What are the dangers of computer games and their effect on the psyche? Why are computer games dangerous for children?

Have you ever thought that computer games can be useful for your children? Oddly enough, but “shooting games” and “action games” can also benefit your child.

Unexpected effect

Any sensible parent today will tell you that computer toys are very harmful. First of all, many believe that endlessly sitting in front of a monitor causes vision deterioration, and children become victims of physical inactivity with all the ensuing negative consequences: obesity, cardiovascular diseases, curvature of the spine and others.

Of course, there is a rational grain in this. Indeed, excessive computer use is harmful to a child’s health, and it’s hard to argue with that. But on the other hand, everything, any abuse is harmful. Either morning work-out or fanatical hobby in a healthy way life. Does this mean that computer games in optimal dosage can be beneficial? You will be surprised, but there are undeniable benefits here too!

What are the advantages?

Scientists who carefully observed children playing noted that computer games develop fine motor skills. This is facilitated by the need to control the mouse or joystick. At the same time, the nervous system is trained. A child playing computer games has a good reaction and also perfectly captures and correlates visual signals. Thus, large-scale studies were recently conducted at the University of Rochester, which showed that the visual response of “gamers” is much better than that of those observed in the control group (students who do not play computer games). In addition, those who play computer games process visual information much faster. It's all about rapidly changing multi-colored pictures, details that the gamer must carefully monitor. Thus, constant training and adaptation of the visual analyzer occurs.

Reader Questions

Hello. I am 22 years old 18 October 2013, 17:25 Hello. I am 22 years old. For the last week I have been having regular headaches on the right side of the back of my head. I had never experienced headaches before. Since, due to my profession, I spend up to 18 hours a day in front of the computer, the first thing I did was a complete eye examination, the diagnosis was dry eye syndrome and everything else was fine. What is the cause of these pains? For the first time she appeared abruptly, during sex.

And regarding overweight, which, as is commonly believed, grows behind the computer, then not everything is so simple here. In particular, scientists from Hong Kong noticed an interesting “detail”. It turns out that weight gain is not so much due to sitting in front of the monitor, but due to eating fast food at this time. Often in front of the computer, children are addicted to chips, cola, and sweets, but adults are not averse to indulging in beer.

In addition, it is worth noting that among the infinite number of computer games There are many games where the child needs to be smart and “turn on” logic, which will have a positive impact on the development of your child.

Among other things, it is worth noting that a computer game is also an opportunity for parents to relax or quietly do household chores. Your child will be busy for some time, and will definitely not disturb you, since he will have to cope with more serious tasks in the virtual world.

Be carefull

Well, now let’s talk about the common harmfulness of computer games. You, as a parent, should ensure that your child does not play violent games, as such hobbies can teach him to become cruel and violent. If you notice that your child becomes aggressive after playing computer games, sound the alarm. It is best to consult a psychologist in order to competently solve this problem and not worsen the situation.

When sitting at a computer for a long time, the eyes become overtired, which eventually leads to decreased vision. In addition, prolonged sitting can cause problems with the spine and joints.

One of the most dangerous consequences hobbies for computer games is the development of addiction. The addiction can be so serious that the child is no longer interested in real world. Many gamers are very absent-minded by nature, as they are accustomed to the fact that if they make a mistake, they can go back to the saved game and do everything again. Alas, in real life, with its laws, it is not possible to “preserve”, and you have to answer in full for everything. It is very important for parents to ensure that a child’s hobby does not develop into an addiction that is difficult to get rid of.

Mikhail Khetsuriani

Computer games have firmly entered our lives, taking an honorable place as a leader among the many ways to organize youth recreation. Virtual reality beckons with its limitless possibilities, and every year the computer entertainment industry presents gamers with more and more new games that are simply impossible to refuse. However, everyone around is talking about the dangers of computer games - and the issue of gaming addiction is especially worrying for parents whose children spend all their free time in front of the monitor. What are the dangers of computer games and can they be useful?

The harm of computer games

The main danger that computer games pose is the development of gaming addiction. This is a real mental disorder that requires the help of a qualified doctor and the support of family and friends.

A person who has become addicted to computer games literally lives in virtual reality, only occasionally going offline. Extreme degree of gambling addiction– when a gambler loses his appetite (he does not want to leave the games even to eat) and sleep (he regrets time for rest and even in his sleep continues to conquer worlds and kill enemies). The worst thing about this addiction is that it usually begins quite harmlessly, without arousing suspicion from loved ones. This is why it is so difficult to fight gambling addiction - once it becomes obvious, it is impossible to easily pull the gambling addict out of its tentacles.

The harm of computer games is especially noticeable for children, among whom teenagers are a particular risk group. Their fragile psyche succumbs in a matter of days negative influence games, and parents are faced with the acute problem of how to tear their child away from the computer. In addition, children, unlike adults, do not know when to stop and have a worse sense of time - it seems to them that they spent only a few minutes at the computer, while several hours have already passed.

However, the harm of computer games also affects adults. And if a teenager can and should have an adult next to him who is obliged to pull him out of gaming addiction, then few people watch over the adult gamer. And by the way, computer games, along with drunkenness and infidelity, are becoming one of the most popular causes of divorce in young families. Well, what kind of wife would like a husband who spends all his free time not with his family, but surrounded by virtual robots, zombies and killers? In addition, over time, the gamer becomes inattentive, absent-minded, has problems with his work, and ignores his responsibilities. Gambling addiction causes family breakdown, problems at work, leads to depression and loneliness.

Many gamers go further and are willing to spend money to take advantage of paid services in online games. To become the strongest and coolest in a few minutes, without “pumping up” your hero for several months - well, who doesn’t dream about this? And the creators of online games “helpfully” give players this opportunity. Of course, not for free. And since everything is not limited to one game, money slowly begins to flee from the family, the gamer eventually gets into debt, real life begins to resemble a living hell, but in virtual life he is a king, a god and a superhero. This is the price of gambling addiction.

Speaking about the dangers of computer games for children and adults, it is worth noting that Particularly dangerous in this regard are various shooting games, adventure games, flying games and racing games.

What are the dangers of computer shooting games? This is the most dangerous look games, since the gaming addiction caused by them is accompanied by aggressiveness and bitterness. And no wonder - spending hours shooting people in the virtual world is unlikely to make you a kind-hearted person.

Action games, flying games and racing games are also harmful; although they are not characterized by aggression, they require increased attention, are addictive, and are difficult to put down. Of course, it seems completely impossible for a gamer to press pause during the next race or passage of a maze.

And, of course, online computer games are dangerous in terms of the above-mentioned material waste.

In addition, constant sitting in front of a computer can cause Negative consequences: vision will deteriorate, problems will arise with overweight and musculoskeletal system, numbness of the hands. You can read in detail about the impact of a computer on health in the corresponding article on our website.

The benefits of computer games

Do you still believe, after everything you’ve read, that computer games can be beneficial? It turns out that it really can be!

First of all, it is worth paying attention to the types of computer games that contribute to the development of intelligence, logic, attention, memory and other qualities. These are different logic games, puzzles, rebuses. Strategy plays a special place among such games. Such games do not require increased attention, speed, or eye strain. They are measured and designed for long periods of time. They can be interrupted at any time without the risk of being killed or eaten.

There are a number of educational computer games for the youngest children from 3 to 5 years old. They will teach your baby letters and numbers, introduce him to the world of animals and plants, and have a beneficial effect on development emotional sphere, will contribute to the development of hand motor skills (manipulation with a joystick, mouse and keyboard), visual memory, and ear for music.

The benefits of computer games for junior schoolchildren – many educational games have been developed for them that will help deepen their knowledge in a particular area and teach them how to act in different situations, will contribute to the formation of perseverance, concentration, and attentiveness.

With the help of computer games you can unobtrusively teach your child foreign languages, improve his knowledge on a particular subject, develop “lame” qualities and abilities. Of course, the computer should not become the only source of development for your child - books that develop Board games, construction sets, puzzles and, of course, parental attention and affection as an integral companion to all activities.

That is why the direct responsibility of parents is not to prohibit the child from interacting with the computer, thereby causing resentment and aggression, provoking him to run away to Internet clubs (where, of course, no one will offer him educational games, but will load him with shooters and adventure games), but to select the most optimal for him, options for computer games, draw up a lesson plan for them, allow him to play “harmful” shooting games for a certain time limit, encourage the child to relax not only in the virtual world, but also in the real world.

Yes, and for an adult there are benefits of computer games, “consumed” in moderation. This good way relax after a hard day at work, take a break from the everyday hustle and bustle, “use your brain.” As in the case of children, the type of game is important here (what kind of rest and relaxation is there in another shooting game?) and the time devoted to it. Nothing bad will happen from 1-2 hours a day spent in computer worlds.

The harm and benefits of computer games. Bottom line

What do we have in the end? As it turned out, it all comes down to a sense of proportion and the type of game. Virtual reality should not occupy all of a person’s free time; it also should not provoke him to cruelty, develop aggression and bitterness in him. This should be just one of the recreation options, along with sports, walks fresh air, reading books, watching movies, meeting friends...

If you realize that you are deprived of all of the above, and only games are left in your life, fight it urgently! Or better yet, simply avoid such a situation. Life is so beautiful and varied - and it would be so stupid to spend it all sitting in front of a monitor screen.

HARM FROM COMPUTER

"What is our life? A game!" - Shakespeare once said. Did the great playwright know that within a few centuries the capitalists would turn this phrase around, and the Game would be compared with Life, and not vice versa? Today, millions of people voluntarily imprison themselves in the matrix of computer games, chained to their keyboards by addiction to virtual reality. Captivated by exciting fantasy battles, victims of addiction live in the game, leaving only a hunched, obese body in our world. Sometimes his life support systems fail during the next session of computer entertainment, and the person dies. Meanwhile, the ruthless machine of the gaming industry is reaping billions of dollars in profits from ruined souls, producing ever more advanced “substitutes for reality.” A gamer (the so-called computer game addict) goes into virtual worlds, from which only a few return.

But “the Ministry of Health warned.” In the early nineties of the last century, only a lazy psychologist did not publish a publication on the dangers of computer games, which were then just raising their head. Now, in place of these articles, reviews of new samples of virtual dope are published: after all, the 21st century is in the yard, and psychologists are no longer relevant. Why can’t we figure it out ourselves? We figured it out, and now game producers compete in the realism of virtual worlds, opportunities for developing their character, and the number of “bonuses.” The indicator of “time to pass” comes to the fore, which in generally accepted terminology is the same as the strength of the drug. A person spends real time on fictitious development, exchanging his health for an increase in numbers that exist only in computer memory and a sick imagination.

Of all addictions, the strongest is psychological. When there is no strength left to fight something, the only option for a coward is to run away from the problem. Turn away from reality. This is how they get hooked on drugs or alcohol. Computer games are no better; a person stuck in imaginary worlds loses fundamental instincts: awareness of space and time, life and death. Morality and communication skills with people are left far behind, but who cares about that when in the game you can feel strong, be a hero, and replay in case of failures unpleasant moments! The flickering of the monitor warms the downtrodden soul, taking it into the world of dreams. And the more time the player spends at the computer, the worse the addiction becomes, changing the consciousness of the victim. Experiences associated with virtual heroes are experienced as if they were your own, and adrenaline is released into the blood - a drug in itself that makes the parts of the brain responsible for pleasure work. In ordinary situations (take sports, for example), this hormone “spurs” the body, forcing us to do everything “faster, higher, stronger,” and it itself is destroyed when we move. But in the blood of a sitting body it stagnates, destroying nervous system. The result is neurasthenia and irreparable changes in brain function.

Consciousness begins to exist “on the other side of the screen.” The more enthusiastically a gamer plays, the less he reacts to external stimuli. The need to eat and sleep is replaced by the need to kill virtual monsters, and the human mind ceases to hear the natural signals of the body. The result is dysfunction of the cardiovascular system, exhaustion of the body, loss of consciousness and tissue necrosis. A person slowly dies without realizing it. For example, Thais Thanet Sommoi and Yuen Long died after losing the whole night in “Counter-Strike” and “Diablo II”, respectively. The unfortunate people were “lucky”; the incident became public only because it happened in an Internet cafe. But there are many such cases, and they differ only in the cause of death (most often it is a cerebral hemorrhage) and the place of action. Also, a huge number of suicides are associated with computer games. In 2001, Russia was shocked by the suicide of six schoolchildren who became fatally addicted to the game “Final Fantasy.” In the same year, the suicide of Sean Woolley from the United States, who “did not return” from the game “Everquest,” gained wide public attention. “It was like any other addiction,” Elizabeth, the victim’s mother, told reporters. “You either die, or go crazy, or get out. My son died.” After the incident, she created a program to treat gambling addiction, which currently cannot cope with the flow of clients.

In terms of its effects on the body, computer entertainment is similar to drugs. But if the whole world is irreconcilably fighting against intoxicating substances, then only a few enthusiasts care about gambling addiction. Especially a difficult situation The situation with gamer addiction is in Russia, where computer “piracy” is thriving. Games are easily accessible, and the population is not educated enough to appreciate the dangers posed by them. Most often, children and teenagers become victims of virtual reality in our country - parents encourage the virtual adventures of their offspring, naively thinking that this is better than bad company in the gateways. Alas, computer shooters teach you how to kill. The plots of most games cultivate deception and violence as the only ways to solve the problem, and even if the child does not become dependent on virtuality, his psyche will still be damaged by the iron monster. Behavioral foundations are formed in childhood, you know.

“This is not a game, this is life,” gaming magazine reviewers like to end their reviews of the latest multi-gigabyte shooters with these words. Beautiful words, but only heroes of computer games have several lives. We live once, there is no alternative to life, and no one will give us a chance to “replay” it. The gaming industry can only produce a pseudo-real surrogate, slowly but surely leading to the death of its consumer. The most interesting game- this is still our life, which is what the classic said. It’s not worth replacing it with dead flickering pictures, believe me.

Zhanna Alekseenko

The harm of some computer games

Kimberly Thompson and Kevin Haninger from Harvard found that popular video games of the E category, recommended for children over six years of age, instill in children a tendency towards violence and cruelty. There you need to hit, shoot and kill, and for this there is a reward. Action games use violence 91 percent of the time, with 27 percent of games resulting in death.

But in parallel with the inoculation of cruelty in the computer generation, there is a decline in mental abilities. Scientists at Tohoku University in Japan found that computer games stimulate only those parts of the brain that are responsible for vision and movement, but do not contribute to the development of other important parts of the brain. Games stunt the development of the frontal lobes of the brain, which are responsible for human behavior, memory training, emotions and learning.

So, computer games lead to the degradation of the frontal lobes. And those children who do good old-fashioned arithmetic and solve traditional math problems develop their frontal lobes. When their intellectual abilities were compared with the successes of those young people who spent their days in front of a Nintendo video console, it turned out that solving arithmetic problems at the level of our great-grandfathers requires much greater intellectual effort than that which the “video-computer” children spend on their “shooting games.” " and "walkers", and these efforts fall precisely on the frontal lobes of our brain. In addition to mathematics, the best activities to develop the brain are those that Mikhailo Lomonosov indulged in in the era of candles and sails - reading and writing.

The world's largest association of psychologists - the American APA - seems to have come to the final conclusion that violent video games have an impact on negative impact on children and youth.

The association concluded that "play" violence provokes "aggressive thoughts, aggressive behavior and angry feelings among young people."

"By showing violent acts without consequences, games teach young people that violence is effective means conflict resolution,” said APA psychologist Elizabeth Carll. According to her, having “played enough” of violence, teenagers may want to continue experimenting with aggression in real life.

And today's games offer precisely to engage in sadism in a perverted form and also get pleasure from it, realistically showing what will really happen. That is, the child will not be stopped by the fact that after killing one person he will suddenly see a pulsating fountain of blood from the wound and the death throes of the victim. He ALREADY will consider this normal and will go on killing, getting a thrill. This is where we get situations like in America - a schoolboy spends half a day getting a kick out of killing his peers until he just gets tired of it.

COMPUTER GAMES: BENEFITS OR HARM?

Computerization of our lives has long become commonplace and has brought with it, along with benefits, many problems. This also applies to computer games, especially since they are mainly enjoyed by children and teenagers. There is an increasingly widespread opinion in society that they are dangerous for the child’s psyche: they develop aggressiveness in him, narrow his range of interests, and impoverish his emotional sphere.

A computer, of course, is a useful thing in the household. They can be used to hammer nails. No? Will not work? Well, then you can put a vase of flowers on it and stick stickers on it. Not again? Then you can put a child in charge of it - let him learn to comprehend the interactive space. Everyone understands that this is a tool with which you can earn money, communicate, and learn a lot of useful things. It's all about how to use the computer. What is the danger? There is growing concern among parents around the world that their children are spending too much time on the computer and the Internet.

Until recently, the Internet was associated with a source where children could learn a huge amount useful information. It is known that a computer is only a means of faster and more convenient transmission of information; it allows us to reach a wider circle of people. Greek mythology, math games, mastering English grammar - all this helps to improve your knowledge. Now all these advantages have become disadvantages. Research has shown that children spend very little time online learning anything. Basically, a computer is needed for games, the Internet is needed for downloading music and programs (mainly the same games), as well as for interactive communication. Most online games come with chat rooms, and players communicate with each other under the guise of their characters. It is chatting that attracts many teenagers who are still lonely and do not feel like members of society, and by taking part in the game, they satisfy their need for communication and sometimes only find friends there. Computer games are, of course, very interesting and popular now. People make a huge amount of money from games. And a huge number of children are infected with the desire to play games. Children rush home after school or to special clubs in order to quickly continue the game they started and see what will happen next. There are many sites on the Internet dedicated to these “toys”, and on these sites the counters show large numbers.

In the age of universal computerization, when computer science lessons in schools have become commonplace, a teenager who has never sat down at a computer in his life, big city you won’t see it anymore... If you don’t have a computer at home, one of your friends or acquaintances will definitely invite you to play and watch one day. How not to go? After all, everyone is coming... Everyone is playing. But really, everyone plays! Computer games have become something of a childhood infection. Today, many scientists and sociologists believe that computer games are drugs. They are addictive and excite excitement. And then it’s difficult to get out of the habit of them. But not everyone realizes that there is so much harm in games. I, like all parents, understand that this problem can arise in any family. in an unexpected way. If previously, when children came home from school, they immediately ran outside to play football, but now everyone runs to monitors or to computer clubs to play football online. But it’s no use - not a penny! Concerned parents are sounding the alarm: children hardly spend time in the fresh air, move little, and have difficulties with personal communication. Parents' opinions about what exactly harms their child are divided: some consider the biggest evil that children spend too much time on the computer, others see the problem in the content of the sites they view. Computer games in general are a strange thing. Many consider them extremely dangerous - for a number of reasons: escape from reality, the possibility of miraculous resurrection after death, violence in computer games. Psychologists claim that the computer industry has created millions of asocial zombies who do not know any other means of communication except games and the virtual environment, and who are prone to violence. Such teenagers lose their vitality, become easily excitable and angry towards others, they are easily offended, and they become predisposed to quarrels even with people close to them and loved ones.

The main harm from computer games is mainly associated with their excessive use. For any age, as is known, there are certain temporary norms, and they must be strictly adhered to. But those for whom computer games are a source of livelihood (game producers, authors of gaming publications telling about the benefits of computer games, owners of computer clubs) claim exactly the opposite - there are interested parties. It’s just that each of them is interested in his own and tries to achieve this by any means available to him. What did you want - business is business... Supporters of the opinion that the computer is absolutely safe for teenagers believe that the introduction of computer games into the structure of a teenager’s hobbies only distracts him from other types of leisure for a few weeks, and then most children return to their previous hobbies . In addition, they argue that teenagers who spend their free time on the computer are generally more intelligent and purposeful than their peers, and better assess their abilities and capabilities. It’s just that, in their opinion, there are fans, the number of which, however, does not exceed 10–12%. But numbers are numbers, and behind each of them there are human lives. Ask those parents who are faced with the intractable problem of their own child’s computer addiction, do they care about the question: is it a lot or a little - 10%?

After sociologists identified the phenomenon of a person’s psychological dependence on software, the public, as it should be, was divided into three camps. The first advocated for an immediate ban on computer games in any form, including Tetris. The latter argued that the problem was completely “made up,” and that games were nothing more than a pleasant way to spend leisure time. And still others, who had not yet decided, indifferently watched the developing actions and waited to see how it would all end. Almost a decade has passed since then. Today, this problem is not only not solved, but has become even more painful and deeper, the disputes have become louder and more aggressive, and the games themselves have become much more numerous. This deadly sin was most often blamed on action games, which are popularly called “shooters”, which are mainly accused of the presence of scenes of cruelty and violence. According to experts, participation in such games leads to the fact that players begin to use similar methods for solving problems in real life. There are actually dozens of such stories. The panic is well founded. And we should not lightly dismiss this new dependence, saying that we are still far from complete computerization of the country, so the danger is not great. Once upon a time, we treated drug addiction just as frivolously. Please note that many teenagers spend almost all their free time in the club. When and what will they learn to become people in demand in adulthood? A person who has not received any other skills other than the ability to move a mouse, scream loudly with joy or grief, and the ability to distinguish one game from another when entering adult life, will have to quickly learn something. Otherwise, he will have to join the ranks of the same alcoholics and drug addicts, or he will have to go steal, because he does not know how to earn money. How will such a person support his family? And will he be able to start a family? After all, the skill of communicating with girls also did not arise. What about health? Won't you have young man problems with the reproduction of offspring, will there be diseases associated with decreased visual acuity, vascular problems, physical inactivity? Are we now witnessing the emergence of another “lost generation”?

You can talk for a very long time about the benefits and harms of computer games. However, the funny thing is that they themselves have neither a sign of harmfulness nor a sign of usefulness, just like any other object. After all, you can cut off a lemon with a knife, or you can stab an old woman to death. And for some reason it hasn’t occurred to anyone yet to ban knives. It's not about the objects, but about how, by whom and for what purpose they are used. I'm reminded of Sony Online Entertainment Vice President Scott McDaniel. When asked to put labels on EverQuest packaging warning of potential hazards, he replied: “Any product should be used responsibly, because cars don’t have warnings like “Don’t run over people.” You need to know moderation in everything, and those who have children should be interested in what they are doing.” And he's right.

Of course, parents need to be more attentive to what their child does in general, and what games he plays in particular. The harm and benefits of computer games are one of those questions to which it is impossible to give definite answers. One thing is obvious: everything is good in moderation, and each person must be responsible for his life, know what is harmful and disastrous for him, and what is beneficial. Let's draw conclusions, gentlemen!

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Gone are the days when monsters from fairy tales, in the minds of children, lived in the closet or under a child’s bed.

Now virtual monsters feel at ease in computer games, have a hypnotic effect, and are able to not let go of children's souls from their embrace for hours.

The price of such “interaction” sometimes turns out to be prohibitively high.

The world for a child is like an open book. The little ones try it by touch or even taste, those who are older look at the pictures in it and, slowly studying letter by letter, learn to read. Well, kids school age They are already reading this “book” avidly, devouring page after page.

But every book can get boring sooner or later. At such moments, some wonderful or even terrible wonder can captivate a child’s heart with special trepidation. Remember, which of us, as a child, did not love fairy tales about distant and magical worlds? Modern children turn their gaze to blue monitor screens.

In the universe of computer games, miracles are always in abundance - it gives the child the opportunity to discover for himself over and over again new reality, which, unlike ours, does not give the impression of being dry and eternally repetitive. We adults are often tired of everyday life, and what can we say about children, whose inquisitive minds, not yet tired of new impressions, require, in addition to Snickers or chocolate, also exciting spectacles.

Often such a spectacle becomes a computer game - it can take up all of your offspring’s free time. For a fragile mind, every step in the virtual world is a real discovery.

It is no secret that children often do not fully understand many things that happen in reality. And here an illusory world appears before their eyes, created by human hands, and therefore much more understandable for children’s consciousness: dark labyrinths full of monsters and unknown creatures, in their hands a magic sword and a clear and predictable reward for any action - killed so many goblins or trolls , which means it has reached the next level.

After the victory, the baby feels strong, brave and smart over and over again. This kind of adrenaline is much more pleasant than long and tedious cramming homework just to receive boring praise in the form of a good grade. It is common for a person to often choose an activity that also brings pleasure, and even more so for a fidgety child, for whom it is easier to get a chest of virtual treasures than to fill out a page at the end of the month school diary in fives.

Worlds and universes on the screen

There are a great variety of game genres:

Adventure, so-called adventure games where main character travels through the game world, communicates with other characters, finds himself in different situations and decides various kinds tasks.

Action- the name already speaks for itself. This genre is also divided into 3 types: “shooters” (shooting, sea of ​​blood, etc.); "fighting games" (from the English fight - fight), in which the fight solves all the main problems during the execution of game games - broken noses, severed limbs and broken ridges "decorate" the game landscape. And, finally, just “horror” - from monsters and half-decomposed dead on the screen, to vampires and other evil spirits.

Role-playing games (RPG)- the main character or characters have a number of characteristics (strength, agility, health), the development of which requires performing various tasks. The RPG genre can be either completely independent, or its individual elements can be found in storylines other games such as shooters or turn-based strategies.

Strategy games give a certain prototype of reality in which the player can feel like a real army general or an effective ruler - large-scale processes unfold on the screen, such as building cities, doing business or commanding an army.

Simulators capable of making the player feel like he is in the pilot's seat, or cutting through the air in a racing car.

Puzzle, in which you have to solve some mental problems, are probably the most harmless of all those listed.

“Shooters” are the most favorite pastimes for children. They can spend hours telling each other how they defeat monsters or with one wave of the mouse they wipe out a company of heavily armed soldiers from the face of the earth.

But life is not a battle. Sometimes such simple rules, like friends here and enemies there, doesn’t work in it. Real life is full of contrasts, good and evil often go hand in hand in it, but a child, simply due to his age, may not understand the difference between life and play. In addition, the experience of “combat operations” gained in games may give him the idea that he must always be as aggressive as possible in order to achieve his goal, and not take into account anyone else’s interests.

Playing with death

The International Classification of Diseases still does not contain such a disease as gaming addiction. Officially, the problem does not seem to exist, or it is recognized as solvable and not causing any particular inconvenience. But it is enough to look at a child playing enthusiastically - a tense posture, a red face, screams, sometimes even tears - to understand that such a hobby can cause enormous emotional harm to the child’s psyche.

Psychologists have been sounding the alarm for a long time - a number of scientists believe that games cause addiction along with alcohol and drugs. Thus, German researchers from Charite University conducted an experiment in which a group of 20 people were shown screenshots from their favorite games. And their reaction turned out to be similar to that shown by patients with alcoholism and drug addiction when they see the object of their pathological passion!

American pediatrician Douglas Janethal, together with the American Academy of Pediatricians, also conducted a study on the impact of games on human health. About 3 thousand children came under observation; according to its results, addiction was noted in every tenth child. “Children who became addicted to gaming had increased levels of depression, anxiety and social anxiety, and their academic performance decreased. When they got rid of addiction, these symptoms decreased to normal values,” the doctor commented on his experiments.

American psychiatrist Gerald Block notes that people’s addiction to games can be much stronger than to Internet pornography. But if we try to protect children from pornography on the Internet with all our might, then few people think of protecting them from the harmful influence of online games. But such an industry is growing by leaps and bounds - except for MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) multiplayer online role-playing games, in which a large number of players interact with each other via the Internet, there are a huge number of simpler games for Internet browsers. You can start playing them simply by going to your page on a social network.

The main difference between an online game and a regular one is that you can play it almost endlessly. It was in one of these games, classified as MMORPG, that a shocking incident occurred in 2005 - after many hours of continuous play in World of Warcraft, she died of exhaustion Chinese girl under the nickname Snowly. She became one of the first victims of the gaming world, which, with the development of technology, is increasingly capable of taking over not only the thoughts and feelings of players, but often even stealing their souls.

Protecting the baby from danger

First, be sure to pay attention to how long your tomboy spends time looking at the screen. Ideally, for 6-7 year olds this time should be no more than 10 minutes, for 8-11 year olds it should be 15-20 minutes, and for high school students 25-30 minutes.

Try to control the genre of games your child prefers. Immediately exclude stories with violence, cruelty, satanic themes, an abundance of monsters and all similar attributes. Monitor your child for any abnormal behavior after he or she finishes playing. If irritability, agitation, or insomnia are observed, this indicates that either the playing time has been exceeded, or the game is not at all suitable for your child.

Also remember: it is impossible to abruptly take away or prohibit computer games for a child who has already become involved in them! This should be done consistently, and it is best to prepare for the process together with a psychologist who can assess the degree of addiction.

Games on mobile devices. Just a couple of years ago, on a tiny phone display you could only see the simplest games, for example a funny worm eating apples on its way. But now there is a general transition of many “heavy” and complex games to mobile platforms, and the notorious “shooters” and “adventures” are increasingly appearing on phones or tablets. Fortunately, not yet challenging games have not reached the segment of cheap phones, which are most often purchased by parents for children, but progress does not stand still. If you bought your child an expensive phone, do not forget to check how safe it is for him, not only in terms of radiation, but also emotionally, that is, in terms of the presence of various games in it.

And of course, show more affection, tenderness, and participation in the child’s affairs. After all, it has long been noticed that the more trusting and warm the relationships in the family, the less often children find themselves in bad company, regardless of whether it is real or visible only on the monitor screen.

The computer today is an integral part of our home.
Little children do not know how to speak, but they are already actively clicking the mouse button,
watch cartoons on laptops, play tablets, and so on. All seven year olds
Children go to school with their phones, and in the evenings they like to play computer games.

Computer
technology as an integral part of our life

That you shouldn't spend a lot of time in front of the TV,
computer, that you should spend as little time as possible on your phone, that’s us
we hear it all the time recent years ten if not more. But who sticks to the data
advice? Probably a very small percentage, because imagine our life without
these devices are simply unrealistic. We can't work if not
Internet access, we panic if we leave our phone at home, and so on. But this
It’s one thing if you need it for work, then it’s quite another when many people use
computer and other devices solely for entertainment and games.

Is not it
computer games are harmful, as they say

Doctors have repeatedly expressed their assumption that the computer and
Computer games have a negative impact on human health. And it doesn’t matter
no matter how old you are, everyone's health will be at risk.

Prolonged contact with a computer impairs human vision, games
headphones affect the auricle, disrupting hearing, passage
Shooting games have a negative impact on the psyche. And this is just a small part
what is considered dangerous in medicine for a person and his health. All this leads
to the need for treatment the best specialists in clinics or hospitals.

In addition, there have been repeated suggestions in medicine that
that one of the causes of breast cancer is the use of phones
and close contact with others modern technologies. Whether it's a lie or not,
It’s not up to us to decide, but there is still something to be afraid of. Yes, and when such an illness appears
You will need treatment from the best doctors.

What's the harm?
directly from computer games and how to avoid it

It is not only wrong that children play, but also
incorrectness of games directly according to age. Very often children are attracted
games that are not age appropriate. For such games, the child’s psyche is still
has not been formed, so games can negatively affect it.

In addition, sitting at the computer for a long time is also negative,
In addition to visual impairment, postural distortion is possible. Yes, I think that's all
will agree that walking in the fresh air is much healthier than sitting at the computer.
Also, the lack of communication with living people will be reflected in disturbances in speech and communication.

What will grow out of such a generation? People who don't know how to communicate
they don’t know how to conduct a dialogue; in addition, they have problems with posture, a sore back,
poor eyesight, impaired psyche and much more. And all this because of an innocent
playing games on the computer and communicating with it for many hours.

Every parent needs to remember all this when allowing them to play
one of the games.