News, Advice, and Tips for Parenting Teenagers

Teens who play video games online often get upset and exchange obscene language, including racial, homophobic, and anti-Semitic name-calling, according to a report from the Associated Press.

Flynn DeMarco, founder of the GayGamer website, told reporters he does not participate in online gaming because of the language players use. "I don't play with anyone I don't know," he said, noting that hate speech has been a problem for years.

One proposed solution to this problem is to require players to use their real names instead of playing games anonymously.

Online players already have the power to place other players on "mute," which means they cannot receive the bad language and slurs. They can also "block" offensive players in order to never have to deal with them again.

Labels: video_games, conflict

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A study of 1,178 young people between the ages of eight and 18 years old found that 88 percent played video games, and almost one in ten shows several symptoms of being addicted to them.

The study, which was led by Dr. Douglas Gentile of the University of Iowa, found that 12 percent of the boys and 8 percent of the girls who played games had at least six out of eleven symptoms of addiction. Those who were addicted to the games were twice as likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Children had signs of addiction if they agreed to the following statements:

• They skipped homework to play games.


• They played to escape their problems.


• They were restless and irritable if not allowed to play.


• They lied about how much they played.


• They had stolen a game or stolen money for a game.


• They had poor test scores because they neglected homework to play video games.


• They had tried to quit and failed.


• They thought excessively about gaming.

Though many enthusiasts incorrectly employ the word "addiction" when discussing the object of their passion, video game addiction has been identified as a legitimate mental health disorder that can be treated with effective professional intervention.

Labels: video_games, teens, adolescents, addictions

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Over 53% of all American adults play video games, and 20% play them daily, according to new research from the Pew Institute. Those under age 30 play most often. While 58% of young people play games, only 15% of those over 65 years of age do it.

Younger people are more likely to use gaming consoles or cell phones for gaming instead of computers.

The researchers were intrigued by the question of whether young gamers will continue to play as they get older.

Labels: video_games, adults

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More than 53 percent of all American adults play video games, and 20 percent play them daily, according to new research from the Pew Institute. The study documented the following age-related habits:

• Individuals under age 30 play video games most often.


• Fifty-eight percent of young people play video games.


• Fifteen of individuals over the age of 65 play video games.


• Younger people are more likely to use gaming consoles or cell phones for gaming instead of computers.

The researchers reported that they were intrigued by the question of whether young gamers will continue to play as they get older.

Labels: video_games

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A new survey of 1,100 teenagers found that 99 percent of boys and 94 percent of girls play video games.

Perhaps the most surprising result of the survey was that video gaming is not an isolated pursuit. About 75 percent of respondents said that they play games with friends at least some of the time, and 65 percent reported played with others in the same room.

A third of the teens, including the younger group (ages 12 to 14), play games with mature content recommended for adults only. However, 52 percent said the games made them think about moral and ethical issues.

The Pew Institute performed the survey with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Learn more at Video Game Addiction

Labels: video_games, teenagers, teen_culture

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Setting and monitoring rules regarding computer use has always been challenging for parents. But laptops (provided or required by some high schools) present a new set of challenges: Students need them for homework, but how do parents make sure that homework is what they're actually using them for?

"Like many other child care professionals, Dr. [Tami] Amiri advocates keeping all computers on the dining room table or other public spot, with the screen in view of an adult, and limiting time spent on non-academic subjects."

While laptops can make it hard for parents to enforce rules, Amiri advises that there should still be rules in place, with clear consequences when those rules aren't followed. Source: The New York Times

If you're worried your teen is spending too much time in front of a computer or TV screen, visit Video Game Addiction to learn more.

Labels: video_games, internet, addictions

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College students are becoming less sensitive and empathetic to other people's feelings, according to a new study from the University of Michigan.

• Sara Konrath and her colleagues at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research analyzed data on 14,000 college students collected from the late 1970s to the present.
• The researchers found a 40% decline in empathy, with the biggest drop occurring since the year 2000.
• Today's students were less likely to agree with statements such as, "I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective" and "I often have tender, concern feelings for people less fortunate than me."

Konrath said she believes that the drop in sensitivity may be linked to video games and online friendships.

"The increase in exposure to media during this time period could be the one factor," she said. "Compared to 30 years ago, the average American is exposed to three times as much non-related information. In terms of media content, this generation of college students grew up with video games, and a growing body of research ... is establishing that exposure to violent media numbs people to the pain of others."

Konrath's colleague, Edward O'Brien, also cited the role of social media.

"The ease of having friends online might make people more likely to just tune out when they don't feel like responding to others' problems, a behavior that could carry over offline," he said.

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science.
 

Are you worried that your teen is engaging in excessive or obsessive video gaming? If so, may want to explore the range of effective intervention services and related professional treatment options that are available. 

Labels: video_games

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A study of 30,000 teenagers in Norway found that too much time in front of television, computers, and video games produces physical complaints such as headaches, neck, back and shoulder pain. Headaches in girls were particularly associated with computer use and television, but not video games.

The study was published in BMC Public Health.
 

Labels: video_games, health, teenagers, television, computers, pain

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