Opinions on gaming and children

[Leo]

For it to be an observable tone, there should be multiple easy examples you could quote? Who has said gaming is evil?

No one suggested that simply buying a child a console would turn them into some kind of monster. While it has been pointed out that for some people, they can be addictive, the collective tone here from my reading or the thread is that with the right controls in place, they are no harm.

We're all for balance, but accusing other posters of being mindlessly paranoid, anti-gaming pulpit-bashers does nothing to promote a useful discussion. Care to start again with a more moderately worded post?

 

[mathepac]

Re. addiction and the use of the term:

Apple must fight toxic iPhone addiction among children, urge two large investors with $2 billion in shares

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...-urge-action-curb-child-gadget-addiction.html

A great example of Dail Mail-itis, where they magic the word "addiction" out of thin air although it doesn't occur once in the quotes they feature from the investors' letter.

Typical of the Daily Mail, Oirish or otherwise, who were featuring fake news before the Duck's era. Although I don't think they feature a red-top, it's fair to say they're the original of the species.

 

[PaddyBloggit]

A great example of Dail Mail-itis, where they magic the word "addiction" out of thin air although it doesn't occur once in the quotes they feature from the investors' letter.

Typical of the Daily Mail, Oirish or otherwise, who were featuring fake news before the Duck's era. Although I don't think they feature a red-top, it's fair to say they're the original of the species.

The story on Harvard Business Review:

https://hbr.org/2018/01/why-an-activist-hedge-fund-cares-whether-apples-devices-are-bad-for-kids

"Overuse of iPhones by children and teenagers, the letter pointed out, has been linked to lack of attention in the classroom, difficulty in empathizing with others, depression, sleep deprivation, and a higher risk of suicide."

The old adage ... too much of a good thing comes to mind. Wanting too much of anything could be classed as addiction.

Bottom line is that parents need to properly regulate access.

 

[cian8]

Our 7 year old son requested a console from Christmas this year. We were worried that it would lead to arguments over how much he would be allowed to use it.

We bought him a Nintendo Switch. So far so good. If you download the app then you can set very detailed time limits - different amounts of time on different days in particular.

We have it set up so that it is only available Fri, Sat and Sun. With a max of two hours per day.

The fact that this is set up has avoided a lot (all) arguments. He gets on screen reminders to say how much time is remaining and so there is no crap with “just five more minutes”. Although the two hours is max so we ideally don’t want reached regularly. Also, if there is misbehavior during the week he loses privileges for that weekend (well after a warning or two).

He has gotten Mario Odyssey, Mariokart and Minecraft. None of those could be considered violent or inappropriate. Mariokart is useful because at least my wife and I and our parents can play with our son for 15 mins without having to learn complex controls and gameplay.

I think is a suitable console for his age. I know he would love an Xbox or PS4 but they can wait until he is a teenager!

 

[mathepac]

Wanting too much of anything could be classed as addiction.

Check any of the standard texts or the criteria in screening or diagnostic tools for addiction and not one of them mentions this as a sign or a symptom of addiction and again the article you link to on the HBR website makes no mention of addiction, so I find myself at a loss as to the point you're trying to make.

Apple doesn't make or sell gaming consoles, but like GOOGLE, Sony, DELL, HP, Lenovo, IBM and lots of others, they do make devices that can access the web for online gaming or gambling and you can buy games that run on their devices.

Just to be 100% clear, the problem is not the device, the activity or even the substance. The problem lies with certain individuals' potential to become addicted to that activity or substance.

 

[PaddyBloggit]

so I find myself at a loss as to the point you're trying to make.

I'll stop there so ...

or not ...

The problem lies with certain individuals' potential to become addicted to that activity or substance.

That is the point I'm trying to make ... inanimate objects in themselves are harmless. It's the operators who can't mange them end up addicted.

My line still stands .... parents are the ones who need to monitor/restrict access to any activity that a child could get addicted to.