VIDEO GAMES YES… VIDEO GAMES NO…

A few days ago was World Video Game Day, created and celebrated by a series of “Gamers” magazines. The truth is that today, along with several mobile phones and a Tablet, it is rare that the home does not have a Nintendo, Play Station or Xbox game console... being one of the most popular forms of entertainment. According to the Spanish Video Game Association (AEVI), in Spain 42 % of the inhabitants (about... 15 million!) prefer them to spend part of their leisure time. And it's not just about boys and girls or teenagers, adults also turn to them.

We do not enter into the current debate about the effect of screens at early ages, nor the “innate” ability of today's babies to handle certain devices. We already know that today's boys and girls are digital natives and that they were born immersed in a world in which mobile phones and tablets have become an essential element in daily life.

Video games have been making their way into the lives of families. Surely because the first gamers in today's families are fathers and mothers, who no longer demonize video games as much since they are aware of the negative side, but they highlight and rely on their benefits.

Even innovative schools and teachers gamify their sessions and subjects, relying on the “online” game format with challenges and screens by levels of complexity, in which students become protagonists of their learning.

From the most traditional point of view, we are all aware of the dangers of video games, that more than the game or “machine” itself, the danger comes from poor management and selection according to the ages of the participants:

· Abusing screen time impairs attention span for reading and studying. To this we must add that motivation will depend on the reward and immediate result... leaving aside the assessment of the process and the need to concentrate on it.

· The video game recreates an unreal and idyllic life for the player, this can generate dependency and addiction to that world and problems facing real life. Hence the numerous articles on addiction and isolation.

To avoid these damages and others, it is essential to open the family to the world of video games and communication. The video game, like the use of the mobile phone, will always be there and if we do not know it and are interested in its influence on the life of our son/daughter or students, it will turn against us. 

The important thing is that they are one more tool at home for entertainment, one more option, not the only one... with an established time and rules of use or permitted games (if not allowed, up to 12 years old, if the child is 8 years old will not be able to play, even if you consider him very mature or his friends play) even if he offers family play time.

Video games, on the other hand, offer a series of benefits, when managed properly:

· They help focus visual attention, which would increase our reading ability. There are also a number of researchers who are developing games to fight dyslexia.

· Far from the idea that they isolate the player, video games can help improve relationships. Virtual reality updates, the selection of dialogues to obtain necessary information in your adventure, or augmented reality with hidden challenges around the city, help gamers find effective forms of communication and improve their social initiative.

· They are a good option to improve physical condition. Choreographed and movement fitness games help maintain shape, correct body posture, improve coordination or even help recover from a fracture. Hospitals like Niño Jesús in Madrid have already tried it with their patients.

·   They reduce the sensation of pain. By being focused on the game and immersed in the “unusual” adventure, the person removes the feeling of suffering from their mind. This is demonstrated by a study carried out with hospitalized children receiving chemotherapy. Hence the necessary attention from the adult, in case the boy or girl finds themselves in a difficult situation, do not make the video game their refuge.

· They help manage conflicts and frustration. The quick search choices, tools, antidotes, strategies that a player makes... help make the search for solutions to a conflict more agile. Just like managing frustration in the face of a Game Over or “loss of life” since it is solved by “playing again.” To do this, it is important to help boys and girls express what they feel during the game, even accompanying them in the selections so that they explain their choices and thus be more rational and allow us to know their interests and connect with them. If the boy or girl has not had limits, nor has he experienced a “no” or has not faced situations in which he has not achieved what he wants or experienced “failure”… Perhaps it would not be appropriate for him to delve into the video game world still since the Game Over is temporary and the loss of life can be reversible.

Like everything, we see that they have their pros and cons. To enjoy its benefits we advise you:

·   Talk to your sons and daughters about the games and accompany them in the selection and even during the game sessions, so that you connect with them instead of creating a barrier.

·   Play together movement games, dance challenges, sports or mystery games. So that the video game becomes part of family leisure in a healthy way.

·   Before the video game other forms of entertainment and boredom. A boy or girl should have game alternatives, outings to nature and the street, costumes, reading, painting, friends, music... etc. before the video game, so that it is another alternative at home, not the only one.

· Establish a place and game times, to block that immersion in the game for an entire afternoon to enjoy other leisure alternatives and options to fill free time.

· Pay attention to online communities and players who cooperate with your sons and daughters.

·   Allowing them to explain to you and being clumsy in something, when they show their talent in front of the adult we empower them and it will be easier for them to trust us and integrate us into the game.

and you? Do you play any video games as a family? What is your favorite?