The article was originally published here.

Is Playing Video Games Good or Bad for Children?

“You know what’s really exciting about video games is you don’t just interact with the game physically—you’re not just moving your hand on a joystick, but you’re asked to interact with the game psychologically and emotionally as well. You’re not just watching the characters on screen; you’re becoming those characters.” – Nina Huntemann, Game Over. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Video games have become an integral part of popular culture, as well as one of the largest industries in the United States. They are a topic of extensive discussion, especially in the media. For more than a decade now, a vast majority of children in the United States engage in playing video games during childhood. Results of a nationally representative study of U.S. teenagers show us that 99% of boys and 94% of girls play video games. Video Games Stores Near Me.

social activity

Most young kids see video games as a social activity, rather than an isolating one, and they believe video games are a great way to spend time with their peers or even make new friends. While children often don’t see anything wrong with their engagement in video games and like them because they are fun, exciting, and challenging, parents may worry about the potential negative effects they may have. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Some parents may prefer that their children invest their time in other activities out of concern that video games could encourage violence and procrastination, which in turn could lead to neglect of school commitments, and even the development of addiction. In the aftermath of a violent incident or a display of antisocial behavior, the media often links the behavior to video-game use and paints them as the cause, sometimes regardless of any correlation, which is why parents, in turn, focus more attention on the potential dangers of video games rather than their benefits. Video Games Stores Near Me.

media can add fuel to the fire

In this way, media can add fuel to the fire without really tackling the issue, leading parents to forget that games are today a normal part of modern childhood and to start believing their children shouldn’t be playing games at all, which can create conflict between them.

On the flip side, some psychologists suggest that video games can actually have many benefits, especially bearing in mind that “the nature of these games has changed dramatically in the last decade, becoming increasingly complex, diverse, realistic, and social in nature”. So, in order to understand the impact video games have on children’s development, we need to look at both the positive and the negative effects of these games. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Benefits of Video Games

Problem-solving and decision-making skills

Games usually include some puzzles or other problem situations that players need to solve in order to get to the next level. Playing a game such as The Incredible Machine, Machinarium, Angry Birds or Cut the Rope, makes for an excellent workout for children’s minds as they have to use their logic skills and creativity in order to achieve a goal; they have to search, plan, and experiment with different approaches in order to solve puzzles and deal with other problems. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Some scientists believe that video games could be used as training tools to develop quicker decision-making. They showed that video-games players had heightened sensitivity towards their environment and were able to make correct decisions more quickly than people who didn’t play games.

Hand-eye coordination, fine motor, and spatial skills

Some games require the real-world players to keep track of the position of a character, where they are heading, and at what speed, at the same time as they must keep an eye on diverse stimuli. The player has to take into account all these factors and then coordinate the brain’s interpretation with the movement of his hands. Video Games Stores Near Me.

In order to accomplish all of this, the player requires a great deal of eye-hand coordination and the utilization of visual-spatial ability. Research suggests that people who play video games have better visual-spatial attention skills and are more successful in the visual processing of images than non-gamers. Meta-analysis studies show that, by playing video games, spatial skills can be acquired in a relatively short time, and that the results are often comparable to formal training designed to enhance the same skills.

This effect is well-known, as, nowadays, pilots and surgeons are being trained on video games (you can check out the game which is a validated training tool for laparoscopic motor skills, right here).

Multitasking skills

Being able to effectively and quickly switch between two or more tasks is an important skill in life. It’s been suggested that video games may enhance one’s ability to apprehend and track many shifting variables and manage multiple objectives. Some researchers report that children who played video games performed significantly better compared to other children on a version of the multiple-object tracking task. This multitasking ability can especially be seen in strategy games where a player must take care of lots of different buildings and units and can encounter many unexpected surprises, which forces them to be flexible and change tactics quickly and accordingly. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Negative Effects of Video Games on Children

Aggression in Children

It’s a widespread concern that violent video games promote aggression, reduce prosocial behavior, increase impulsivity, and have a negative effect on children’s moods. Parents are afraid that this is yet another form of media, besides TV shows, movies, comics, etc., where children can encounter violence daily and become desensitized to it. By now, much research has been conducted showing that playing violent video games increases aggression in children, leading to a lack of empathy and prosocial behavior. Video Games Stores Near Me.

These studies are usually conducted by having children play an aggressive game (e.g. Grand Theft Auto) and assessing their aggression afterward. On the other hand, there is also a lot of research that provided evidence of video games having only immediate and short-term effects on aggression, or even that they have the opposite effect – they make children less aggressive, and that, in the long term, video games are not promoting or causing aggression in players in their offline lives.

unclear if playing aggressive games really does cause the player to become aggressive

It is still unclear if playing aggressive games really does cause the player to become aggressive. Some would argue that it’s not that games are making people aggressive, it’s just that gamers who already have aggressive tendencies are more attracted to these kinds of games. If you’re a parent and you have a concern that your child is showing aggressive behavior and is unwilling to talk to you about it, you might want to consider talking with a parent with a similar problem or even try to find someone who has expertise in the subject. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Gaming Addiction

There is no doubt that video games can indeed be highly addictive, as they can lead to behavioral dependency characterized by excessive or compulsive use of computers or video games, which can interfere with one’s everyday life.

While it may be controversial, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognized “a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior” as a disorder in June 2018. In order for a diagnosis to be assigned, the behavioral pattern should be evident over a period of at least 12 months and should result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational, or other areas of functioning. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Gaming Disorder is manifested by:

1. Impaired control over gaming (e.g., onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, context)
2. Increasing priority is given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities
3. Continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences

On the other hand, the American Psychological Association (APA) concluded that there is not sufficient evidence to determine whether the condition is a unique mental disorder, but they are subjecting gaming to further research (along with caffeine-use disorder and several others).

We can also talk about the consequences that investing too much time in playing games can have on some of the important aspects of children’s lives.

Poor academic performance. This is one of the negative consequences of extended and reckless engagement in video games. As with any activity, if children are devoting a lot of their time to playing video games, their school performance can be affected as they’ll have less time for their school obligations. There’s an obvious correlation between these two. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Adverse effects on health.

Video games also have an indirect effect on physical health, if children are choosing video games over physical activity (here you can read our take on why children should take up sports). Children who are too invested in games can easily skip meals or even sleep in order to play the games they like.

What’s the Verdict? Are Video Games Good or Bad?

Video games are neither good nor bad. Technically, video games are just games with a visual component and can be more social and distracting due to constant availability. They can be used as a powerful teaching and skill-honing tools but can also be over-used and have an overwhelming effect on a child’s life if they frequently get angry and frustrated while playing games. It all comes down to appropriate and moderate use. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Video games are fun and can sometimes enrich a person’s life and create happiness, but they shouldn’t be used as a substitute for living your own life outside a video game.

Young children especially have problems with this line, so parents need to help them by providing understanding, support, and guidance while also imposing rules when necessary. We’ll now take a look at just how parents can help children maximize the benefits of video games while minimizing their potential harm.

Parents as Mediators in Children’s Gaming Life

– Take the time to get to know your children’s habits around video games, but also do the research and know about the content and rating of the video games they play. Try talking with them about their feelings and observations about the games they play in order to understand what drives them to play them.

– Set limits on how long and how often your children can play games, and make sure they do it in their spare time, after finishing their homework or chores around the house. Monitor your child’s video game consumption while also showing respect and a willingness to understand their playing time. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Modern online games often don’t have a pause button, and currently, many popular games are matches played with other people, in real-time. So try talking with your child to set up more appropriate restrictions; for example, it might be more appropriate to make a deal and say “1 game” instead of “30 minutes”.

– Find a game you can play together, as this can be a good bonding activity for the whole family. If they know more about a particular game than you, you can act as their pupil and see how good they are in the role of teacher. Here you can find some games to play with children of different ages. Video Games Stores Near Me.

motivating them to learn through games.

– Try to use video games to increase children’s school engagement by motivating them to learn through games. There is a large number of educational games to choose from which can help with learning, math, history, etc. Having fun while studying makes children persistent and less likely to quit, as some video games are capable of making difficult subjects fun and easy to understand. If you’re unsure about mixing technology and education, you should definitely read our article on this subject. Video Games Stores Near Me.

– If you’re afraid that your child is addicted to playing video games, try to help them recognize their compulsive behavior. Encourage them not to feel guilty or ashamed and be patient with them. If you have trouble communicating how you feel about them excessively playing games, don’t be embarrassed or scared to ask for help. Here at Nobel Coaching & Tutoring, we have amazing Coaches who can help you with this. Video Games Stores Near Me.

The article was originally published here.

Ten reasons why children under the age of 12 should not play violent video games.

Video games are a ubiquitous form of entertainment in today’s children and youth, and while fun and exciting, video games have a dark side that parents, teachers, and clinicians can no longer afford to ignore.

all shooters are gamers

The recent rise in mass killings by gun, knife, and moving vehicles, has wrongly focused on gangs and gun control as a primary intervention. Society would be wise to shift attention toward understanding the underlying components of a mass killer. While there are likely multiple factors contributing to the origins of mass killers, we do know that all shooters are gamers and that gangs use video games to practice the art of shooting. Immersion in a virtual reality of violence has a profound impact on developing brains, highlighting the urgency in looking at what type and how much violent media our children are exposed to, and at what age. Regarding brain and body development, Video Games Stores Near Me.

what children do determines who they become. Children who excessively engage in mindless, fast-paced, violent media content, will have a much different brain and body than a child who plays outside in nature. The new generation of video games contains substantial amounts of increasingly realistic representations of physical and sexualized violence. The mature nature of such games is not suitable for children under the age of eighteen, yet many children I work with are playing violent, mature content as young as age 3. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Managing video game use by children

Managing video game use by children is not easy, but well worth considering with reference to the negative ramifications of gaming overuse on child health and wellness. Three parameters are important to consider in video game management: duration, content, and age of first exposure. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Children who start gaming later in childhood, and who follow expert guidelines for game duration and content (see below), will demonstrate fewer negative effects. Whereas children who play fast-paced, violent video games for long periods, and who start gaming as a young child, will exhibit a greater number of below noted negative effects.

It is advised that children who experience 3 or more of the following escalating conditions should work with their parents, physician, and/or therapist to reduce video game duration, change to non-violent content, and quit violent gaming altogether if < 12 years of age. This is a hard step for most parents to take and an even harder step for parents with children exhibiting adverse effects of video games. Parents cannot continue to look away from these potential or real problems in their children. What we resist, persists; what we look at, disappears. Video Games Stores Near Me.

1. Physical Harm

When children are gaming their bodies are sedentary and their hearts and brains are overstimulated, causing significant physical harm. Developing bodies crave movement, yet video games entrance and hypnotize the brain into telling the body to sit still, often for very long periods. Psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Dunckley author of “Reset your child’s brain” reports that when children play video games, their sympathetic nervous system responds with a hyperarousal state of “flight or fight” characterized by adrenalin release from adrenal glands and dopamine production in the brain. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Causal factors for video game

We know that sustained high blood pressure and increased heart rate from prolonged gaming increase the risk for heart attack and stroke in later years. A child who plays video games who is also taking stimulant medication for ADHD, or a gaming child who is physically unfit, increases their risk for eventual heart attack and stroke. In over 30 years as a pediatric occupational therapist, I have observed rapid escalation in the prescription of stimulant medications to incredibly unfit children who refuse to participate in PE or outdoor activities. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Causal factors for video game-induced hyperarousal are fast-paced and violent content, bright lights, rewards, multitasking, and interactivity. Long-term high adrenalin stress states can result in chronic adrenal fatigue, implicated in a number of physical illnesses including cancer and autoimmune disorders.

Question: Is your child physically healthy?

To Do: More green time, less screen time. Only allow screens if homework is finished and kids have played outside for at least one hour after school. Get out the bikes; do more family-based activities

2. Brain Damage

To achieve functional efficiency during brain development, the brain prunes or cuts away neuronal tracks to areas of the brain that are not being used. The frontal lobes of the brain are known for executive functions such as attention, memory, and impulse control which are critical for academic success. Because brains develop in conjunction with stimuli in the surrounding environment, media content in high screen users is key regarding brain pruning.

Exposure to mindful or educational content results in active or constructive learning, which maintains and strengthens neuronal tracks in the frontal lobes. Whereas exposure to mindless or entertainment content such as fast-paced and violent video games constitutes passive or destructive learning which research shows rarely requires the use of frontal lobes, resulting in frontal lobe pruning. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Again, ‘what you do determines who you become. Numerous research studies have documented frontal lobe atrophy in children who game over 4-5 hours per day. While brain development has a degree of plasticity or ability to repair the damage, over half of the brain is hard-wired at age 12, and the majority of the brain is hard-wired at age 20 years. Children have the right to a childhood free from violence. Encouraging outdoor play in nature can heal the neurological damage created by overexposure to violent media content. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Question: Is your child impulsive or has difficulty paying attention?

To Do: Talk with your child’s teacher to see how they are doing academically, and ensure your child is not allowed to game at school.

3. Sleep Deprivation

The National Sleep Foundation reports that over 60% of children and youth are chronically sleep-deprived. While we know that sleep is essential for brain repair and body health, what the general public doesn’t know is that sleep deprivation increases the incidence of obesity, diabetes, poor academic performance, risk-taking, heart problems (stroke and heart attack), and even cancer. During my classroom-based Tech Talks, 75% of students report they are allowed screens in their bedrooms, and 50% report they use screens when they should be sleeping. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Question: Is your child using screens late or in the middle of the night?

To Do: Prohibit all screen usage one hour prior to bed; book, bath, bed. Do not allow screens in bedrooms or any other area where you can’t monitor content e.g. back seat of a car, or bathroom when you’re not home.

4. Violence

With the rise in video gaming, prolific research is documenting the concomitant rise in violence and aggression. In 2009 the American Academy of Pediatrics profiled extensive studies showing media violence is causally linked to child aggression, desensitization to violence, nightmares, and fear of being harmed. Early exposure to violent media content has been shown to increase the risk of violent behavior. Video Games Stores Near Me.

The American Academy of Pediatrics published a policy statement Virtual Violence in July 2016 advising pediatricians, parents, industry, and policymakers regarding current video game research and recommendations. Regarding research findings, the Virtual Violence policy states: “Summarizing the results of > 400 studies including violent media of all types, researchers found there was a significant association between exposure to media violence and aggressive behavior, aggressive thoughts, angry feelings, and physiologic arousal. Video Games Stores Near Me.

similar analysis focusing only on video games

Another study performed a similar analysis focusing only on video games. The results, based on 140 such studies, found slightly larger negative effect sizes. Some contend, rightly, that these correlations are in the small to moderate range, but they are stronger than the associations between passive smoking and lung cancer, and many municipalities have banned smoking because of that risk”. APA goes on to recommend that children under the age of 6 years have no exposure to media violence, and first-person shooter games should be restricted from children under the age of 12 years. Video Games Stores Near Me

Question: Has your child threatened to harm you or themselves if video games are restricted?

To-Do: Get your family physician on board to talk with your child about video games and if needed, get a referral for a family counselor or therapist immediately. This is an urgent situation and requires assistance from trained professionals. Check out Common Sense Media’s list of non-violent video games! Video Games Stores Near Me.

5. Game Transfer Phenomena

Media imagery affects behavior, a fact capitalized on by the advertising industry. Video game imagery is increasingly realistic and highly immersive, even more so with the onset of large screens and virtual reality headsets. Research is now documenting Game Transfer Phenomena, where gamers retain visual imagery and violent behaviors endemic in the game and transfer these to real life.

A study of adult gamers showed 71% visualized video game imagery with eyes closed after gaming; 31% visualized imagery with eyes open. This raises the question of what children experience following video game immersion. The problem with younger children is that they are more impressionable, and what they see on TV or on video games, they act out in real life. Video Games Stores Near Me.

One 9-year-old boy I assessed who spoke incessantly about playing Halo Zombies,

The gamer brain is becoming increasingly problematic in schools where children act out scenes from violent mature video games resulting in acts of sexualized and physical violence toward other students. One 9-year-old boy I assessed who spoke incessantly about playing Halo Zombies, threw a rock at a passing truck breaking the window stating “I thought I saw zombies in it”.

Matthew de Grood, a noted ‘chronic video gamer’, killed five college students stating “I thought they were zombies”. Dr. Andrew Haag testifying psychiatrist in the trial proceedings stated that de Grood “was having delusional symptoms which had a profound impact on how he perceived reality”.

The recent mass shooting in a Saskatchewan school killing 4 students was by a noted ‘loner and video gamer’. Serial killer Dillan Millard reported he played Halo 4 hours per day using Zombie bullets which explode upon entry. ISIS recently created the ARMA III video game to train ISIS recruits. The recent mass shooting in Florida killing 49 people was by an ISIS militant. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Question: Does your child “see or hear” video games when not playing, or act out behaviors endemic in the video game?

To Do: In addressing the recent rise in mass killings, a prevention protocol should include restriction of violent media content for developing brains. Banning video games for children < 12 years is an excellent start toward protecting civilians from that intent on mass killings.

6. Mental Illness

The Canadian Mental Health Association reports that 1 in 7 children and youth have a diagnosed mental illness.  Douglas Gentile’s 2009 study indicated 1 out of 10 children aged 8-18 years are addicted to technology, with Common Sense Media reporting 50% of youth self-report screen addiction.

Never in the history of humankind have there been child addictions. Difficult and expensive to treat, very soon this will become the job of every health and education professional…treating child and youth screen addictions. Schools wouldn’t give children cocaine or crack, yet they readily hand out equally as damaging and addictive devices to students on a daily basis, unmonitored. I routinely walk behind students in the hallways, Video Games Stores Near Me.

playground, and classrooms and observe social networking, video games, and even pornography. A 14-year old youth I was assessing for aggression toward other children told me he played violent video games “almost all the time”.

Unplug Challenge”

When asked why he hurts other children stated “I get a rush when I hurt others”. While this boy reported he understood there could be a link between violent video game use and aggression, he did not believe that playing video games had any impact on his liking to hurt other children. When asked if he could do the “Unplug Challenge” and not use any screens for 24 hours, he immediately responded with “No way”.

With increasing research showing harmful effects of screens on child and youth mental health, prohibiting violent media content in children under the age of 12 years is urgently needed. Prohibiting personal device usage in school settings makes a strong statement to children and their parents about the need to limit screen usage. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Question: Do you think your child is happy?

To Do: Children want to play with their parents and friends. Put the phone down, pick up your kids, and go do something fun outside…now.

7. Poor Social Relationships

Children learn social skills from watching and interacting with their parents. If parents rarely communicate with each other or their children, these children fail to learn social skills and go on life strife with communication and behavioral issues. There is a critical period at 6-18 mo. of age for attaining social ability.

Infants who spend too much time in front of screens, and too little time interacting with their parents, have an increased risk of developing autism and oppositional defiance disorder. Parents model functional (or dysfunctional) relationships, which dictate to a large degree how their child will relate to others. Parents who have good relationships with each other, generally understand how to relate to and meet the needs of their children, who in turn pass these social skills onto their siblings and friends. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Children who live in a virtual world for long periods have great difficulty dealing with problems and demands in the real world. Children whose parents overuse screens feel neglected, and consequently, find solace in screens. Hilarie Cash, director of reSTART internet addiction recovery center, states in this video that youth and young adults in her program tell her that

there are a number of steps parents can take to prevent gaming addiction including:

• Help your child develop alternate interests in video games;
• Repair your own relationship;
• Do not expect perfection in your child;
• Be attune to your child’s needs;
• Set rules and guidelines for internet usage;
• Model those rules yourselves.

As social skills are key in establishing a primary relationship with partners, as well as securing jobs upon graduation, children and youth who have social anxiety or are socially phobic will have much greater difficulty experiencing meaningful relationships and finding work.

Question: Does your child have real (not screen-based) friends?

To Do: Prepare and eat dinner together screen-free every night and invite conversation and dialogue with your children, spend at least half a day once per week in screen-free outdoor activity, and spend your family holiday screen-free. One hour per day, one day per week, one week per year screen-free. Video Games Stores Near Me.

8. Poor Academic Performance

Regarding early exposure to violent media content, Dimitri Christakis’s study on fast-paced, violent cartoons in 2011 exposed 4-year-old children to 9 min. of SpongeBobs, and found significant decreases in memory, concentration, and attention…after only 9 minutes!

Research by Jay Hull in 2015 found that moderate gamers who use less than 4 hours per day of video games show increased risky behaviors (sex, reckless driving, drugs/alcohol, smoking), increased defiance, and decreased executive function (attention, concentration, memory). Heavy gamers who use > 4 hours per day of video games,  have 4-5 times increased incidence of previously noted effects.

While high school dropout rates have steadily declined over the past decade, gamers are at a much higher risk than non-gamers for dropping out of high school and university. The increasing incidence of absenteeism and tardiness of children and youth in schools always has me asking students what they were doing at home, and not surprising to hear they were gaming late into the night. Students who are good at gaming often tell me that school is “boring” or “too hard”, and that they don’t get rewarded for trying to do their work. Video Games Stores Near Me.

42% of 20-29-year-old men are living at home,

Many students I work with outright refuse to do school work, and many teachers are turning to use video games as a reward for produced work at school. We are all aware that high school dropouts have much greater difficulty finding and sustaining jobs, as do video game addicts who again are looking for rewards and achievement in their work that they find favorable in video games. One alarming Canadian statistic is that 42% of 20-29-year-old men are living at home, neither working nor attending school; up from 27% in 1981 and 32% in 1991. What is this potential workforce doing at home, and why are parents allowing it to happen? Video Games Stores Near Me.

Question: Is your child struggling at school?

To Do: Talk with your child’s teacher to see how they are doing academically, and ensure your child is not allowed to game as a reward at school.

9. Sexual Perversions

42% of children have viewed pornography by age ten. Early exposure to porn is linked to hypersexualized behaviors including early entry into sex, sexting (sending sexualized messages and photos), high-risk sex, and sexual violence. What studies fail to include in their data is that all video games rated Mature contain graphic sexual content and sexualized violence.

One of the major “enhancements” in Grand Theft Auto 5 is that the player can not only rape and kill women, but they’ve now added torture scenes. It is imperative that parents investigate and continuously monitor what their child is watching/playing on their device. Children are curious about sex, and while it’s natural to ask questions and want to know more about sex, there is nothing natural about what children are readily viewing on the internet. Video Games Stores Near Me.

The dark web is now easily accessible and contains slasher videos and extremely violent porn. In 2017 the UK reported a rise of 71% of sexual assaults by children on children over the past 4 years which they attributed to internet porn.  Utah was the first state to declare pornography is a public health crisis. Again, what children watch is who they become.

Question: Have you asked your child if they are using porn?

To Do: Watch what video games your child is using or ask them and lookup ratings on Common Sense Media; remove access to all sexualized content. 

10. Mass Killings

Some (but not many) parents I talk to who have children with problematic gaming issues, tell me their child has threatened the parent or themselves with harm should they proceed with video game restrictions. When a child threatens harm to themselves or others, they are clearly in trouble and not in control of themselves or their actions. If a parent feels threatened when trying to implement video game restrictions, then it is imperative they seek assistance from a medical professional e.g. physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist. Video Games Stores Near Me

While most shooters are gamers (14 mass murders are linked to violent video games), this does not mean most gamers will become shooters. What parents, teachers, clinicians, and government can do to prevent mass killers is stop letting children under the age of 12 be exposed to violent media content.

Student education regarding the impact of violent media content by trained teachers in schools is paramount, as is parent education by counselors and clinicians (RNs, Dr., therapists, psychologists). Government should legislate the video game industry to include clear warnings on all video games referencing harmful effects of video games on children. Parents spending more time with their children and less time on screens will improve child mental health and lessen problematic behaviors and acts of violence. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Question: Are you scared of your child?

To Do: Have your child urgently assessed by a medical professional e.g. physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist. Engage in more healthy activities as a family. Listen to your child’s concerns and stories, don’t talk and lecture.

This article was written by Cris Rowan, pediatric occupational therapist, biologist, international speaker, and advocate for children. Cris can be reached at info@zonein.ca. 

Additional Information 

Zone in Website profiles programs, workshops/webinars, training, and consultation services.
Zone’in Research Fact Sheet 300 research references the detrimental impact of technology on children.
Technology Impact Educational Videos on physical, mental, social, and cognitive domains.
Cris Rowan Videos on EdTech, Critical Factors for Growth/Success, Balanced Technology Management.
Child Development Series Newsletter monthly free newsletter with collated research and news.
Moving to Learn Blog research referenced articles by Cris Rowan with over 1000 hits per day.
Virtual Child Book is available on Amazon in English, Chinese and Spanish versions.
Ten reasons to ban handheld devices for children under 12 years of age Huffington Post 2.6 million likes.
Suffer the Children – 4 min. slideshow profiles problems associated with tech overuse by children.
Balanced Technology Management – 7 min. slideshow profiles solutions in six sectors: parents, educators, health professionals, government, researchers, and technology corporations. Video Games Stores Near Me

Support Programs

Tech Tool Kit manual of tools and strategies for families to balance technology with healthy activity.
Unplug’in Game board game to build skills and confidence in activities alternate to technology.
Tech Talks for Families webinar series; 10 sessions/10 weeks/10 hours. Includes Tech Tool Kit.
Tech Talks for Therapists and Teachers webinar series; 5 sessions/5 hours. Includes Tech Tool Kit.
Consultation Services for parents, teachers, health professionals, government, researchers, and technology production corporations. Video Games Stores Near Me.

I have to agree somewhat it can cause all that stuff it can happen but it depends on the parents and the time they start and if you let it get out of hand but I started playing halo when I was about six and have been playing shooters all my life and I’m not violent and I have good grades

All shooters are gamers?

Correction, MOST of the population plays video games now- especially the younger generations. It’s entertainment- it’s escapism. Maybe instead of attacking a hobby, you should consider why they feel the need to escape from reality. Ex: abusive home life, bullying, etc.

If mass shootings were “a gamer thing” why are these atrocities happening at schools and not video game conventions? Why are schools and the gov not enforcing “no bullying” laws? I remember being on the bus, while being harassed all day, seeing the poster that talked about bullying being illegal. Video Games Stores Near Me.

But of course, evidently, everyone’s just a wimp these days. So instead of helping them society just makes excuses because all the older folks think because they’re good at repressing emotions and being an asshole to everyone who triggers their many insecurities- that kids should just “put up with it” and toughen up.

she’s a gamer too- does that mean she’ll shoot someone???

I’ve watched my younger sister go through multiple accounts of pretty horrendous bullying, she’s a gamer too- does that mean she’ll shoot someone??? No. But she might shoot herself. Suicide is a serious issue for teens. Maybe you should focus on something like child suicide rates and shit parents and stop demonizing things that make their lives livable.

While I agree that kids underaged shouldn’t play mature-rated games I’ve yet to meet anyone in the gaming community that agree with violence and prefer to keep it on screen. Many of us are artists, scientists, historians- boiling us down into such a blatant generalization is grossly offensive. Video Games Stores Near Me.

Stop using scare tactics and biased information to scare parents into ripping the controller out of their kids’ hands. You’re simplifying a very complicated problem and think that the solution is simple. It’s not. It’s as complex as the human mind- every individual is different. 1. We all feel the call of the void. 2. We are all genetically unique.

We all go through different lives

3. We all go through different lives. So, in conclusion, it is foolish to blame one aspect of these individuals as the sole reason for their behavior. Gaming provides an avenue for the community- something most shooters don’t have, having isolated themselves, becoming lost in delusions. Which, by the way, you can develop delusions without ever even turning on a console. Crazy. I know.

Hello, I am a Fellow teenager and I have to somewhat agree with the relationship part of it. I recently started High School and I have fallen in love with Fornite Chapter 2 and it’s great. I have won about 30 games with my friends and we all have so much fun playing. The point I’m getting at is that people can change so much.

I have agreed that video games can be very addicting but once you enter the Homework world it is a whole new responsibility to keep up with. Last year I was that poor, cold, shy kid but now I have about 10 new friends and I’ve grown up with them since 2nd grade. So give your son/daughter a chance and let them have fun and maybe that could be the spark they needed this whole time! Video Games Stores Near Me.

All shooters are gamers

“All shooters are gamers” This is a very deadly comment for which people will generate an idea of gamers and shooters are the same people, there is no actual evidence of proving a long term effect on people playing violent games but unfortunate incidents for people to directly blame on them (May the victims rest in peace) I would be very happy for people to counter my opinions with reasonable evidence and claim of course, as in this will help me in my high school study and prepare myself for college. I myself am a gamer. Video Games Stores Near Me.

The very definition of violent is: using or involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something.

Yet many people say, “oh it’s ok for them to play it’s not real”
So, they’re still playing, and obviously, there is a negative outcome.
Kids talking about shooting and killing is not appropriate and I agree that they shouldn’t be played with, at least by teens and kids.

Adults can make their own decision on how they want to spend their life playing shooting and killing games, that’s up to them. But if I have learned anything from history is that war, fighting, hurting, violence, all needs to end.
And it’s not gonna happen any time soon with these games.