Parents should play online games with their children to better understand the risks and benefits involved. Many adults game too, and it is a brilliant way to socialise. Gaming has never been easier, it can be done from a mobile, tablet or a PC. Mobile gaming is perfect for on the go, but some people are skeptical that it shouldn’t be encouraged by parents. Here is why it can actually be beneficial.
A new study published by Internet Matters reveals that most parents do not feel confident that they are dealing with issues related to online gaming, despite the fact that more than three-quarters of children participate in online gaming.
Their findings show that more than half of parents (55%) are worried that strangers will reach their children through online gambling platforms, while more than a third (38%) are unsure about their children’s online teammates. However, the benefits are plentiful and by playing alongside your kids, you can help teach them things in real time as you are playing together.
Advantages:
1) Improve people’s reflexes and ability to focus on specific goals.
2) They exercise attention, concentration and memory, activate creative thinking.
3) They raise self-esteem and can help them learn social skills.
4) They help in socialization.
5) It’s fun and can be educational.
6) There are games for all tastes and all ages.
7) The internet is always available and acts as a great distraction.
8) Some make children learn by playing.
The game develops our social skills
Play plays a catalytic role in our socialization, in our ability to relate to other people and in the quality of our relationships. Through play, children socialize, learn to cooperate, explore freedom and boundaries, learn to accept and follow mutually agreed rules, act in groups and communicate – orally, but also with body language. As adults, through play, we continue to consolidate and improve our social skills. By sharing joy, fun, and common goals, we strengthen our bonds with other people, and develop our capacity for empathy, trust, understanding, and intimacy. Research shows that gambling acts as an antidote to violence. In fact, people who have never learned to play and avoid playing as children are more likely to engage in violent behavior and to be overwhelmed by feelings of fear, anger, and stress.
The game cultivates creativity, adaptability and the ability to learn
The game is the… royal road to learning. It strengthens our imagination, and teaches us to adapt and solve problems. It stimulates our curiosity and thus leads us to discovery and creation. The… components of the game – curiosity, discovery, innovation, risk, effort, trial and error, pretense, imagination, social behavior and other increasingly complex adaptive activities – are the same as the conditions and components of learning.
The game makes us persistent and want to learn
The moral reward we receive when we excel in a game or learn a new game teaches us that endurance and perseverance are worthwhile and rewarded! This is how we learn… not to put it down, a characteristic necessary for our healthy and successful adaptation to adult life.
