Glenn C. Kharkongor
Almost all children have access to video games, especially with the universal ownership of mobile phones with pre-installed or easily downloadable games. A 2017 survey conducted by the Asian Institute of Gaming and Animation(AIGA) among school children in Classes 1-5 in Bangalore showed that all children played video games, 97% using android phones. In a UK survey, 74% of children are playing more during the Covid closure of schools.
The AIGA researchers used screen pictures and rapid fire questions to ascertain student familiarity with popular games, and found that even the younger children could not only immediately identify various games but could quickly spot the level of play. They found that boys and girls play equally, though boys preferred shooting and racing games while girls preferred puzzles and strategy games. The youngest children liked collecting points and prizes, escaping from a monster, or just running.
The video games industry is huge, larger than Hollywood, Bollywood, TV, and the music industry. The movie hit Avengers: Endgame, which has the highest opening weekend box office intake of $357 million is dwarfed by a video game like Grand Theft Auto V, which sold 11 million units in 24 hours for over $800 million. There are an estimated 80,000 video games available.
Many children play frequently during the course of the day, and their normal schedule of socializing, family time and homework can be altered by video games. But a lot of adults play too. In the age group 40-55 years, 71% play. The fasting growing segment are women 35-45 years.
Like films, video games are required to indicate age ratings, based on suitability of content. A small child should not play adult games. Parents can easily identify the age category on films, but this is not so easy on video games as most parents are not into screen games. The AIGA survey found that even small children were familiar with adult games.
Perhaps the most popular game in India is PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG), with regular updates and new features. The National Child Rights Commission has recommended barring the game for its violent nature. The game has settings for decreasing the intensity of violence.
Good or bad?
Oldies tend to decry almost anything new. Even newspapers and TV were condemned as a bad influence when they were introduced. The accusations against video games are that they are addictive, cause social dysfunction such as isolation, and promote violence. Video games encroach on the balance of time for homework and household chores and lead to family arguments.
Some games carry children to extremes like the Blue Whale challenge in 2016 that led to at least 130 teenage suicides. In 2014, a Korean couple, became obsessed with Prius, a child raising game, playing virtually non-stop. They neglected their own three-month old daughter who died of neglect and starvation.
The early medical literature in the 1980s and 90s reported addictive psychological problems such as depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, obsessive–compulsive disorder, dysfunctional social performance, irregular dietary habits, sleep deprivation, nightmares, and even increased use of alcohol and tobacco. Other studies reported physical problems like wrist and neck pain. The leading mental health institution in the country, NIMHANS in Bangalore, started the Service for Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT) clinic for management of addiction due to video games.
It turns out that early reports were anecdotal and overestimated the problem. Addiction is different from habituation. An example of habituation is the psychological yearning for coffee every morning. Addiction on the other hand is a physical dependency, which causes withdrawal symptoms, making the individual sick when deprived of the addictive substance. One part of the AIGA survey evaluated the knowledge of college psychology students in Bangalore, and found that most of them held outdated views on the psychological effects of video games.
Using addiction as a loose term, rather than a scientific definition, may be applicable to a few children that indulge in binge playing. A study from Iowa State University says that 8.5% of children show behavioral addiction, using the term to indicate that these children have lost balance with other normal teenage activities. They skip homework, family activities, and lie and steal money to cater to their habit. But according to the researchers, one question remained unanswered: “Does poor school performance motivate children to cover their low self-esteem by mastering a video game, or does excessive video playing lead to bad academic performance?”
A recent paper in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry says that many children find it difficult to sleep because of Covid related anxiety. They are not able to go out, meet friends, play sports and so turn to more screen time.
Video games are good for children
Recent research reviewed by the American Psychological Association found that playing video games, including shooting games, boost spatial ability and hand-eye coordination. Games improve quick thinking, problem solving, and resilience. It promotes relaxation, positive moods and prevents anxiety. More than 70% of children play with friends, so social isolation is not a danger for most children. A specialize d game, Re-Mission, for children with cancer, has a robot that shoots cancer cells and helps children recover faster.
There are cognitive enhancements too. A study by Michigan State University, funded by the National Science Foundation, showed that the more kids played video games, the more creative they were in tasks such as drawing and writing stories. Students who played video games scored higher on the Torrance Creativity Test which uses tasks such as providing a curve and then telling the child to use it to draw “an exciting and interesting picture”, about which they have to then write a story. Creativity Research Journal reported enhanced creativity when children played Minecraft.
The Oxford University Internet Institute says that young people who indulged in a moderate video game-playing were associated with better social adjustment than those who had never played or those who were on video games for three hours or more. A Harvard study found increased levels of healthy competitiveness among teens. One recommendation is that children be allowed to play for a while before doing homework. Scoring high points and moving up a level enhances self-confidence which may carry over to school assignments. A study found that aggression was not related to game content but to frustration at not being able to master the rules and controls within 20 minutes.
A prospective controlled study conducted over an eight-week period, found that college students who were assigned to a video game group attained better adaptability, resourcefulness and communication skills, qualities that are important to success in life.
Guidelines for parents
1. Provide an allotted time and duration for playing video games. Play can be a reward for completing assigned tasks. This will teach discipline and time management. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time under the age of 1 ½ years, and one hour a day up to 5 years. For older children, a family discussion can set the parameters, but perhaps not more than 3 hours of screen time per day, including video games, and other device-based entertainment.
2. Make sure that the child has a balance of leisure activities like outdoor play and reading.
3. All video games must be approved by parents. Those that have an M (mature) rating are for ages 17 and older, and can contain heavy-duty violence, strong language, and sexual content.
4. Parental review of video games is also important for security reasons. Some games, especially internet-based ones, require users to release personal information, and so make the child vulnerable to online predators.
5. Discuss games with the child. This may provide the opportunity to have meaningful conversations with your child and you can become part of their world. They could play a variety of games including creative games like Minecraft, Lego Worlds, and Super Mario Maker.
6. Encourage them to play with friends or family members. Competitive and team games have social benefits and promote cooperation and healthy interactions.
On a flight a few months ago, a woman with a year-old infant was seated next to me. She gave the restless child the airline magazine to look at. Looking at the colorful cover, the child began to move her finger across the page, thinking it was a screen, and became frustrated when the picture didn’t change.