I have 6 kids. We don't allow video games in the house - except Tetris, since that seems to be good for developing intelligence.
It can be hard for them to relate to other kids, who only want to talk about Fortnite, which my kids know nothing about.
It can be hard for them to relate to other kids, who only want to talk about Fortnite, which my kids know nothing about.
Had my parents tried to harness my interest in games and technology and maybe looked into programs like these (https://www.lifewire.com/kids-programming-languages-4125938) then things might have been differently. Instead they did a great job of alienating me and forcing me to take interest in things that I had no interest in doing.
All things in moderation, a teaching which I would argue has much more value than trying fruitlessly to shelter your kid from things you have little to no understanding of. I can understand not letting your young kid play games with violence or shooting, or online games, but a household ban on video games isn't going to curb any interest your kids have in technology. My passion for games and technology is the sole reason for my success in life. Your son or daughter could take that interest in games into so many other fields. It could motivate them to master math, physics, or to pursue one of many STEM fields.
Not every kid who would prefer to play video games is going to grow up to be a professional game developer or programmer.
The fact that many parents are worried about their son or daughter playing video games but are fine with them playing contact sports speaks volumes about their priorities. As a society we need to focus on encouraging our kids to be comfortable with who they are and supporting their interests. Just because all you wanted to do was run outside and play from morning to sundown does not mean that's what your kid wants to do. I'm not saying giving your kid free reign to play xbox all day but plenty of games out there encourage problem solving and critical thinking (and teamwork) on a deeper level than a word problem about how many watermelons Janet can carry to her car ever will.
That being said, everything in moderation.
This. My son has a particular interest in redstone circuits in Minecraft - elaborate sets of switches, pistons, trap doors, lighting, etc. It's quite remarkable to watch, especially when a friend gets involved to test it out and help tinker.
I'd have no problem letting my kid watch a movie they like because they'll probably watch it once, be done in 90 minutes, and move on. On the other hand, knowing how I can fall victim to 4 hours of YouTube without realizing makes me weary of letting my hypothetic future kids freely do so themselves too. These companies are optimizing for time spent and for fighting your self-control, which in a kid who is just developing his habits, I can only assume could potentially have negative consequences.
All things in moderation, I agree, but I can't blame parents for choosing to moderate certain things by simply disallowing them. CocaCola in moderation is not unhealthy, but I thank my parents for straight out forbidding it: it could've been a non issue, sure, but I also know plenty of people who crave a soda with every meal.
We lived in the country so we rode bikes, built tree forts, explored the woods.
We shot bows and arrows and ran around with pellet guns, took apart old lawnmowers that never got put back together, sorry... :-(
From thirteen on, I had little joe jobs pumping gas, washing cars watering plants at a nursery.
Later on I worked at a farm. I can still back up a forty foot trailer on a dime. I also learned to jury rig almost any mechanical thing, because equipment was always breaking down.
Some kinds had mini bikes, when we were about eight, but my grandmother forbade me from riding one, but she did let me drive her car when I was about 12 to go visit my friends.
Also we'd go camping by this nice place near a waterfall with just two wool blankets. We'd take some cut hay from a nearby field to stuff under the first blanket and cover ourselves with the other.
We don't permit passive stuff (YouTube) or the Skinner box games, but that's not because they're screens, it's because they're shit.
Apparently it's more of a "place" than a "game", so your kids are going to be left out if all of their friends are bonding and hanging out in the game.
My parents never bought me a video game console, and I'm actually very grateful for that. I would play computer games occasionally but I was much more interested in learning QBASIC and making my own games, music, and animations. I also spent a lot of time outdoors with my friends and cousins, building treehouses and riding bikes, etc.
Video game consoles weren't connected to the internet, and I was an only child, so I would have just been playing single-player games by myself. That would have been boring and a bit lonely, so maybe that's why I don't really like games. But it was always fun to go to a friend's house and play Super Smash Bros, GoldenEye 007, Crash Bandicoot, etc.
I think you should reconsider the blanket ban on video games, because Minecraft and Fortnite can be very social activities. Maybe have a time limit of an hour per day.