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If we are to go by the law of Murphy then I can understand how computer and video games can be hamrful to children. Picture the scene, after a couple of hours of solid 'gameplay', Jimmy finds he has painful blisters on his fingers and thumb and decides to stop. However, as he stands up to leave, he pulls a muscle in his leg, trips over the computer cable, falls over (breaking his neck in the process) causing the computer to drop onto his head. This then pulls the plug from out of the wall, some sparks are set off and Jimmy's house is burnt to the ground.
I'm pretty sure that there are few physical injuries sustained by playing computer games. Apart from a couple of blisters and sore eyes, rugby has more chance of sending your children to hospital. 'But no!' cry all the really clever people with degrees in Psychology and the Mind, 'these games effect the mental health of children and cause them to become more violent and evil!'.
Computer games are linked to the 'video nasties' that seemed to be a continual talking point througout the last couple of decades. Top shelf classics such as 'Driller Killer' and 'Natural Born Killers' were thought responsible for terrible mass murders, and with the invention of such games where the aim is to kill many things/people/monsters, or to ride cars with the intention of running people over/putting other cars off the road/causing as much damage as possible, they are the perfect scapegoat for the modern generation.
Experts believe that little Jimmy, having perfected at a young age, the skill of pressing the green button (or 'fire') at a zombie or Nazi, will then be at home with a gun and some real human beings. Supposedly kiddies that press a couple of computer keys enabling a car to run over a couple and smash into a nearby building, will want then to nick a car and do the same.
I suppose the ease in which children are able to do such things on a computer may be a bad example, and images of shooting people/things into little bits is not such a great thing. But forunatley, there are few Nazi attacks and hordes of ravenous zombies these days.
If a child cannot see the problem of getting into a car and running people over, then it is the fault of him/herself, parents and those who have a responsibility. If computer games are to teach the young morals and how to live, then there is something wrong with parental control or experienced guidance. Like films, computer games can be rated (15, 18 etc) so there can be more of that, and the cut down of the little nippers getting their hands on the stuff. If we all like blowing up monsters and dribbling when we pick up a 'big' gun then surely theres something wrong with all of us and not just the children.
Like films, video games are the easy scapegoat for everyone. I don't hear anyone getting alarmed when children act out scenes from 'Sound of Music' (they should get worried) or when youngsters go looking for ancient tombs in the garden. There are obvious drawbacks mentally for children, but if a game happens to be unsuitable in parents eyes then act on that. Not all children are naive ones that are influenced by everything, and act out everything they see. I've never seen children trying to help in the building and construction of a new city having played SimCity.
Finally, some tips to stop your precious ones being harmed by video games.
1) By the new game, Lara Croft and Doing your homework: control Lara as she goes through different and difficult missions including 'Maths prep' and 'English essay'. Instead of different weapons, you can pick up and chose different pens or pencils. 'Quick' you'll hear them cry, 'Use the pencil to draw the graph!'
2) Keep a fresh supply of zombies in the cellar so that if your child ever has the urge to slaughter a dozen of the living dead, they can...and be put off for life.
3) Encourage 'computer game' homework for all. This will therefore not be done and reports will be: 'Lucy doesn't do enough computer game work as she is always reading'.
4) Make sure their first car is a milk float
And finally finally, the top three other things that may be harmful for your child:
1) Fighting: top experts reveal in an astonishing new find that fighting may cause physical harm to a child.
2) Falling over: another incredible find shows that tripping over (often cause by running too fast, and/or with shoelaces undone) results in grazed knees and bruised elbows.
3) Teletubbies: likely to make child feel depressed and uncertain about life
I'm pretty sure that there are few physical injuries sustained by playing computer games. Apart from a couple of blisters and sore eyes, rugby has more chance of sending your children to hospital. 'But no!' cry all the really clever people with degrees in Psychology and the Mind, 'these games effect the mental health of children and cause them to become more violent and evil!'.
Computer games are linked to the 'video nasties' that seemed to be a continual talking point througout the last couple of decades. Top shelf classics such as 'Driller Killer' and 'Natural Born Killers' were thought responsible for terrible mass murders, and with the invention of such games where the aim is to kill many things/people/monsters, or to ride cars with the intention of running people over/putting other cars off the road/causing as much damage as possible, they are the perfect scapegoat for the modern generation.
Experts believe that little Jimmy, having perfected at a young age, the skill of pressing the green button (or 'fire') at a zombie or Nazi, will then be at home with a gun and some real human beings. Supposedly kiddies that press a couple of computer keys enabling a car to run over a couple and smash into a nearby building, will want then to nick a car and do the same.
I suppose the ease in which children are able to do such things on a computer may be a bad example, and images of shooting people/things into little bits is not such a great thing. But forunatley, there are few Nazi attacks and hordes of ravenous zombies these days.
If a child cannot see the problem of getting into a car and running people over, then it is the fault of him/herself, parents and those who have a responsibility. If computer games are to teach the young morals and how to live, then there is something wrong with parental control or experienced guidance. Like films, computer games can be rated (15, 18 etc) so there can be more of that, and the cut down of the little nippers getting their hands on the stuff. If we all like blowing up monsters and dribbling when we pick up a 'big' gun then surely theres something wrong with all of us and not just the children.
Like films, video games are the easy scapegoat for everyone. I don't hear anyone getting alarmed when children act out scenes from 'Sound of Music' (they should get worried) or when youngsters go looking for ancient tombs in the garden. There are obvious drawbacks mentally for children, but if a game happens to be unsuitable in parents eyes then act on that. Not all children are naive ones that are influenced by everything, and act out everything they see. I've never seen children trying to help in the building and construction of a new city having played SimCity.
Finally, some tips to stop your precious ones being harmed by video games.
1) By the new game, Lara Croft and Doing your homework: control Lara as she goes through different and difficult missions including 'Maths prep' and 'English essay'. Instead of different weapons, you can pick up and chose different pens or pencils. 'Quick' you'll hear them cry, 'Use the pencil to draw the graph!'
2) Keep a fresh supply of zombies in the cellar so that if your child ever has the urge to slaughter a dozen of the living dead, they can...and be put off for life.
3) Encourage 'computer game' homework for all. This will therefore not be done and reports will be: 'Lucy doesn't do enough computer game work as she is always reading'.
4) Make sure their first car is a milk float
And finally finally, the top three other things that may be harmful for your child:
1) Fighting: top experts reveal in an astonishing new find that fighting may cause physical harm to a child.
2) Falling over: another incredible find shows that tripping over (often cause by running too fast, and/or with shoelaces undone) results in grazed knees and bruised elbows.
3) Teletubbies: likely to make child feel depressed and uncertain about life
i thought gaming was only dangerous if you played PS in a boat :)
sorry but it was funny at the time (only if you read that news story) :)
sorry but it was funny at the time (only if you read that news story) :)
If we are to go by the law of Murphy then I can understand how computer and video games can be hamrful to children. Picture the scene, after a couple of hours of solid 'gameplay', Jimmy finds he has painful blisters on his fingers and thumb and decides to stop. However, as he stands up to leave, he pulls a muscle in his leg, trips over the computer cable, falls over (breaking his neck in the process) causing the computer to drop onto his head. This then pulls the plug from out of the wall, some sparks are set off and Jimmy's house is burnt to the ground.
I'm pretty sure that there are few physical injuries sustained by playing computer games. Apart from a couple of blisters and sore eyes, rugby has more chance of sending your children to hospital. 'But no!' cry all the really clever people with degrees in Psychology and the Mind, 'these games effect the mental health of children and cause them to become more violent and evil!'.
Computer games are linked to the 'video nasties' that seemed to be a continual talking point througout the last couple of decades. Top shelf classics such as 'Driller Killer' and 'Natural Born Killers' were thought responsible for terrible mass murders, and with the invention of such games where the aim is to kill many things/people/monsters, or to ride cars with the intention of running people over/putting other cars off the road/causing as much damage as possible, they are the perfect scapegoat for the modern generation.
Experts believe that little Jimmy, having perfected at a young age, the skill of pressing the green button (or 'fire') at a zombie or Nazi, will then be at home with a gun and some real human beings. Supposedly kiddies that press a couple of computer keys enabling a car to run over a couple and smash into a nearby building, will want then to nick a car and do the same.
I suppose the ease in which children are able to do such things on a computer may be a bad example, and images of shooting people/things into little bits is not such a great thing. But forunatley, there are few Nazi attacks and hordes of ravenous zombies these days.
If a child cannot see the problem of getting into a car and running people over, then it is the fault of him/herself, parents and those who have a responsibility. If computer games are to teach the young morals and how to live, then there is something wrong with parental control or experienced guidance. Like films, computer games can be rated (15, 18 etc) so there can be more of that, and the cut down of the little nippers getting their hands on the stuff. If we all like blowing up monsters and dribbling when we pick up a 'big' gun then surely theres something wrong with all of us and not just the children.
Like films, video games are the easy scapegoat for everyone. I don't hear anyone getting alarmed when children act out scenes from 'Sound of Music' (they should get worried) or when youngsters go looking for ancient tombs in the garden. There are obvious drawbacks mentally for children, but if a game happens to be unsuitable in parents eyes then act on that. Not all children are naive ones that are influenced by everything, and act out everything they see. I've never seen children trying to help in the building and construction of a new city having played SimCity.
Finally, some tips to stop your precious ones being harmed by video games.
1) By the new game, Lara Croft and Doing your homework: control Lara as she goes through different and difficult missions including 'Maths prep' and 'English essay'. Instead of different weapons, you can pick up and chose different pens or pencils. 'Quick' you'll hear them cry, 'Use the pencil to draw the graph!'
2) Keep a fresh supply of zombies in the cellar so that if your child ever has the urge to slaughter a dozen of the living dead, they can...and be put off for life.
3) Encourage 'computer game' homework for all. This will therefore not be done and reports will be: 'Lucy doesn't do enough computer game work as she is always reading'.
4) Make sure their first car is a milk float
And finally finally, the top three other things that may be harmful for your child:
1) Fighting: top experts reveal in an astonishing new find that fighting may cause physical harm to a child.
2) Falling over: another incredible find shows that tripping over (often cause by running too fast, and/or with shoelaces undone) results in grazed knees and bruised elbows.
3) Teletubbies: likely to make child feel depressed and uncertain about life
I'm pretty sure that there are few physical injuries sustained by playing computer games. Apart from a couple of blisters and sore eyes, rugby has more chance of sending your children to hospital. 'But no!' cry all the really clever people with degrees in Psychology and the Mind, 'these games effect the mental health of children and cause them to become more violent and evil!'.
Computer games are linked to the 'video nasties' that seemed to be a continual talking point througout the last couple of decades. Top shelf classics such as 'Driller Killer' and 'Natural Born Killers' were thought responsible for terrible mass murders, and with the invention of such games where the aim is to kill many things/people/monsters, or to ride cars with the intention of running people over/putting other cars off the road/causing as much damage as possible, they are the perfect scapegoat for the modern generation.
Experts believe that little Jimmy, having perfected at a young age, the skill of pressing the green button (or 'fire') at a zombie or Nazi, will then be at home with a gun and some real human beings. Supposedly kiddies that press a couple of computer keys enabling a car to run over a couple and smash into a nearby building, will want then to nick a car and do the same.
I suppose the ease in which children are able to do such things on a computer may be a bad example, and images of shooting people/things into little bits is not such a great thing. But forunatley, there are few Nazi attacks and hordes of ravenous zombies these days.
If a child cannot see the problem of getting into a car and running people over, then it is the fault of him/herself, parents and those who have a responsibility. If computer games are to teach the young morals and how to live, then there is something wrong with parental control or experienced guidance. Like films, computer games can be rated (15, 18 etc) so there can be more of that, and the cut down of the little nippers getting their hands on the stuff. If we all like blowing up monsters and dribbling when we pick up a 'big' gun then surely theres something wrong with all of us and not just the children.
Like films, video games are the easy scapegoat for everyone. I don't hear anyone getting alarmed when children act out scenes from 'Sound of Music' (they should get worried) or when youngsters go looking for ancient tombs in the garden. There are obvious drawbacks mentally for children, but if a game happens to be unsuitable in parents eyes then act on that. Not all children are naive ones that are influenced by everything, and act out everything they see. I've never seen children trying to help in the building and construction of a new city having played SimCity.
Finally, some tips to stop your precious ones being harmed by video games.
1) By the new game, Lara Croft and Doing your homework: control Lara as she goes through different and difficult missions including 'Maths prep' and 'English essay'. Instead of different weapons, you can pick up and chose different pens or pencils. 'Quick' you'll hear them cry, 'Use the pencil to draw the graph!'
2) Keep a fresh supply of zombies in the cellar so that if your child ever has the urge to slaughter a dozen of the living dead, they can...and be put off for life.
3) Encourage 'computer game' homework for all. This will therefore not be done and reports will be: 'Lucy doesn't do enough computer game work as she is always reading'.
4) Make sure their first car is a milk float
And finally finally, the top three other things that may be harmful for your child:
1) Fighting: top experts reveal in an astonishing new find that fighting may cause physical harm to a child.
2) Falling over: another incredible find shows that tripping over (often cause by running too fast, and/or with shoelaces undone) results in grazed knees and bruised elbows.
3) Teletubbies: likely to make child feel depressed and uncertain about life