Video Games

My son is 12 years old and loves to play video games. How much is to much. I restrict him to 1 hour on Saturday and 1 hour on Sunday and none during the week. Of course he thinks it is unfair. What do other parents think?

Final Results

1st.
Let him have more time. All the other kids do.
-
58%
2nd.
Keep it as is.
-
42%

Comments:

maybe let him play some more and wait until his schooling starts to suffer. as soon as it does you know to let him play a little less. there are some very positive studies into the benefits of video games with regards to problem solving but clearly you need to make sure he has a decent education. obviously stay clear of violent games!
Added by Anonymous - about 2 years ago
but not too much...you want him to go out and enjoy his friends and the outdoors, etc
Added by Anonymous - about 2 years ago
do you really think tht 2 hors a wk is enough?? there is 24 hours a day he needs a bit more enjoyment in his life or he will resent you for it.
Added by Anonymous - about 2 years ago
Too much of anything is unhealthy. Being too restrictive builds resentment. Video games are not inherently bad but he needs to have a balanced life and he needs to learn to regulate his own activities. Is he inclined to put down the controller if his grades begin to suffer? Does he have other interests? What is his maturity level? In other words, take a good lood at your son and base your decision on his character traits. The right answer is what is right for him.
Added by Anonymous - about 2 years ago
Let him play as much as he wants ....
Added by Anonymous - about 2 years ago
Games also provide a fun and social form of entertainment, encourage teamwork and cooperation when played with others, make kids feel comfortable with technology—particularly important for girls, who don't use technology as much as boys, increase children's self-confidence and self-esteem as they master games, provide points of common interest and opportunities for socialization, develop skills in reading, math, technology and problem-solving, encourage participation in related offline activities, such as reading or sports, encourage civic participation. And many more things. Of course there are bad side effects but I feel the good outweighs the bad.
Added by Anonymous - about 2 years ago
Thats a ridiculous, playing games too much is understandable. But let your son have more time on it. US scientists have found that regular players of shoot-em-ups, such as Half-Life and Medal of Honour, have much better visual skills than most of the population. The researchers have shown that gamers were particularly good at spotting details in busy, confusing scenes and could cope with more distractions than average. They have also found that with a little game playing the visual skills of anyone can be improved. Video game playing enhances the capacity of visual attention and its spatial distribution.
Added by Anonymous - about 2 years ago

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kids
video_games
parenting
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