Age psychologist Timur Mursaliev helps parents understand their children. This time we asked him to explain how computer games can affect the psyche of teenagers.
Up to 90% of adolescents regularly play computer games today. Many parents are at a loss, because they are sure that active virtual life interferes with their studies, inhibits the development of social skills and, most importantly, games with elements of violence infect the teenager with their cruelty.
“Studies refute this dependence,” explains the age psychologist Timur Mursaliev. – Most schoolchildren, plunging into the virtual world, forget about reality. Shooting 50 opponents per minute, the teenager is aware that his enemies are pixels, they are drawn.
It is impossible to learn to kill a person, shooting pixels. The teenager can be interesting to conduct a virtual operation and see what is inside a person. But also enthusiastically, he disassembled a machine in childhood, wanting to understand how it was made.
The truly aggressive behavior of a teenager in real life is a symptom of his internal dysfunction. And the “shooters” and other “action” attract him precisely because they allow them to relax, throw out aggression in a socially acceptable way. Evil antics are an occasion not to turn off the computer, but to think about what is happening in his soul, in his relationship with peers and in your family life ”.
Many games – if they devote a limited time to them – are useful for the formation of different skills.
So, role-playing games (for example, Baldur’s Gate) develop social skills, strategies (Heroes 3 or Warcraft) train the ability to analyze, and “shooters” (Counter-Strike) work out the skill of work in the team, tactical solutions and reaction. Simulator games (races, airplane flights like IL-2 or NFS) expand the horizons and help to understand technology. Logical games develop spatial thinking.
“It is difficult to control the relationship of a teenager with the Internet,” Timur Mursaliev admits Timur. – But you should not put passwords on the computer, because the ban only increases its attractiveness. Try to negotiate – both about the time spent by the game and the choice of games in compliance with age restrictions (today they are indicated on all licensing versions).
Offer the teenager what is close to you, but at the same time show interest and respect for his hobby. For a son or daughter, he will be a happiness to share with you his knowledge, tell about games and sites. Spend time and effort, figure it out, find out, understand. This will calm you down, give a topic to communicate with the child and really bring him closer to him. “.
On the website of the Internet Development Fund, parents can find the most complete selection of scientific research on the topic “Children and the Internet”, comments of leading Russian psychologists, as well as sign up for consultation with specialists.
