Does anyone have a link to a good article on how bad (too much )video/PC games are?

[blessedmom3]

I'd like to find something that says how video games have a negative impact on learning .

[OrganicAnn]

http://www.csudh.edu/psych/ADHDVideoGames3.htm

 

http://www.csudh.edu/psych/Children%20and%20Video%20Games%20-%20Two%20Empircal%20Studies.pdf

Edited June 3, 2011 by OrganicAnn

[blessedmom3]

Thanks. I wish there was something that compares video/media time vs reading and what impact these have on learning . I am having a hard time explaining my husband how important reading is. He thinks video games are as good too . On weekends he spends too much time on that (2-3 hours) with the kids and when I ask him to read them a book (5-10 min) he balks . He thinks reading is my hobby and games are his hobby , therefore each of us should give our children what we love. I believe reading is more than a hobby and games steal the time from reading . Someone tell me if I overreact :)

[Parrothead]

Personally, I think you may be taking the wrong stance. Does your dh like to read? If it is akin to torture for him to read (or read aloud) making him read to the kids is not a good thing for any of them.

 

Also he is their father. He has just as much say in what the kids do with him as you do when they are with you.

 

Maybe you and he can come to some kind of compromise. Maybe instead of video games, family board game time might be the answer. Or maybe a couple hours of video games followed by a family hike before dinner.

 

There has to be a better way to bond with the children or as a family besides taking sides or forcing someone to do something they really dislike.

 

ETA: Honestly if your dh were to think of it, he could probably come up with articles refuting your articles then where will you be?

[usetoschool]

Not a website but a book - Endangered Minds by Jane Healy. She has written several other books about how our brains work and the influence of media etc. on learning.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

ETA: Honestly if your dh were to think of it, he could probably come up with articles refuting your articles then where will you be?

 

:iagree:

 

There's going to be plenty on both sides.

 

When my dd plays any video game she's critically thinking, learning to react to changing environments, and has a great time. She plays guitar hero, racing games, lego wii games, and math rider.

 

When my son plays video games, it's nothing but frustration, horrid language, tears, and the like because he can't do it. He can't think ahead to what he needs to do, can't react to the changes.

 

My cousin has 2 boys who play an insane amount of video games; both boys are way above their peers, read very well, have great social skills, and are well rounded kids.

 

I think games can go either way.

[I.Dup.]

 

Also he is their father. He has just as much say in what the kids do with him as you do when they are with you.

 

 

:iagree: I think it's great that he's spending time with them (my dh is a big video game player and it annoys me too, but I just roll with it because they all love it so much)...a lot of dads don't want to spend any time doing anything with their kids.

[blessedmom3]

Personally, I think you may be taking the wrong stance. Does your dh like to read? If it is akin to torture for him to read (or read aloud) making him read to the kids is not a good thing for any of them.

 

Also he is their father. He has just as much say in what the kids do with him as you do when they are with you.

 

Maybe you and he can come to some kind of compromise. Maybe instead of video games, family board game time might be the answer. Or maybe a couple hours of video games followed by a family hike before dinner.

 

There has to be a better way to bond with the children or as a family besides taking sides or forcing someone to do something they really dislike.

 

ETA: Honestly if your dh were to think of it, he could probably come up with articles refuting your articles then where will you be?

 

Good tips , thank you.

One of the reason I want him to read , is that English is my 3rd language , I have an accent and often my 7yo corrects me on pronunciation :) At least with him , the kids will have a correct exposure to English . He likes to read to himself , just not to the kids. But you are right , he has the right to do what he likes with his kids . We have to come to a common ground and agree --no more than 2 hours/day , I don't think it's healthy more than that.

[sparrow]

My husband also enjoys video games and enjoys playing them with our kids. I do the read alouds in the family and he does the gaming. I don't have a problem with it at all. He's a great dad that loves spending time with his kids.

 

If I tried to tell my husband to read with the kids instead of gaming, he would find the article that tells how gaming makes better surgeons or an article like this from the Boston Globe. :D

[mcconnellboys]

But, but, his findings seem contradictory to me.... I don't mean to sidetrack, but his conclusions concern me!

 

We know that books like The Shallows are bemoaning what the internet is doing to our brains. We know that earlier books have demonstrated what the flitting, flickering images of a TV screen, along with quick scene changes, does to our brains (think of the studies regarding Sesame Street, for instance - now multiplied many times by what computers can do).

 

In the second link, near the end, he says:

 

"Increased computer and video game playing was related to increased misbehavior. Why do young people, who appear to be able to "attend" for hours in front of a video game, find it so difficult to attend in class? The simple answer lies in the environment. A video game or computer game is fast-paced, interactive and enticing. Kids are literally drawn in to the environment and then captured by its "holding power" (Turkle, 1984). In fact, we adults suffer from the same problem. How often do we say to our loved one, "I'll just be a minute, I've got to check my e-mail (or stocks, or the Internet, or whatever draws us to the computer) only to have hours pass by until we resurface?"

 

He's comparing the "holding power" of a video game to the "holding power" of surfing the web. He's equating them. But his study results did not find that their effects were similar.... And his study results did not compare adults to the different age groups of children, either.

 

He's talking about use of the internet by adults - surfing the web - NOT about playing video games, when he says this. Then, in both links, he concludes by saying:

 

"Since Internet and World Wide Web use was related to increased good behavior, we might assume that an environment, patterned after web pages, would help entice children and keep them interested. With increased use of animation and interactive web participation, children could just as easily be drawn into a web-like environment as they are into a computer game and many behavioral problems."

 

Huh? He just said in a prior paragraph that use of the internet/ worldwide web embraces adults with its "holding power". Is that what he wants for our children, too?

 

So, even though we are seeing that internet usage is literally causing changes in the ways we process information - changes which may not be good, in the long run - we should be willing to use that in order to keep children docile and compliant in the classroom? Zombified?

[Happy2BaMom]

Hmmmm...I'm just going to be the bee in the bonnet this morning and support the OP, since nearly everyone else is telling her she should be grateful/not mind/understand that her husband spends so much time on video games with the kids and almost none on reading. And I don't think it's right that one parent (the OP) just has to roll over on something that is important to her, anymore than her husband should just roll over for her.

 

I don't think it's unreasonable to want the children to read more and video game less. For me, TWTM and the chapter on "Electronic Teachers: Using Computers and Videos" was enough for me, but this really shouldn't be about who's 'right', this is about a marital conflict, where it seems one partner needs to 'win' (or currently is winning) over the desires of the other.

 

I'm not good at giving advice on how to solve marital conflicts in a three-paragraph post, but it sounds like your dh is not understanding why this is important TO YOU, and perhaps that where you need to start. (Now if he doesn't care, well that's another issue entirely).

 

Sorry that I don't have much more to offer in the way of advice, but I did want to pipe up and offer you support - you are not in the wrong with what you want.:grouphug:

 

Oh - just as an aside - Leonard Sax in his wonderful book, Boys Adrift, also addresses too much time on video games & the effect (sorry, this is a really bad sentence!), although his is in the context of boys who are struggling with low levels of motivation toward school/life/etc.

Edited June 3, 2011 by Happy2BaMom

[mcconnellboys]

I agree, too! Maybe you could get him to at least read through part of The Shallows - or maybe there are some magazine articles out regarding this and similar books that would help you make your argument to him....

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Having never been married, I only said a handful of things related to what I've seen (which is minimal) in games.

 

However, I could not imagine having to compromise something I felt so strongly about. (siding with OP).

[WishboneDawn]

Thanks. I wish there was something that compares video/media time vs reading and what impact these have on learning . I am having a hard time explaining my husband how important reading is. He thinks video games are as good too . On weekends he spends too much time on that (2-3 hours) with the kids and when I ask him to read them a book (5-10 min) he balks . He thinks reading is my hobby and games are his hobby , therefore each of us should give our children what we love. I believe reading is more than a hobby and games steal the time from reading . Someone tell me if I overreact :)

 

We love video games in our house. It's often how my husband spend time with th kids, my son especially. I wouldn't take that away from your husband, especially for only (yes, I said only) a few hours in a weekend.

 

I guess I agree with your husband on this. You might not see the value in his interest but that doesn't mean there isn't or can't be one.

[WishboneDawn]

Good tips , thank you.

One of the reason I want him to read , is that English is my 3rd language , I have an accent and often my 7yo corrects me on pronunciation :) At least with him , the kids will have a correct exposure to English .

 

Buyt maybe not exposure to the honest joy of reading you might give them? :) Don't worry about your accent. The kids likely get enough "correct" exposure to English just throughout the day.

 

BTW, I'm not sure what correct exposure is. I have a Nova Scotian accent that Canadians form other places call me on right away. My grammar at times can be awful as I've picked up the habit of dropping helping verbs from my husband and his family. Even us native speakers can present a pretty horrible model of English. :D

[LostSurprise]

I just did a paper on this subject (electronic games and education) for a grad class.

 

This is the summarized version. I can give you specific papers for everything on here.

 

* Games have changed since we were kids and we played on the Atari. Games are more complex, are more social, and use active, incremental learning processes to teach players their world.

*Because of this difference we're no longer talking about MTV 'quick cuts' or how fast someone can use their thumbs. Nor do games undercut concentration. Modern computer games require concentration and good decoding skills.

*Younger kids do not need video games. They're fun but they don't have any educational worth according to studies.

*The 'naughty kids play games' or 'games make kids violent' comments have been disproved. There is correlation but no causation. International studies have shown that troubled kids seek out violent games, not violent games making kids violent.

*A study has shown that older kids (preteens) show more confidence, better understanding of reading and technology and more peer interaction (this age also game together and talk about games with friends) if they play video games. Kids who did not play had much lower scores in all categories. Differences between heavy and moderate players were slight with moderate players being the most well-balanced.

*If you read any one of James Gee's numerous papers or books you'll see some of the complex linguistic and symbolic abilities needed to navigate modern computer games.

 

I have numerous other studies in a notebook somewhere.

 

To sum up my study, males tend to prefer video/electronic games because they are ACTIVE learning devices. Boys also tend to learn better in active situations. It's normal that your dh likes video games. There's nothing wrong with that. As long as it isn't becoming an impairment to the rest of his life there's no reason why reading is better than computer games.

 

Reading focuses on character and ideas. Games can be a bit light on that. BUT games have much more strategy, resource management, and collaboration. There are intellectual trade-offs for everything. Why not read aloud to your husband and play some games with him? A good balance for everyone.