Video Games… A subject I have avoided for a long, long, long time. I am fairly torn on the subject because my husband, the love of my life, has a passion for video games. This passion turned into a very specific interest which turned into a very sought-after degree which ultimately led him to job security to the point that when he interviews, employers see that he has a degree in Video Game Design from Full Sail University, and they insist on immediate interviews. So one side of me loves video games, but the teacher in me wishes that video games were still limited to the likes of Tetris and Zelda.

As a parent, I see the value in video games. They keep the child’s interest and give me a few minutes to tidy the house, pay the bills, take the dog out and make some dinner. As a teacher, I see the repercussions.

Here is an example:

A child, let’s call him Video Game Vince, comes home from school after a long day. Stressed and overwhelmed, he logs on to the computer, Play Station, X-Box or whatever new-fangled gadget is trending at the time. Within 10 minutes, he eases into a new world- a world where he is in complete control. A world where children don’t make fun of him or he isn’t the last one picked for kick ball on the playground. A world where if he doesn’t understand the math problem, he isn’t going to have to ask in front of 20 peers. A world where when he is called on in class, and he begins to answer and his voice cracks, his heart won’t drop to his stomach with ridicule. Though he may not always win, he actually has the control of the character in his hands… literally at his fingertips. Real world literally stops and his brain enters into the virtual world. There are no hard fast consequences other than slight disappointment of not beating the “boss” or “dying” in which in both cases, he can just reset and try again. Hours go by but to Vince, it feel like minutes. Mom comes in and invites Vince to the dinner she was able to prepare thanks to the engagement of this fictious world that plays out behind the glass screen. Vince needs just one more minute or he may tragically die. Heavens forbid Vince’s character dies based on mom’s interruption of dinner. Dinner will then be ruined for the whole family by pouting and blame.

So you may be thinking…what is so wrong with this? Doesn’t a child need down time? He seems happy, why would I bother him? Here is my personal answer, and it is solely my opinion. You know what I say about my opinion; it’s worth exactly how much you paid for it.

Kids get too into these games and these worlds. Students come to school underwhelmed by reality because they have spent hours on end in this virtual reality where there are no expectations, no peer pressure or teasing, constant “resets”, violence without consequence, violence with reward and no stress. There has to be a balance. For teachers, it is unfair. The student comes to school and though their lesson is intriguing, well-planned and innovative, their mind is focused solely on the next time they get to grab that control. Teachers incorporate technology to increase engagement, but the technology is boring compared to their “world”. In school, the teacher has the control that the child has been able to literally hold in his hands the night before. The student begins to resent school, leadership, rules, expectation and consequences. These are real life things.

How do we attack this battle between video games and school? My initial answer that I know is easier said than done is balance. Balance is essential in all areas of life. I do not think that parents should take away all use of video games, but I do think there needs to be balance. Children need to earn their game time. This gives them a direct comparison that hard work and accountability in the real world will result in this “break” time where they will be allowed to play games. Parents HAVE to control the types of games children are playing. These games are violent, and they can become a reality for some of our formable children. Play the game yourself or have them play it and describe it to you for 30 minutes before you commit to allowing this to be an appropriate reward for innocent minds.

In defense of the child and the value they hold in these games, set real life visual timers for them. This allows them to not be blindsided when their time is up. I know from experience my husband can play a game for 2 hours and truly in his heart of hearts believes it was 30 minutes. This is no fault of his, but it is simply another indicator of the depth of concentration and loss of reality that goes into these games. The visual timer will allow the child to SEE how much time they have left so they don’t get lost in the time. Communicate upfront with the child on what happens when the timer goes off and you come to get him for dinner, but he is in the middle of a final fight against the “boss”. Decide upfront if there will be wiggle room or if the timer is the timer and when it’s done, you will turn off their game. For the sake of the other participants at the dinner table, I would recommend a little wiggle room. The timer would be more of a transition cue that it’s time to wrap it up.

To summarize, I am not against video games. For a long time, the industry alone has provided for my family. I am against young children playing non-age appropriate games or not limiting the amount of time behind the screen of a non realistic world. Educators experience the repercussion and the child will as well. As is everything in life, it’s all about moderation.