December 17th, 2009 by There is no doubt about it, Christmas is here. We all look forward to the excitement of the upcoming holidays, but, as with every year, the trauma of crowded shopping centres and the pressure to find the perfect present for everyone in the family will no doubt add an element of stress to the festive break!
One of my brothers is 12 and, like many kids nowadays, he really is into video games. So, obviously the spot-on present for him would be a new game. I am a big fan of videogames, however I still have this little voice telling me that video games – 1) must be selected carefully for the right audience and 2) are not as good as a couple of hours outdoor activities with friends (good old entertainment in a realistic and healthy environment).
kids playing video games
Does Wii Tennis count as a real physical activity? Is Nintendo DS Big Brain Academy really equivalent to a session of maths exercises? Are 18+ games influencing kids enough to lead them to be violent themselves?
There are many different ways of answering these questions but I think they all tend to converge to same matter
Who is actually responsible for protecting young video gamers? And how?
That’s the question Nathan from Face asked his own mother, highlighting the difficulties for parents to make the right choice. Nathan was a pre internet 90s kid so all his Mum had to go on was what the cover of the game looked like!!
This is a subject we would really like to get your thoughts and comments on:
Do you think parents have got a better control over their kids’ video gaming behaviours?
What is the most common source of information you use to select the right games for your children?
Let me know what your thoughts are about young gamers protection and what are your best picks for Xmas!
Marion
