Most Parents Have Issues With Their Teen’s Gaming Habits

According to a new study, almost 9 out of 10 parents agree that their teens are spending too much time playing video games.  Moreover, more than half of parents set gaming time limits for their teens.  Parents expressed some of their most serious concerns as being the negative impact on their teen’s overall sleep, family and peer relationships and overall school performance.  So what are parents to do?  First, experts suggest that parents do not attempt to suggest that gaming is a sort of mindless waste of time.  Teens can feel strongly that many games are complex, challenging and include valuable lessons.  Trying to convince them that all games are bad and a waste of time can backfire. Instead, parents should consider the "everything in moderation" approach.  Set reasonable guidelines and explain gaming limitations and restrictions are being done for the purpose of safety, health, relationship and school interests.  These are very specific reasons and more easily accepted than the "all games are bad" approach.  Another strategy is for parents to consider participating in some video game playing with their teens.  According to the researchers, "Showing your teen you are interested in what they are playing and want to understand their interest can help in communicating healthy limits. In some situations, games can serve as a point of connection and occasionally may be structured as a family activity to open the door to other conversations and foster interaction."