Why violent video games are good for kids

California Kids Care. International Services. Video Visits: Telemedicine. Locations Main Campus. Satellite Locations. Emergency Care. Urgent Care. Safe Sleep Practices. Pay Your Bill. Financial Assistance. Medical Records. About Us Who We Are. Patient Stories. Get Involved. Health Alerts: Coronavirus. In fact, video games are designed to be addictive. John Hopson, a games researcher at Microsoft Game Studios is also a doctor of behavioral and brain sciences who writes about game design.

Children with poor impulse control or who have a hard time fitting in are most vulnerable to game addiction. This may be because video games offer an easy way to fill the void created when real-world relationships are hard to form. But this type of virtual get-together is no replacement for actual face-to-face interaction. Setting aside the potential problems of online predators and cyber-bullying, virtual hangouts rob kids of the opportunity to practice their social skills and to move their bodies from one house to another.

Be sensitive and nonjudgmental. Try to agree on a reasonable amount of space for video games to occupy in your family life. If you need help, enlist your pediatrician. He or she may have great tips and can even recommend a therapist who specializes in tweens or teens. Remember, even though video games have their place, they should occupy less time than what kids need to devote to exercising, socializing, studying, and sleeping.

In our ever-more-connected world, we could all use a little more practice just being unplugged. As a pediatrician and father of six kids, Dr. Bartholomew has a lot of experience with twins and premature infants.

In addition to getting to know his patient families, he enjoys the great outdoors, Dr. Seuss, and BYU football. Want pediatric news, kid-friendly recipes and parenting tips?

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