after seven or eight in the afternoon.

If a child seems obsessed with video games and unhappy when he is not playing, do not draw the conclusion that games are the cause of unhappiness. Because we would not do it if I read ten hours a day blaming the books, and psychologically it's the same obsession. Instead, we have to figure out what may be missing or working poorly in other aspects of your life and whether or not you can help solve that problem. Many cases of obsession to play in virtual worlds are because the real world does not produce the same happiness in the child and we must find out why. It can be school, parents, friends or just a way to get away from everyday problems.

Information Sources: https://elpais.com/elpais/2017/08/28/mamas_papas/1503911803_842969.html

http://www.hacerfamilia.com/ninos/videojuegos-violencia-videojuegos-violentos-ninos-20170209142011.html