Computer games - a danger?

They sit for hours in the darkened nursery, even when the sun is shining outside. Now and then they shuffle into the kitchen to get a Coke and then continue to paddle on the computer. And before midnight, the light is rarely extinguished. Increasingly, boys between the ages of ten and eighteen are entering a phase in which they are completely immersed in the virtual world of modern computer games, neglecting everything else - even television is suddenly no longer attractive. Most parents are baffled and worried about the phenomenon: "You can not imagine what the kids are so great about it," says Hannover children's psychotherapist Wolfgang Bergmann, 58, who has been involved in computer games for 15 years. He believes that these games "are a substitute for adventures that children once experienced outside without constant parental supervision". In addition, they could "finally feel like a radiant hero". This is especially for those guys a motive, "who are depressed or who have a mother overprotective". The therapist, himself the father of three children, has delivered hundreds of lectures to parents, teachers and doctors. He advises to wait and see for a while: "Most teenagers take about a year, and suddenly they find the games boring from one day to the next." The good old days without conflicts about PC, television and mobile phone, that makes Bergmann unmistakably clear to his listeners, she will never return: "So all that remains is to learn to deal with it."

About ten percent of the kids have difficulty getting out of the virtual fantasy world again. This is estimated by Ralf Thalemann, 33, who researches the addictive potential of computer games at the Berlin University Hospital Charité. He also set up a telephone hotline, which is mainly addressed to mothers: "Some are really panic, because their sons play several hours a day," says the child and youth psychotherapist. He then tries to "cautiously clarify if there really is an addiction". Because the assessments go "often miles apart" between parents and experts. This was also shown by an examination of the Charité employees in a spa clinic. They interviewed 50 teenagers who did a stationary computer game therapy at the request of their guardians. Thalemann: "More than 70 percent were not at all dependent, they just had fun playing."



Thalemann has compiled a catalog of addiction criteriaHe walks with the mothers on the phone. "Not the time spent on the computer is crucial," says the therapist. There is cause for concern, for example, when children retire from friends. Or if they have to play longer and more often than in the beginning to be satisfied. When they become rapidly worse at school and react aggressively when you prohibit playing.

Proving that computer games can be not only a bad habit, but a real, physiologically measurable addiction, the Charité employees have recently been the first in the world to prove that they were able to show photos of a variety of motives to 15 casual and 15 excessive computer gamers with the EEG. There was little difference between the participants - with one exception: in pictures from popular computer games only the addicted players reacted with a typical excitement. The type of games also plays a role. Particularly addictive for pubescent boys are not ball games like the infamous "Counterstrike", but online role-playing games. For example "World of Warcraft": In a fictitious medieval war, fairies, gnomes and other mythical creatures fight each other. It is the most successful online game of all time with millions of subscribers worldwide. Thalemann: "In World of Warcraft, the character is always developing new magical abilities, the game is never over, and in addition to the CD you have to pay a monthly subscription fee, which keeps the players at the bar." Thalemann finds this strategy of the gaming industry "clever". Both Thalemann and Bergmann have just written guides for parents on how to help their children deal with the "drug computer". If all else fails, however, parents should seek professional help, Bergmann advises: "It's best to have a male psychologist whom the boy finds cool."

Beate Koma



questions and answers

Television, computers, mobile phones are increasingly determining the everyday lives of our children. How best to handle it. My 14-year-old son is a fan of brutal videos and computer games. Does that make him aggressive? Although more than 5,000 studies on the effects of media violence already exist worldwide, there is no clear answer to that.One thing is clear: If you like killer games like Counterstrike, you will not automatically become a violent perpetrator - as was often claimed after the rampage of Robert Steinhäuser in Erfurt. There have to be many factors. In a new study "Media and Violence" of the University of Mainz numerous investigations of the last years have been summarized. The cautious conclusion: Media violence can trigger violent behavior in a particular at-risk group, "most likely among younger male predators growing up in families with high levels of television (violence) and experiencing much violence in their immediate social environment." Under unfavorable conditions, an intensifying interaction can evidently occur. Another consequence is more common: media violence can lead to dulling and reduce the ability to feel compassion. For example, Jürgen Fritz, Professor of Game Education at Cologne University of Applied Sciences, says: "Empathy can only be learned in the real world of human interaction." Absence of these experiences could not only have individual, but also social effects. Researchers believe that the increasing media violence could be a reason why young people today more often than ever before endorse the death penalty as legitimate.

My child is a loner. His only hobby: computer games. Can it become addiction? Maybe yes. Scientists have identified high-risk groups: anxious children, who retreat in case of problems, instead of talking about it or going to sports with friends. Depressed children, "for whom every bad grade is a catastrophe," says Wolfgang Bergmann, child psychotherapist, And finally hyperactive, fidgety children. At the computer, they can suddenly concentrate. The sense of achievement seduces to continue playing. In addition to culture and culture: almost exclusively boys are at risk. What parents can do: ask first, without condemning the games as devil stuff. What is so fascinating about it? Then clearly agree on how much can be played per week. The goal is not the complete renunciation, the children should learn to play in a controlled manner. To consistently enforce the rules - if necessary, lock away the computer when no adult is at home. Offer alternatives, for example, a trip together. Or allow adventure experiences, such as the Boy Scouts.

Are there any positive effects from computer games? Yes, there are many games that promote creativity and strategic thinking. And there is good educational software. For example, a program for language promotion, which is being tested in 1000 kindergartens with a total of 30,000 children. Educators report that especially children from migrant families benefit from it. Recommended computer games under "Bildungssoftware-Atlas" www.bs-atlas.de (TU Berlin) or www.ifak-kindermedien.de (Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart).



I have forbidden my son violent games, now he plays them with his friend. What should I do? Further prohibit, if necessary, prohibit any visit to this friend, advises Wolfgang Bergmann. Difficult children in particular would react more to this than to "this eternal discussion", which is common in some families. Parents should be strict and give the child a strong, reliable bond at the same time. Sometimes become pathetic: "You are our son, and we do not tolerate violence!"

At what age is a child allowed to watch TV? "The later the better," says Munich media researcher Maya Götz. Because as soon as the child finds pleasure in television, the media education must begin, and that is much easier with older children. Ten to 15 minutes a day watching TV even for under three-year Maya Götz still acceptable. The brain researcher Manfred Spitzer, head of the psychiatric university hospital in Ulm, has a completely different opinion. He rejects TV consumption for smaller children. The child's brain, so Spitzer, develops through the interaction of several sensory experiences. The world on the screen, however, is "flat, does not smell, does not taste and can not be touched". Scientists agree on one point: Until the age of four, children should never sit alone in front of the flickering box, with older children, the parents should at least stay in call distance. It makes sense to then talk to the child about what he has seen and to ask questions.

My daughter often looks in the evenings thrillers in bed Why not, if she still sleeps well? Error! Neurobiologists suggest that scary films hinder school-acquired knowledge on the way to long-term memory. Anyone who gets upset in the evening just before going to bed disturbs the sleep work that is so important for the memory. "We actually learn in our sleep, but only if we avoid disturbing pictures before falling asleep," says criminologist Christian Pfeiffer.

My five-year-old daughter watches an hour of television every day. Is that too much? That's not how it can be said on a flat rate, for example, it depends on whether she has enough exercise. A rule of thumb: Half to one hour a day for five to six year olds is enough.If there are occasionally completely TV-free days, it can also be seen on a rainy weekend or in case of illness. And if you want to watch a football match or a fairy tale movie, you do not have to switch off in the middle of it all. On average, according to the results of most surveys and studies on TV consumption, three to 13-year-olds in Germany hang about 90 minutes a day in front of the telly, a little less than a few years ago. A survey showed that as a favorite pastime children call "playing with friends" or "cycling" in the first place. Television and computer land far behind. Their purpose is to "banish boredom," the interviewees said.

Does television impact on school performance? Several studies show a connection between high television consumption and lack of school success. A long-term study with 1,000 participants in New Zealand showed that those who had watched a lot of television between the ages of five and fifteen later left school without graduating. And vice versa: The "little ones" had 30 years later most often to have a university degree. Scientists at the University of Würzburg examined 332 daycare and primary school children for four years and found that long-term high television consumption (more than two hours a day) significantly impedes language development and reading skills. Over the years, the children are always lagging behind their peers. Interesting: This applies to children from all social classes, including those from privileged families. The effect is particularly strong when it comes to unpretentious broadcasts.

My daughter chats for hours. I'm afraid she might be sexually molested. The safest are moderated chats in which an adult reads each post and if necessary throws out. Under www.jugendschutz.net (an initiative of the federal states) is a brochure for ordering or downloading ("Chatting without risk?") With practical tips.

How do you limit media consumption? Best set a maximum time quota per week for television, computer games and Gameboy. Let bigger children decide for themselves how to divide time. Most important recommendation: no TV, no video device, no PC and no Playstation in the nursery! A survey conducted by the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony among more than 5,500 students revealed that children who own their own devices spend significantly more time in front of the screen than children without their own devices. And they are much more likely to consume games or films with violence-glorifying or pornographic content. Worrying: 36 percent of fourth graders in the West and more than 50 percent in the East have their own TV.

Does it make any difference if my child sees scenes of violence in the news or in a feature film? Yes. International studies show that children reacted to the reports of the Kosovo war and the Iraq war with great anxiety and dismay. "Around the age of primary school children begin to clearly distinguish between reality and fiction in film," says media educator Stefan Aufenanger. The result: images of real violence frighten them in the longer term, as they connect them with their everyday life. The Berlin media scientist Thomas Feibel criticized that children are constantly confronted with real, shocking images, for example, if the "Hannelore Kohl Foundation" - to raise funds for brain injury - on billboards show an injured girl lying in a pool of blood. Here parents should help to classify the seen. Youth protectors find it highly problematic that, according to recent surveys, 170000 children per day are watching court and television shows. Often lurid - deceptively real - game scenes about murders, child abuse and rape are displayed. A horror for children!

How can I protect my child from violent and pornographic sites on the Internet? Depends on the age. "Children under the age of six should basically not be left alone on the internet," says media educator Stefan Aufenanger. When they are older, it is recommended to set up specific portals from which to surf, such as the "Blind Cow" child search engine. At www.klicksafe.de and www.internet-abc.de, parents, children and educators will find numerous tips on Internet and computer games. Technically not mature and therefore not recommended are filter systems, which should automatically sort out unwanted pages. Who despite all precautions has a lethargic feeling: often talking to the children about their Internet trips, every now and then watching and controlling.

My son has video clips on his cell phone where someone is beaten. How should I react? Happy slapping first appeared in the UK four years ago. Young people attacked passersby, beat them, others filmed the scene with their video cell phones and put them on the Internet. In the meantime, brutal film excerpts (for example from the Chechen war) are also downloaded from the internet and then sent from mobile to mobile.Best and easiest way to prevent this: Buy a mobile phone without a video function, even if it looks less "cool". Who wants to clarify what is stored on the (video) mobile phone of the scion finds on the website www.schau-hin.info the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs a very good guide on how to search in files and folders. If you find violent scenes: forbid! In an emergency, confiscate the phone for a while. How can I prevent my child from buying or buying items online? In fact, that's already happened - because an adult had left his password and member account name on a piece of paper or forgot to log out. But if things go wrong, that does not have to be a catastrophe: in the case of an eleven-year-old, who bought a car on eBay, the district court of Bonn rejected liability on the part of the parents. The consumer advice centers warn against providers who lure young people with alleged free offers (eg with information on apprenticeships or homework): In order to be able to participate in a raffle, address and name must be given, a little later fluttering then a subscription contract into the house, which was allegedly completed. The consumer centers advise: ignore invoices and reminders, inform yourself at www.vzbv.de.

Info

Charité computer game hotline: 030/450 52 95 25, www.isfb.orgSabine Grüsser / Ralf Thalemann: "Computer games addict?" Publisher Hans Huber Hogrefe, Bern, September 2006,19,95 Euro Wolfgang Bergmann / Gerald Hüther: "Computer addicted", Patmos-Verlag Dusseldorf, end of September 2006,18 Euro

Book tip: Manfred Spitzer: "Caution screen", 9,50 Euro, dtv 2006 Stefan Gesmann: "Friendly Fire in the nursery", 49 Euro, VDM Verlag 2006

Are Video Games BAD For You? | COLOSSAL QUESTIONS (March 2024).



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