International Journal of School and Cognitive Psychology
Open Access

The Effects of Video Gaming on Children’s Mental Health

Nikolaos Pellas^{* *}Correspondence: Nikolaos Pellas, Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering, University of the Aegean, Aegean, Greece, Email:

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Description

Every one of all ages enjoys playing video games on their computers. Particularly kids and teenagers now spend more time indoors playing video games than they do engaging in outdoor activities. Even while some video games are instructional, there is a growing market for games that may emphasis unfavorable themes like violence, crime, and disdain for the law and authority officials. Cooperative, competitive, or violent video games are the three general subcategories of computer games. As a result, given the appeal of the latter two, there are worries about the potential impact that these digital game genres may have on a child's psychosocial development.

Video gaming effects on mental health

The potential negative consequences of video games on a child's mental health are the second major concern raised by many parents. Many parents frequently think that their kids' anxiety and depression are somehow related to how much time they spend playing video games. The general consensus is that a child is more likely to display depression symptoms the more time they spend playing video games. Additionally, the World Health Organization designated video game addiction as a mental disease in 2018.

According to their definition, gaming addiction is "a pattern of gaming behaviour (digital or video) characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the point where gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences."

However, it can only be categorized as a disorder if these patterns persist for a full year and seriously impede one's ability to engage in other aspects of social life (e.g. family, friends, relationships, school, work etc.). Unsurprisingly, a large number of studies confirm the negative effects that video games can have on young people's mental health, with China being particularly worried. In Singapore, a 2-year longitudinal study discovered a link between playing video games and signs of mental health issues.

The researchers discovered that people with severe gaming addictions had a wide range of depressive and anxiety symptoms as well as a propensity for receiving poor academic grades in school. But among those whose gaming addictions had diminished, lower levels of these symptoms and better grades were observed.

Preventions

This doesn't necessarily imply that your kid shouldn't play video games, but there are certain things you can do as a parent to encourage a positive gaming relationship for your kid:

• Establish boundaries and keep computers and video game consoles out of your child's bedroom.

• Make a timetable for the permitted game time. Giving timely reminders during playtime is suggested; for instance, "You have 15 more minutes till game time is done."

• If you're a parent having trouble with your child and video games, be sure to give them the proper punishments and rewards when they comply.

• Before allowing your kids to play video games, take into account the game's rating. Some games are improper for kids and can exacerbate troublesome behaviour.

• Use parental control tools that let you set passwords on your children's accounts to restrict and control what they are exposed to online.

• Explain to your kids how to keep their technology and personal information safe by: Being cautious when opening files that are linked to emails or instant chats

• Making and employing secure passwords

• Using antivirus and anti-spyware software. As a parent, guard the administrator password and monitor your kids' online gaming time.

It's crucial to set an example for your children when playing video games if you're a parent who enjoys doing so.

The key is consistency. To encourage your child to behave more appropriately while playing games, try to maintain consistency. Don't stop there; you can also help your youngster learn other effective coping mechanisms.

Conclusion

While competitive and violent video games have been shown to encourage aggressive behaviour in children and adolescents, cooperative games have been linked to positive effects. Longterm gaming has also been linked to a rise in addictive behaviour and a decline in psychological health. As a result, it will be crucial for parents to keep an eye on how much time their children spend playing video games and what kinds of games they play in order to prevent addiction and internalising problems in children. Psychosocial development as a whole refers to the development of an individual’s personality, which involves changes in and the acquisition of social skills and psychosocial behavior, as influenced by environmental and social factors.