Get some Real Play! by Jamie Cruise

How does your child spend his evenings?

a) Playing on his computer.

b) Playing some outdoor sport.

c) Playing at the gaming arcade in the mall.

It won’t be surprising to see most parents pick up an ‘a’ or a ‘c’. But while indulging in computer or video-gaming is acceptable once a while, letting it become an addiction spells trouble for children. From Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to developing symptoms of dyspraxia which is a motor learning difficulty… there are several ill-effects that excessive video-gaming can cause. Several studies indicate that there is increasing number of children suffering from such disorders. If we analyze their history, in almost eight out of ten cases, we can find that the children showing signs of aggression, violent temper, poor social skills, all had one thing in common – that they spent hours playing computer games and absolutely no time outdoors.

In addition to that the mall syndrome is also causing a nature-deficit disorder among kids. Even when children are taken out, it’s mostly to malls instead of gardens by parents in a bid to but some peace time for themselves. This trend of substituting ‘playing outside’ with ‘gaming inside’ that’s on an upswing has far more psychological and physical damage than parents and kids can ever imagine.

Here, I list a few…

Poor social skills: Too much gaming makes children socially isolated. Often the child gets addicted and gaming takes a priority over everything else including family and studies.

Attention Problems: Flashing lights and the constant music at gaming arcades excite children leading to hyperactivity, ADD or ADHD. It becomes difficult to calm them down. Children find it difficult to sustain attention for more than a few minutes and aggravate ADHD in them.

Psychological Disorders: Excessive gaming increases emotional and behavioral disorders. Research has proven that children who play violent video games are more likely to have increased aggressive thoughts, feelings and behavior. Many even teach kids the wrong values. They also create a false sense of achievement and children are easily confused between reality and fantasy.

Brain Power: Brain needs new experiences to become stronger and healthier. Gaming does not exercise a kid’s imaginative thinking and develop creativity. This affects their performance at school too and there is a noticeable decline in verbal memory performance as well.

Movement Disorders: Simple activities like running around, playing on the slide, playing catch-n-cook, etc, help improve body movement co-ordination that plays a very important part in the intellectual growth of the children. Gaming however only involves finger movements and so restricts motor development and in extreme cases causes dyspraxia-like symptoms.

It is very important for children to stay in touch with nature and indulge in body contact games to help in muscle and brain development. Playing with friends helps children develop interaction and social skills. Sports teach teamwork and build their self-esteem in a fun environment. Children learn to deal with situations without a conscious effort to compete. Greenery also has a calming effect on them. So, it is imperative that we should consider these points during character education so as to nurture your child into a complete human being with high moral values.

About The Author

Academic instruction isn’t the only responsibility teachers have in today’s classrooms. More and more, teachers are being called on to teach students about values ... things like making good decisions, the showing of respect, taking responsibility, choosing friends, and having a positive attitude. It’s a responsibility that could be overwhelming, considering the limited hours available in a school day, the number of kids in the classroom, and the diversity of backgrounds and personalities each child represents.

Character Education by Just Do The Right Thing" is a practical and powerful tool that equips educators to tackle values training with confidence.

The author invites you to visit:
http://www.characterineducation.com