Let me just start by saying I'm not against screen time. However, like all things in life, moderation is key. Why many kids today, including mine, want to spend every freakin' waking moment of the day playing video games, is not entirely a mystery, and I'll explain in a sec. However, this doesn't bother me anymore except when we need to transition from one activity to the next. The main question in my mind is, how can the real world compete on equal footing with the virtual world
So, what's so great about playing video games? Lots, actually. There are tons of strategy all the time, fantastic hand-eye coordination, (sometimes) socialization, goal setting, group effort, decision making, hyper focus, and problem solving. If you can read or listen to the book SuperBetter by game designer Jane McGonigal, she goes in depth about it. You can also check out her highly entertaining TedEX talks:
1) Here: www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world?language=en 2) And here: www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_the_game_that_can_give_you_10_extra_years_of_life?language=en#t-33247 However, to a young and developing brain, the quick rewards to a new level, the constant need to upgrade to a novelty item, special perks that cost $20 here and there, all those things may have a negative impact. Not to mention being a mostly sedentary activity, emotional dysregulation, lack of proper nutrition, and so forth. My plan for this year is to be more consistent with my boundaries and adding a couple more activities back in the weekend. I don't have a magic wand but I'm implementing the following strategies:
I should also mention that I've noticed a lot more emotional dysregulation in regards to transitioning away from gaming when my son was off meds for a month (that was an experiment we did last fall). Like everything, finding the right balance and what works for each family is very unique and a moving target. These are just some things I'm trying this year but there will be new ideas to try later for sure!
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6 Comments
1/15/2019 07:59:49 am
It seems like screen time is the number one issue for most families with neurodiverse kids.
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Tania
1/15/2019 08:22:16 pm
You bring up lots of good points! Yes, the social aspect is definitely a huge selling point in gaming, since they struggle with friendships and socialization in general. It's a safe space for them.
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1/15/2019 10:55:24 am
Good luck with this, mama! I need a plan of my own to manage my own screen time.
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Tania
1/15/2019 08:23:24 pm
Thank you! You can do it!!
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1/15/2019 06:26:35 pm
I was interested in making music and the reward systems which activate.
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Tania
1/15/2019 08:04:20 pm
There's a ton of scientific papers on how learning to play an instrument helps to integrate the brain in ways that no other activity does. It's good competition to gaming! I found an informative article for you: http://elitemusic.ca/playing-piano-stimulates-brain/ but there are tons of scientific literature online if you want to dig deeper. Yes, Roblox is intense, good luck!
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Nice to e-meet you!I'm a single mom, graphic designer, crunchy mama, trekkie geek, life warrior. It's embarrassing how excited I get about food. I'm an expert in barefoot Lego fire walk. Note: If you arrived here via a broken link, please note I had to rebuild this site due to my previous hosting company crashing. Not all blog posts were salvaged.
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