1. The games create elaborate and complex worlds.
2. The games never stop – they go 24 hours a day/7days a week.
3. Gamers play with others, a team, made up of players from all over the world.

So what’s not to like about this new creative pastime? They are tons of fun, engaging games for kids to play online. But the biggest, most crucial challenge for parents to look out for in online gaming is addiction:

- Online gamers seem to be the most easily addicted.
- The number of hours gamers play online tend to be high.
- The people who report addictive symptoms are more likely to be online gamers.

It’s important for parents to set down and enforce rules of play in advance. Once online gaming is out of control, it’s hard to get it back under control. If you decide your child is old enough for an online game, tell them they can try it for a trial period to see if can follow the rules.

Here are three rules to consider:

1. Time limits: We recommend no more than 2 hours of total screen time (including videogames, TV, computer, etc.). What piece will online gaming have in your total time limit?
2. When: define the specific time when your child can play, perhaps after homework or household jobs are finished.
3. Consequences: Tell your child what will happen if he or she doesn’t follow the rules (and enforce it). Perhaps: “Won’t be able to play for ‘X #’ of days.”

Remember to follow the ratings to find games with appropriate content for your child. Also be aware that your child may be playing with team members who could be much older – make sure you check in on their play. Keeping the online gaming computer out of kids’ bedrooms and in a common area of the house will help you keep track of your child’s play. Since these games run 24 hours a day, the temptation and pressure to engage with the game is very high.

To learn more about online gaming and how you can increase your Digital Parenting skill, see our Parent Guide to Online Gaming for more discussion and tips.

Help other parents – what has been your experience with online gaming with your child?

-Dr. Dave

Parents on the lookout for ways to balance their children’s real world experiences with online experiences have a new videogame from national zoos and the folks who study wolves for a living.  You can take on the persona of a wolf in Yellowstone National Park and learn what it means to survive.  Wolfquest was produced to entice kids back to learning about the world they live in, maybe even to be interested in wolf conservation.

The trick is to get the balance: real world and online world. Kids will always be attracted to adventure. Online adventure is easy and fun.  Real world adventure takes more imagination, sometimes. But it will also wire into kids’ brains experiences that will enable them to make sense of the world beyond their videogame set.

So it’s summertime, make sure your kids get the outdoor time they need to build their bodies and their brains.  Some parents even pack the video game system away for the summer. If you don’t do that then try the free download of Wolfquest -  maybe it will spark a further interest in one of the our country’s most interesting predators.

How do you balance your child’s real world and online world?

-Dr. Dave

I’ve heard that question more and more frequently over the past three years. When I ask parents what they mean, they describe out of control game playing. “I am so sick of arguing and threatening,” a parent told me last week. “All he does is play video games. His grades are suffering and he’s even stopped hanging out with his friends.” More parents are worried about how much time their kids are spending on video games and frustrated with the arguments when they try to enforce limits.

While the professional community debates the validity of video game “addiction,” there is little doubt in the minds of these parents that their kids are in trouble.  “It’s just like an addiction,” is a statement that I’ve heard from many parents.  A study released today by Dr. Doug Gentile, the Director of Research for the National Institute on Media and the Family provides hard data about the extent of this growing problem. The study found that nearly one in 10 young gamers (8.5 percent) were ‘addicted’ or pathological gamers, displaying at least six of the 11 symptoms, including:

• Lying to family and friends about video game usage
• Using video games to escape from problems or bad feelings
• Becoming restless or irritable when attempting to stop playing video games
• Skipping homework in order to play video games
• Doing poorly on a school assignment or test because they spent too much time on games

For most kids, video game playing is fun and challenging and they can keep it within healthy boundaries in their lives.  For some kids video game playing becomes an obsession and they become lost in alternative game worlds either online or on a game platform.  When a child or teen’s game playing interferes with his real world life or consumes an ever-growing amount of time, parents should seek help. If you are concerned about your child’s video game playing, visit MediaFamily.org for information and resources, including a free guide.

Forward this message to a friend so more parents can prevent a problem before it happens.

Dr. David Walsh