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November 5, 2004

Putting Video Games in Perspective
By Chris Byrne

We've heard it all when it comes to video games from "They're
great," or "They're horrible," to "They're satanic and represent
the end of the world."Sometimes the e-mail and phone calls get
a little weird. The one thing they all have in common, though, is
that whether praising or damning video games, everyone wants to
be "right." They want their point of view to be the one that is correct.

It would be nice to have that kind of "hero" power sometimes, one
thinks. To be somewhere between James Bond and the Powerpuff
Girls with a little Spider-Man thrown in. But it's not possible or
practical.

The fact of the matter is that video games can be good or they can
be bad; it all depends. We hear from people who say that their
children were antisocial until they started playing Pokemon. We
hear from other people who are concerned because their child—or a
child they know—is "addicted" to video games. As with so much in
this world, so much depends on the individual situation and it is
impossible to make a blanket statement about the relative value—
or not—of video games.

To be sure, it's a booming business that is growing exponentially
each year and involving kids at younger and younger ages. And,
yes, there are children (adults, too, for that matter) who spend too
much time playing video games, but it may not be, strictly speaking,
an addiction. For some small population of children, obsessive video
game playing may have some of the qualities of an addiction—
mood alteration, coping with stress, etc.—but by and large our
observation is that children who are spending too much time with
video games are doing so out of habit because there is nothing
else to engage them and, most importantly, because they are
allowed to.

As video games reach younger and younger children (VTECH's
exceptional new V.Smile adapts the play pattern of video games
into an effective teaching tool for kids as young as three), it
behooves parents and caregivers to be aware of some of the pros
and cons of video game play—and to dispel some of the popular
myths surrounding video games.

Most importantly as video games will surely show up on many
holiday wish lists in the next weeks, it's important to encourage
parents and caregivers to determine what place, if any, video games
have in their individual homes.

You will hear a lot of criticism of video games because it makes
good copy. It is the climate of mainstream news right now to scare
people, but reacting out of fear is never as positive for the children
in your life as acting out of rational consideration. But what's good
for kids seldom makes headlines.

Here are some of the concerns that we hear most often about video
games and some perspective on these popular notions:

• At a certain age, boys in particular only want to play video games.
Not true. Boys are engrossed in sports, construction play, computers
and social interaction with other peers. Parents and caregivers have
an obligation to help kids explore and develop non-academic
interests.

• Violent video games cause violent behavior. There is no conclusive
evidence on this, as the wonderful book Killing Monsters makes clear.
In fact, there are several studies that suggest the cathartic nature of
playing challenging video games actually can make kids less violent.
The problem with all these studies is that there are none that can
isolate video games as the only influence on sensibilities or behavior.

• Video games are isolating and antisocial in nature. Certainly there
are many games that are played by one person, but there are also
many that require two or more players. In addition, children can and
do use playing video games as a social activity where even if there
is only one child playing, the others are actively engaged in watching
and encouraging the play.

• Video games are mindless. Well, sure there are some pretty
mindless games out there, but they don't tend to become popular.
The games that most kids gravitate to require some level of
physical ability in eye-hand coordination while requiring both
sophisticated and creative thinking and problem solving. Parents
and caregivers who are concerned that their children are playing
video games rather than watching TV should take a closer look at
the games. Some of them have rich, evolving and deep stories
that take kids into wonderful imaginative worlds. Sports games
(especially the line-up from EA Sports) are rich in realism, strategy,
detail and fun. Compared to much of what's on TV, video games are
where some of the best stories are being told.

None of this is to minimize the concerns about video games—or any
activity pursued to excess. Yet there are some things you can do that
will help keep video games in perspective—short of banning them from
your home, though there's nothing wrong with that if that's your choice.

• Know what's playing. It's astonishing how often we talk to parents
who have no idea of what their kids are playing in video games. Just
as you would want to know what movies or other entertainments your
child is engaging in, take a look at what your kids are playing—and
what they're asking for.

• Understand the ratings. The Entertainment Software Review Board
(ESRB) has an excellent system of rating games ranging from "E"
for "everyone" to "M" for "mature." Get to know what these ratings
mean and talk about them with your kids. This is a great time to
convey your values about what makes good and acceptable
entertainment in your home.

• Monitor play time. Parents who complain that their kids are
spending too much time playing games often tell us they feel
helpless about getting their kids to do something else. That's
ridiculous. You wouldn't let your child play basketball all night or eat
a pound of chocolate at a sitting. Limiting video game time requires
adults to get involved, but we've consistently found in homes where
limits are imposed, the families spend more time interacting with one
another. Many families also report that kids can "earn" time on their
games by helping out with household duties, for example.

• Pick up a controller. You may not know what you're missing. Many
adults are intimidated by the sophistication of games and so don't
even try to play them. Yet there are many titles out there that can
be easily learned have great stories and can be fun for the whole
family. If you are new to video games, try some of the TV Games
from Jakks Pacific. These all-in-one units plug directly into the TV,
cost less than $20 and each includes five games. You'll find
everything from "Pong" to "Ms. Pac-Man" to more sophisticated
sports games.

• Be open-minded. Wasn't there something you loved doing when
you were a kid? Just because video games don't look like what you
did when you were young, don't think that means that they can't be
wholesome. You might find there's a game or two that you wouldn't
mind whiling away some idle hours with compared to some other
entertainment choice.

Finally, as with any media—movies, TV, books, magazines, etc.—
remember, you're the consumer. No one is forcing you to buy
something, watch something or play something. Your values should
—and do—shape your purchasing, and it's your responsibility to
ensure that the things you bring into your home reflect those
values. The open discussion of that with your family—and an open
mind on your part—sets the stage for a level of human connection
that no electric cable will ever be able to replicate.

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