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Video Games Does this hurt children from many games?
Computer games are extremely popular with children and adolescents. Parents are much less pleased about it. Because video games have the reputation of being aggressive or antisocial. Spanish researchers have now dealt with the effects of "Daddelns". A recommendation for or against playing can not be deduced directly from the results.
Video games in criticism
After the rampage in Munich, computer games quickly came under fire again. Critics say that such excesses of violence can be triggered by the consumption of certain PC games. However, this assumption can not be proven scientifically.
On the contrary, there are even studies that conclude that video games can be good for brain development. Spanish scientists have now presented the results of a study that dealt with the effects of "Daddelns".
According to a recent study, children who spend a lot of their time playing video games are on average more behavior-sensitive and have a harder time with their peers. But they are also faster in response. (Image: Andrey Popov / fotolia.com) Many players are more behavior-sensitive
The scientists from the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain, conclude that children who spend a lot of time playing video games are on average more behavior-sensitive and have a harder time with their peers, the news agency dpa reports. This effect is particularly strong in children who play longer than nine hours a week. It remained open, what cause and what effect is. The researchers recently published their findings in the "Annals of Neurology".
Computer games make children more responsive
To get these results, the researchers looked at 2,442 children between the ages of seven and eleven. Parents were asked how much time their offspring spend playing video games. They also had to answer questions about the behavior of their children. According to the information, the nature of the video game was not taken into account.
The scientists have not only found negative effects. It is said that children who played an hour or two a week were more responsive than children who did not play. At higher game consumption, however, the effect is not more pronounced. "Video games in themselves are neither good nor bad, the time spent on them is the deciding factor," said the study's lead author, Jesus Pujol.
Unclear if social behavior comes through playing
According to the head of the computer games museum in Berlin, Andreas Lange, it is not clear whether certain social behavior comes through many games - or if it is the other way around. The cause of difficult behavior could possibly also be with the parents. These children would then seek what they do not get at home and reward them in video games, for example.
According to Lange, children who play for only one hour a week usually come from families where there is "a lot of attention for togetherness". "Children who do that do not do that on their own, but because the parents do not allow it." The reason for the good results is the sheltered parents and not the low game consumption.
How much play is still okay
The Entertainment Software Self Control (USK) has some tips for parents whose kids are fascinated by computer games. It is very important how much play is still ok.
The experts recommend as a guideline for children up to seven years about 20 to 30 minutes of play time under supervision during the day. Eight to ten year olds could already play for about 60 minutes, ten to twelve years 75 minutes.
The initiative klicksafe.de, which is backed by, among others, the State Office for Media and Communication (LMK) Rhineland-Palatinate, provides a similar orientation aid: children between the ages of seven and ten years may spend around 45 minutes a day. (Ad)