What generation gap? Parents and kids are making video-game connections

What generation gap? Parents and kids are making video-game
connections
By Christopher Caskey -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, January 7, 2006
Story appeared in Scene section, Page K1
It's no secret that too many video games can be a bad thing. Study
after study links excessive gaming with low grades, poor health due to
lack of exercise and even aggressive behavior.

But is it possible that playing video games can be good for a family
and can help make bonds stronger?

Some experts say there can be a lot of benefits for moms, dads and
children who play appropriate video games together in moderation.

According to the Entertainment Software Association, an industry
group, 75 percent of American heads of household play computer and/or
video games. Fifty-three percent of parents in game-equipped
households say they play these games with their children at least once
a month.

"There are so many demands on our time, it becomes one of our scarcest
resources," says psychologist David Walsh. "Using (video games) as a
way to stay connected is one of the remedies. It's the digital age's
version of Monopoly."

Walsh is founder and president of the National Institute on Media and
the Family, an organization that examines the impact of electronic
media, such as video games and the Internet, on families. He also
writes books on teenage psychology.

Sitting down with your children and asking them to play a game can
send a valuable message, Walsh says.

"We're showing interest in the things our kids are interested in," he
says. "Trying to find common ground is really important."

Trina Enos usually plays with her 8-year-old daughter, Alanna, about
two hours a week, although they play more if bad weather keeps them
inside. Their favorite game is "Harvest Moon" on the Nintendo
GameCube, a strategy game in which players have to sustain a
successful farm.

"It's just us having a nice time together," says Enos, who lives in
Greenhaven. "We laugh, we joke, we have a really good time."

Enos played video games a little when she was a teenager. She only
recently began playing consistently, to spend time with Alanna.

Alanna plays on her own, too. Her newest game is "Pocket Dogs" for
GameBoy Advance, in which she tries to successfully raise a virtual
dog.

"You get to buy a dog and you get to eat and go out and play," Alanna
says.

Sky Collins, 30, grew up playing his Atari and later a Nintendo
Entertainment System. The Sacramento man owns an Xbox and is
considering getting an Xbox 360 when he can find one.

Collins is very close to being the average gamer, who is 30 years old
and has been playing for almost a decade, according to the
Entertainment Software Association.

His 3-month-old daughter, Lilly, isn't old enough to play video games,
but Collins says he'd be happy to play with her when she gets old
enough. Still, he has to be careful about what games she will play.

"I really like (the first-person shooter game) 'Halo 2,' " Collins
says. "But she won't be playing that game any time soon."

But video games aren't all, well, fun and games. Too many hours spent
playing can foster social isolation if one plays alone and may hurt
academic achievement, according to studies cited by the National
Institute on Media and the Family, including a 2004 study titled "The
Effects of Violent Video-Game Habits on Adolescent Hostility,
Aggressive Behaviors and School Performance."

Because of this, Erik Fisher, an author and clinical psychologist
based in Atlanta, stresses the importance of making sure a child's
video game time is only a small part of a balanced lifestyle.

"You want to see parents and kids having dinner together, talking and
focusing on communication," Fisher says. "If you're coaching your
child's soccer team and are helping them do homework, then (offer to
play) some video games."

Fisher says parents can also build their children's confidence when
they join in on the gaming - especially if they play a game at which
their kids are better than them.

"Most parents don't want to do things with their kids if they don't
feel confident," he says, "but be willing to let them know that you
see they're good at something."

Occasional competition between parent and child through a video game
can be healthy, too, Fisher says. It gives parents the opportunity to
show their children how to win and lose with grace and sportsmanship.

But parents need to keep their competitive nature in check, as well.

"You don't want to be practicing all night just so that you can beat
them," Fisher says.

But how much gaming is too much? Fisher suggests around 30 minutes a
day is still healthy.

"For some kids, gaming takes over their lives," Walsh says. "We have
to be able to set limits."

This means parents have to set some limits for themselves as well, he
says.

"Kids are going to pay attention to what we do over what we say,"
Walsh says. "If I say, 'Don't bother me, I'm playing games,' and then
I get on their backs for playing too much, what kind of credibility am
I going to have?"

For Trina and Alanna Enos, balance means taking off for a
"mommy-daughter day." This might entail going out to eat and then
hitting the mall, or maybe going to Fairytale Town in William Land
Park on a sunny afternoon.

"The video games are definitely not our main thing," Trina Enos says.

Another common concern with video games is the questionable content of
many of them, especially some of the popular first-person shooters
such as the "Grand Theft Auto" series.

The same 2004 study shows that playing such violent games may be
related to aggressive behavior. In a 2004 report to Congress, the
Federal Trade Commission reported that 69 percent of unaccompanied
13-to 16-year-olds were able to purchase games rated "M" (mature) from
retailers.

"One of the things we have to do is know what our kids are doing,"
Walsh said. "It used to be all about knowing where they are. Now we
have to know where they are in the cyber world, too."

Monitoring what games are played is a lot easier when parents are
playing the games with the kids, Walsh says.

Finding fun and appropriate games is one task parents don't have to
worry about. The shoot-em-ups may get a lot of the hype, but they
don't dominate the market.

According to the Entertainment Software Association, games rated "E"
(everyone) accounted for 53 percent of video game sales in 2004, while
games with an "M" rating made up only 16 percent.

"Game play, not the rating, dictates the popularity of a game," Perrin
Kaplan, vice president of marketing and corporate affairs at Nintendo
in America, said in an e-mail. "Some of the elements that have worked
for us include a strong story line, innovative game play, cool
characters, a sense of community and replayability."

Nintendo has been a major force in the gaming industry since the
release of its breakthrough console, the Nintendo Entertainment
System, 20 years ago. Nintendo's newest hand-held DS has sold about 10
million units worldwide and almost 4 million in North America.
Supported by games featuring the franchise's popular characters such
as Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda and Pokémon that are popular for their
all-inclusive content, Nintendo says it has maintained the lead in
sales over its rival hand-held system, the PlayStation Portable, as of
Dec. 1.

The National Institute on Media and the Family suggests that parents,
when looking for a family-time video game, choose one that requires
players to strategize, solve problems and make complex decisions.

"A game that is so fast-paced, so action-oriented, may not provide
opportunity to have informal back-and-forth talking," Walsh says.

But even with all the family-friendly choices on store shelves, Walsh
says he still sees video games as part of a unique challenge for
today's parents.

"These are powerful industries capable of benefit or harm," he said.
"Making choices to make sure they benefit (your family) is not easy.
Parents a generation ago didn't really have that challenge."

Video games by the numbers
Top 4 reasons parents say they play video games:

1. They are asked to.

2. It's a good opportunity to socialize with their child.

3. It's fun for the entire family.

4. It's a good opportunity to monitor game content.

63% Parents with children under 18 who say computer and video games
are a positive addition to their children's lives

53% Parents who say they play computer and/or video games with their
children at least once a month

19% Americans over age 50 who say they played video games in 2004

30: Average age of a video game player

37: Average age of the most frequent game purchaser

203 million: Video game units sold in 2004

In 2004 ...

* 53% of the games bought were rated "E" (everyone)

* 30% of the games bought were rated "T" (teen)

* 16% of the games bought were rated "M" (mature)

Sources: Entertainment Software Association, National Institute on
Media and the Family

http://www.sacbee.com/content/lifest...14874716c.html

===
"Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don't need to be done."
-- Andy Rooney
_________________________________________
Usenet Zone Free Binaries Usenet Server
More than 140,000 groups
Unlimited download
http://www.usenetzone.com to open account