Adults responsible for children’s addiction to video games!

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Udisa Islam
Published : 07:30, Oct 28, 2019 | Updated : 07:30, Oct 28, 2019

Two kids are seen playing with an electronic device. Guardians are responsible for children’s addiction to video games, smartphones, tabs and play stations.
Researchers say that the games played by children dictate their behaviour patterns; to prevent children from causing a disturbance, parents give them a device which ensures easy relief and quick control. Consequently, children are not getting the opportunity to learn about their environment.
If parents can control the period of time children spend on video games or tabs, the impact of gadgetry on young minds can be minimized.
As per WHO, two-thirds of children who play video games suffer from gaming disorder – a mental affliction, but not listed among mental problems.
Through research on violent video games’ impact on children and adolescents, an effort has been made to determine if children are becoming more aggressive after playing such games.
The depth of the impact depends on the game and the time spent playing it, say researchers.
They feel that violent games implant an idea in impressionable minds that the world is a cruel place.
They feel that over time, the players lose normal social behaviour.
Farhana Mannan, founder of Shoishob (childhood) observes: “Since parents are failing to combat the attraction of video games, the best approach is to ensure that such games do not fall in the hands of the young.”
Many parents unconsciously play a role in making their children addicted to games since such items offer a welcome reprieve from dealing with the travails of rearing children, she explains.
Gowher Nayeen who works on children’s rights, says: “To control recalcitrant children, parents give them electronic devices as distractions; often, parents are too busy with their own phones; parents also switch on the TV while feeding children.”
Calling such habits damaging, Gowher says: “Children must be given quality time and company”.
Director of government and child protection sector of Save the Children, Abdullah Al Mamun, said: “Adults are mainly responsible for children’s addiction to video games; when children are not given their normal playing space or time, they seek refuge in computer games, which impede their normal growing up process.”
As a result, they become alienated and turn selfish and aggressive, she warns.
“Parents should be careful about what games their children are playing and how long.”

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