subject: Do Video Games Introduce Dangerous Ideas? [print this page] Do Video Games Introduce Dangerous Ideas?
When you see your children playing video games, do you ever wonder what impact those games may be having on their young minds? There have been some high profile cases where young adults appear to have been influenced by video games, movies and television shows.
As a result of concerns that arise, there is now a ratings system in place for games. This allows parents to see whether a particular game is really suitable for their children. Once you have a game within the household, of course, it's over to you when it comes to supervision.
So should you worry? It's important to remember that many households now have a games console. Children are frequently using these and most of them are playing quite happily. There's no real sign of damage towards them or the wider community, although some would suggest that it's a shame that kids now spend too much time indoors.
When we're discussing potential concerns, these tend to focus upon violence. It's easy to see why this should be a worry. We don't like our children to be exposed to images of a violence before they can really deal with them. What about the impact that it may have on their behaviour towards others? It's natural that they will replicate some things that they see.
If they play games that show a lot of killing and gore then this could have an impact on their perception of life in general. That doesn't mean that they are going to pick up a weapon and go on the rampage. But it does mean that you may want to monitor how much time they spend playing such games.
Other than violent games, there are clearly others that deal with issues that are unsuitable for children. But how about driving games? Should these be seen as a cause for concern? It's certainly the case that they often portray a certain level of mayhem and carnage, as can be seen in everything from monster truck games to some basic racing games.
Fortunately, children aren't likely to leap into a real car and believe that they can replicate the driving techniques that may be familiar to them from these games. But they still may be seeing images that are meant for adult eyes.
When it comes to monitoring your kids, it's important to remember that most games will be completely harmless. But it's certainly worth making sure that you know exactly what they are playing.
