Adolescents all around the globe are getting more engrossed in video gaming, raising concerns about overuse. Even though video games have a beneficial influence on the players, research shows that they have a negative impact on the games themselves. Parents must adopt mediation methods to guide, control, and interpret the content of video games for their children. Adolescents who play video games featuring cooperative characters and players learn the value of cooperation, sharing, and maintaining good connections outside of the game, thus increasing their long-term pro-social conduct. Adolescents who play video games show less hostility toward one another and behave more empathically with others (Kimmig, 2018). The same may be said for adolescents who live in remote areas or have psychiatric issues since video games are a social platform for connecting. Additionally, it serves as a substitute for in-person contact amongst adolescent students enrolled in studying online.
On the other hand, research shows that excessive violent video games among adolescents lead to antisocial conduct. Exposure to these games often results in participants being more aggressive and meaner (Kimmig, 2018). As a result, adolescents who have been exposed to violent video games tend to develop a fear of the world, and they grow more desensitized to violence. Because of this, parents must determine if the content of video games is suitable for their adolescent children and recognize that certain online video games expose children to people who may have a detrimental impact on their development. This means that parents should think about collecting information about their children’s games and figuring out where reality ends and fiction begins in the games their children are playing. Parents can also select and create rules for video games that benefit their adolescent’s abilities and knowledge.
Reference
Kimmig, A. C. S., Andringa, G., & Derntl, B. (2018). Potential adverse effects of violent video gaming: Interpersonal-affective traits are rather impaired than disinhibition in young adults. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 736.