The game skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic – is this a positive response to isolation or a reason to worry?

Updated

29 November 2020 07:33:05

Wendy James keeps an eye on her two boys’ gambling habits.

His home in Yarrawonga, Victoria region is located just inside the state’s northern border with NSW.

During Victoria’s two blocks, her children spent more time online than usual, playing video games.

“They definitely spend too much time playing, no doubt,” said Ms. James.

“I wish they were around … with COVID and closures it was just too much.”

Are you a gamer or are you close to someone who is? Four Corners wants to hear your story.

Ms. James said it was difficult to set boundaries with her teenagers, partly due to the school’s transition to online learning.

“You want to take them off, but it’s really hard because it’s like, ‘Oh, we’ve got homework to do,'” she said.

Her worries about her kids’ screen time seem to be common in many families.

A Parents Together survey found that of 3,000 parents surveyed, 85% were concerned about the time their children spend online.

And 49% of respondents said their children’s screen time exceeds six hours a day, compared to just 8% before the pandemic.

New research from the University of Sydney shows that spending an inordinate amount of time online over the course of a teenager’s developmental years can have serious long-term effects.

Professor James Donald conducted a longitudinal study of nearly 3,000 Australian adolescents to understand the wider impact of compulsive internet use on adolescent development.

“We monitored young people’s internet use and emotional regulation skills over the course of four years of their adolescence, and what we found was that young people’s internet use, and in particular the using it in unhealthy ways meant reductions in their ability to regulate their emotions in a healthy way, “he said.

Professor Donald’s research also found that excessive screen time could also negatively impact teens’ ability to set long-term goals.

“We know that regulating their emotions is a fundamental life skill that young people must develop during those crucial years of adolescence, which then prepares them for further studies, to apply for a job, get a job, all of these things really. important of a wider functioning life. “

How much does it cost to play too much?

Australian health authorities recommend that young people spend no more than two hours a day online.

However, many children, such as Beth Fox, a 7th year student from Sydney, often play digital games for longer periods of time, maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

“It seems to me that some people think it’s a bad thing – how video games are addictive,” he said.

The World Health Organization formally recognized gambling addiction as a modern disease in 2018, designating gambling disorder as an official condition.

Marcus Carter, a gaming researcher who also teaches at the University of Sydney, said applying the gambling addiction label too promptly could have negative consequences.

“If we paint all of the digital play with this broad brush of addiction, many children will miss out on some of those perks and be eager to know why something they really like and is positive in their lives is being called addictive and bad,” said Dr. Carter.

“I don’t think there is conclusive evidence to say that video games are addictive, but the problem is that if we start to pathologize normal and healthy behaviors, we run the risk of making children anxious and blocking the benefits of digital games for cognitive development. , social and communication skills “.

Dr. Carter interviewed children of Beth’s age, between the ages of 10 and 14, about their gaming habits and found that they used the word “addiction” to describe their game even though there was nothing unhealthy about it. their playing behavior.

While the peak of video games during the pandemic raised concerns about excessive screen time, it also highlighted the benefits of digital platforms in providing a virtual place for people to socialize while on lockdown.

“We know that games are a really important space for children to develop social skills and connect with their peers,” said Dr. Carter.

“In a situation like Melbourne, where children only have fewer opportunities for play and social interactions, digital games provide them with a virtual space where they don’t have to worry about social distances or wear face masks.”

New horizons in gaming

Beth sometimes plays digital games with her whole family.

But despite his parents’ enthusiasm to participate, he said he still feels the game is frowned upon.

“I feel like video games are growing so fast, they’re making people scared,” he said.

Beth’s mother, Fiona, thinks that negative perceptions of video games and their impact on children may be a typical generational reaction to a form of new media.

“I personally think it’s a panic with new media and technology,” Ms. Fox said.

“I think people aren’t that worried about the old forms of media.

“An old friend of mine actually told me that comics in his day were the thing that was spreading the violence and he was talking about.”

His point of view is shared by Dr. Carter, who said that some parents expect their children to experience a similar version of childhood to theirs.

“Children are often a source of media panic because they represent experiences we miss as adults,” he said.

However, new games like Paper Bark, which follows a wombat’s journey into the Australian outback depicted in watercolor graphics, are shattering stereotypes about what a video game is and how the player handles it.

Seven out of 10 Australians are gamers, and new research shows that four out of 10 Australian players are playing more this year than last, according to data from YouGov.

As video games evolve to become a broader form of media through which we communicate, Professor Donald says one of the most important things interested parents can do is open and maintain a conversation about games with their children.

“From a parent’s point of view, really have a shared conversation where young people have a say, where your child feels they have a say, and you can ideally achieve some kind of shared understanding,” she said.

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Themes:

television technology, information technology, internet technology, computers and technology, science and technology, arts and entertainment, games, games industry, professional games, health, children’s health and behavior, mental health, australia

First posted

29 November 2020, 05:53:57