Today's Media: Think About Such Things - A Look at Video Game Usage Among Children
by Mr. Tim SnyderDirector of Media Services, Christian Life Resources
(Originally published in January/February 2005 issue of CLR's Clearly Caring Magazine)
What is your teenage son thinking about? Is he thinking about stealing cars, crashing them, shooting pedestrians and motorists, dealing drugs, and beating up prostitutes? Your son may never harbor such depraved fantasies, but before you dismiss the idea that he could be thinking about such things, consider this:
The video game "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" allows the player to engage in the aforementioned activities. "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" and "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" are on the top ten list of most owned video games (www.Gamestat.com, 11/19/04). A 2003 online Gallup poll of 517 adolescents found that more than 70 percent of teen boys have played "Grand Theft Auto" video games. (These games are rated "M" for mature audiences.) The same Gallup poll found that twice as many boys who played these games reported being in a physical fight, compared with boys who hadnt played (34 percent to 17 percent).In 2003 two teen boys from Tennessee pleaded guilty in a shooting spree that left one man dead and a woman seriously injured. The boys, who opened fire on vehicles on Interstate 40, said they were attempting to act out scenes from Grand Theft Auto. Video games didnt cause these boys to commit murder, but its hard to deny the influence they may have had on them. The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychology Association, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry issued a joint statement in 2000 linking the violence in television, movies, video games, and music to increasing violence among children. Basing their conclusion on over 30 years of research, the four groups stated that "prolonged viewing of media violence can lead to emotional desensitization toward violence in real life." They also stated that "viewing entertainment violence can lead to increases in aggressive attitudes, values and behaviors, particularly in children."As parents, we need to stay vigilant when it comes to the video games our children play. Not all games are bad, but we need to monitor what games our kids play and how much time they spend on games. David Walsh, Ph.D., of the National Institute on Media and the Family, urges parents to watch for these warning signs and be concerned if your child:
Repeatedly breaks family rules about when and how much game playing is allowed.Withdraws from friends and activities to spend time playing.Sneaks and lies about game playing.Neglects school work and other responsibilities.Throws temper tantrums when limits are imposed.Dr. Walsh offers these tips for keeping computer and video game playing a positive part of your children's lives:
Set clear ground rules about when, where, how much, and what kind of game playing is allowed.Limit game playing time.Require that homework and other chores be completed first.Keep video and computer games out of kids' bedrooms.Consistently enforce the rules. If your child refuses to cooperate, restrict access for a period of time.If nothing else works, go cold turkey. Get rid of the games.Popular video games that glorify violence, obscene language, sex, and illegal activities are a deadly spiritual snare. Virtual sin is just as damning as real sin because it is real sin. If our minds are on sin, then sin is in our hearts. The apostle Paul exhorts us to keep our minds off of sin and on the things of God: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things" (Philippians 4:8).
What are your kids thinking about?
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