On-Line Gaming

If your child is into gaming it’s important to read the following:

First, sit down with your child and watch the game in its entirety. How much shooting and killing is involved to win? Is the purpose of the game to win by killing? Gaming and the reward center- changes brain by developing pathways that love the reward, but constantly need more to feel happy. Dopamine gives the motivation to play; serotonin helps you remember it was fun. Gaming was designed to keep players addicted.

Second, if your child is using a headset, listen to the conversations and inappropriate language.

How much has your child changed in terms of personality since gaming? Is your child more argumentative, more aggressive? What happens if you limit the amount of time your child games, or turn off the game completely?

Third, understand the age/brain connection. The brain is not fully formed until the age of 25.

The frontal lobes of the brain are not being developed when children are spending hours and hours playing video games. This is important because they play a crucial role in controlling behaviors as well as developing memory, emotion and learning.

The implications are very serious because our society is becoming very violent. According to Lt. Dave Grossman, “Not all gamers will become mass shooters, but all mass shooters were gamers.”

The good news is that these changes in personality are not permanent. You need to your child to detox. The first two days will be very difficult, but the third day with no gaming or social media will be like someone threw on a switch. You will get your child back!

I get it, I truly do. We are all very busy today and it’s easy to have a child keep busy with a device while you decompress from your day. But think about the consequences. Is it worth it in the long run to have a child who is impulsive, uncooperative, angry, and aggressive vs. a few moments of peace?

In my informative talks I delve into much more detail about gaming and its effect on your child, alternatives to keep your child busy without a device, I will show you the dramatic differences in an MRI gamers’ brain vs. a non-gamer, advise you when your child pleas that ‘gaming is the only way he/she has friends’, educate you on how violent video games train the mind to kill, and I will not leave a presentation until all questions have been answered. A list of books, you tube videos and much more will be available for you to take with you. All my information is fact-based.

I urge you to read Assassination Generation by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. His book clarifies the connection between video games and aggression.

Please visit the Contact Page if you are interested in booking a presentation.