Gaming addictions & others

[shootingstar]

Parents who worry about their kids watching too much tv should ask themselves why tv is the most exciting thing in their lives, and then do something about that.

It does take a certain amount of energy and patience by parents to limit tv watching. One sister and her husband did actively limit the amount of tv viewing by their kids. They did have other activities --the children loved (and still do, as adults) board and card games, puzzles, musical instrument playing and making things, plus reading and sports. They also did limit purchase of video games and computer games. And how are these children like now: one of them is an engineer and the other is thinking about doing his master's in biochemistry. Their lives have moved well beyond but exposure to video games at their friends' homes probably makes it easier for them to play the odd game here and there.

I grew up in a household where my parents' greatest excuse to limit our tv watching...was not to fix the broken down tv for months. When it did work, we never got much cable station choice nor great quality pics. At least we weren't totally clueless about popular culture at that time --Batman, Flintstones, Avengers, etc. We could not demand our parents to buy a new tv,....even as youngsters, we knew how poor we were. Due to lack of money our activities were more on reading, making things and playing outside. New tv didn't occur until I was around 13 yrs. old. or so. ..before we later could afford the first car for family when I was 15.

Impact of all this delayed "technology" exposure on self: might explain before I lived with my partner, I lived outside of parent's home for over 20 years without tv. (Even now my tv watching seems to be limited to less than 8-10 hrs. / week. or even less during cycling warmer seasons.)

But then got my computer so I wouldn't descend into being an anarchronism. Actually online games have never interested me. But then, board games don't interest me either.

With the video game software developer, we did also discuss about gender preferences in types of video games.