Istanbul / Muhammad Sheikh Yusuf / Anatolia
Smart devices and modern digital screens are among the most important tools that impress children because of the gaming applications they contain that make them addicted to them, which raises parents’ concern about this electronic addiction.
Dr. Fawaz Al-Awwad, an academic, a specialist in mental health, and the director of the Medad Center for Studies, presented through Anatolia an introduction to children’s electronic games, their dangers, and ways to confront them on the part of parents.
“Parents deplore children’s electronic games as a waste of time, and worse, some education experts believe that these games corrupt the brain,” Al-Awwad said.
And “despite the harm of video games and their cause of addiction, social isolation and some mental and physical diseases, studies have shown that they can improve human skills and give him many mental abilities, provided that they do not include harmful scenes of violence and that playing does not exceed the recommended health periods,” added Al-Awwad. .
some benefits
Explaining the benefits, Al-Awwad said, “In research by the American Psychological Association, it was found that one of the most prominent benefits of playing video games is its ability to develop cognitive skills in both children and adults.”
He continued, “Just as physical exercises help in strengthening muscles, cognitive games help saturate the brain with continuous stimulation, and thus improve brain performance.”
Studies also found, according to Al-Awwad, that “playing some games improved the player’s ability to think about things, as participants are forced to think, strategize and analyze, sometimes quickly and under pressure, and many players develop complex problem-solving skills.”
Addressing the parents, he added: “Video games also increase your child’s self-confidence and self-esteem because he masters the games. In many games, the levels of difficulty are adjustable, and since the cost of failure is less, he is not afraid of making mistakes. Video games also give your child a feeling of happiness or Well-being, which is a human psychological need.
Gaming addiction.. what is it?
As for the negative aspects, Al-Awwad said: “On the other hand, studies have found that children’s addiction to video games increases their levels of depression and anxiety, and addicted children also show social phobia.”
He added: “Also, frequent binge gaming or playing games for more than 5 consecutive hours was found to be associated with lower life satisfaction and sleep quality, and with more symptoms of depression and social anxiety disorder.”
Regarding the signs of electronic gaming addiction in children, Al-Awwad stated that “Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is included in the third section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5).”
He explained that Internet gaming disorder is “excessive gaming, which causes a loss of sense of time, triggering negative emotions such as anger and anxiety when games are not available, and persistent use of the Internet even after negative repercussions such as poor health, social isolation or fatigue.”
Symptoms of addiction
Children’s addiction to electronic games, according to Al-Awwad, has physical symptoms:
A general feeling of sluggishness or fatigue.
Frequent headaches due to increased use of video games that cause eye strain.
Neck and shoulder stiffness as a result of sitting for hours on end.
Weight gain due to sedentary lifestyle.
Poor appetite and neglect of personal hygiene.
There are also emotional symptoms, which, according to Al-Awwad, are:
Strong feelings of anxiety, restlessness and/or irritability when not being able to play.
Extreme emotional outbursts when not allowed to play.
Cognitive and attentional problems that affect academic performance.
– An intense, jittery anticipation of the next gaming session.
Lying to friends or family about the amount of time spent playing games.
Self-isolation (social isolation) to spend more time playing.
Tips for parents
Al-Awwad gave advice to parents to avoid the negative effects of video games, which are:
1- Video games depend on age, so make sure that you do not expose your child to a game that is not suitable for his age.
2- Look for educational games and intelligence games and put them on your child’s devices, preferring them to other violent and trivial games.
3- Avoid buying violent video games for young children.
4- Check the content of the game and anticipate its possible beneficial effects on your child, read the warnings provided and act accordingly.
5- Use the reward system to allow your child to play where they can play after completing their homework, and also give them an additional 10 to 15 minutes to play on weekends if they spend 30 minutes doing physical activities such as running.
6- Do not allow playing at night, especially at bedtime. Make sure that your child does not give up his sleep.
7- Keep all gaming tools and electronic devices away from your children’s room.
8- Monitor their online activity. If they interact with strangers while playing games, check details such as what they talk about and how much they talk.
9- Instruct your children to play safely and not to share any personal information with a stranger online.
10- Educate them about the negative effects of video games by providing relevant examples. And make sure you talk about the positive aspects as well. Strike a balance and convince them to take a middle path.
11- Academic studies suggest that the time allotted for children under 12 years of age be between 30 and 60 minutes per day at most on school days, and from one hour to two hours during holidays.
12- Be decisive in organizing playtime by understanding these strict rules with your children.
13- Be careful not to make games the only way you express your love for your child by giving him more time or using it as a distraction to continue your private life activities.
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