Are Computer Games Harmful For Your Child?

Author: Daniela Marinova

Electronic video games are becoming very popular nowadays. Children, are constantly exposed to such artificial games. Each of these has to offer new ways of perceiving the world with its simplicity and power. However, these newly designed games might have an effect on the social role those children play later in life, and as a result, values and believes undergo major changes.

One game that has proved to be highly popular amongst young people is "Halo". It is a fiction game which combines shootings, killings and destroying people, buildings and planets. All these components strongly remind of war, power and violence. In fact, the game itself provides wide range of war-like equipment such as weapons, artilleries and some other forms of electronic devices. What happens is that the gamers or the players get to choose their own instruments for fighting the enemies. All this suggest that, children not only get the notion of combat, but perhaps at the age of ten or twelve they already know different brands of guns and explosive materials that have been developed and offered either on the black market or in a regular one.

The problem with this game is the impact that has on children and even on adults. A real situation in Halo is throwing bombs, shooting someone's head, and blowing a building just because the "cyborg" is hiding inside. Lakes of blood, screams of agony and sounds of weapons only demonstrate how much cruelty exist in those games. Of course, one would say that this is just a game and these are the rules of it. However, there is lots of violence and aggression implemented in it. Such games are so realistic and vivid, this certainly encourage us to believe this is a situation happening in the reality.

Children are wiring the circuits for self-control, responsibility and relationships they will carry with them into adulthood. The latest brain research shows that violent games activate the anger centre of the teenage brain, while dampening the brain's "conscience". It is of great concern how these kinds of games play a major role on the aggression level of people. It not only affects the self, but also touches the life of others.

Computer games may contribute a lot to our economy, but in general the industry changes the cultural aspects of the life. Those aspects may be language, values, behavior, and ideas, which represent a particular society. It is after all that social group who creates and establishes its own culture by thinking and behaving in a certain way.

The developing countries demanded the use of electronic games, and so the market quickly filled up with the product. Because of its popularity, the authors developed more and more sophisticated versions of Halo. And it looks like the game industry does not make any connections between Games and Culture. The only concerns such companies have, are if their product is profitable or not.

As a result of the development of such games, this notion of conquering and fighting have preoccupied people's mind. It has definitely influenced the way they see and experience the world around them. And most importantly, it also has succeeded in turning the pure reality into something more artificial and fake which is the virtual world. Children no longer appreciate the outdoor activities; they no longer have this face to face communication, important for their social life. And this unfortunately is affecting their own culture they have been brought into.

This saying, I myself am struggling with protecting my own children from getting more interest and eagerness in playing computer and online games. At the beginning my 5-year-old son began investigating our computer with purposes of colouring and learning the alphabet. Today, he is very well ahead of his time, having mastered all Hero games, where there is the option of fighting, destroying and eliminating the "baddie". I can't say I'm happy at all. And I know there is more to come, if I stop controlling this behavior within the limits.
But, how far will I go?

Posted in: Parenting