In virtual reality, human possibilities seem to be unlimited, and the computer games industry offers more and more new games every year that are of great interest. Computer games develop addiction - this is their main danger. This is a mental disorder and requires the intervention of doctors and the support of loved ones to be cured.

With computer addiction, a person is immersed in virtual reality and only occasionally returns to real life. In severe cases, gambling leads to loss of appetite (the player does not want to interrupt for food) and sleep (it is impossible to break away from the game, since the desire to continue the fight with the enemy is irresistible). It all starts very simply, with the usual sitting at a computer game. It is getting longer and longer. It seems to a teenager that he spent a little time at the computer, but it turned out that several hours had passed. When the dependence on the game becomes obvious, it is already very difficult to deal with it. Adults sometimes find themselves in such dependence, which negatively affects their fate.

Many online games are accompanied by paid services, and with gambling addiction, a teenager can spend all available money on the game.

The most dangerous of the games are various shooting games, races, and rpg games. They are accompanied by aggressive emotions, cause anger. This often manifests itself in relation to someone who is trying to distract from the game. Some games do not cause obvious aggression, but they require increased attention and a quick response. This causes great mental stress. Add to this a long stay in the same position during the entire game and it becomes clear why the game is so exhausting and draining the nervous system. The human psyche becomes obsessed, just like the body, it freezes in one position and the human consciousness becomes dull. It cannot say “stop” in a timely manner. Therefore, even seemingly harmless computer games with a long time of play are very harmful to the psyche and health.

Prolonged sitting in a sitting position impairs the mobility of the spine and leads to diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The hands are very tense, which squeeze the mouse for hours or click on the keyboard. Violation of the mobility of the spine leads to a deterioration in the blood supply to the internal organs and various diseases. Computer games cause eye strain, which can lead to visual impairment. Therefore, the assertion that a long stay at the computer is harmful to health is not a joke at all.

Computer games can also be useful. Play a little games that promote the development of logic, memory and attention, i.e. intelligence in general, useful. These are various puzzles, puzzles, logic games. There are strategy games. They do not make you strain your eyes, do not require excessive attention and reaction speed. Such games can be interrupted at any time for more important life matters, and then continued in your free time. They are easy to dose over time. There are various educational games, for example, for teaching a foreign language, school subjects. Together with other developmental activities, such games will even be useful. A teenager, just like an adult, can spend no more than 1-2 hours a day on computer games. During this time, you can play, and get useful information, and remain a living person in the real world.

The Internet also attracts teenagers with social networks. It's easy and simple to make new contacts on the Internet, or it's easy to cut them off if something doesn't work out the way you'd like. In this case, you do not need to worry about what impression you make on the other person. On the Internet, you can present yourself the way you want, and you don’t have to try to change your appearance or learn anything. A teenager has the illusion of a life filled with emotions, and at the same time there are no difficulties. All this is very deceptive.

To find friends in real life or meet a girl, you need to spend mental strength. Mental work is also needed to maintain relationships. Communication on the Internet is very easy. There you don’t have to go in for sports and lose weight, if you are overweight, you don’t need to pump up muscles to please a girl. On the Internet, you do not need to get rid of your bad habits. You can come up with any name for yourself and present yourself as a hero. Thus, a teenager, like adults, stops working on himself. He wastes time on empty communication and in real life he may not have friends. Loneliness, fear of real communication, self-doubt as a person can be hidden behind this entertainment. A teenager may be afraid of criticism or ridicule in relation to himself, because he considers himself ugly, witty, not ... The teenager creates the illusion of communication, while he becomes more and more lonely and weaned from communicating with living people. Attempts to move from Internet communication to real acquaintance, as a rule, occur rarely and even more rarely this acquaintance continues.

The danger of Internet communication also lies in the fact that it is possible to come up with any image for yourself. In the process of correspondence, you can imagine yourself as anyone, even a movie character, a famous person. Many teenagers think so and mistakenly spend their lives on the Internet and put themselves at risk of losing their own I. In addition, the desire to impersonate another person often leads to mental disorders. If you find this in yourself, then you have an inferiority complex. Don't you have your own merits to be a valuable person for communication with your own name, your own character traits? If this is not the case, then you need to take care of yourself. Firstly, a real living person is always better than a fictional one, and secondly, you need to remember your merits and develop them in order to write on your own behalf just as confidently and interestingly. In a period of rapid development of the body for this is the time. After all, it is necessary to develop not only the body, but also the mind, soul. To do this, you need to read books, watch movies, play sports, play educational games and communicate with real people. Diversified people are always interesting. And if you are embarrassed to talk about yourself and consider yourself the most ordinary and unremarkable, then this should be changed.

The interlocutor on the Internet can also impersonate someone else. Or you yourself, without seeing or hearing him, can endow the interlocutor with fictitious features. When you meet, you may be surprised: what did you find in common with this person, what can you talk about with him?

Real friends are much more interesting. You can talk with them about many things, go to the cinema, discuss a topic that concerns you. A friend can help in a difficult situation, ask for help himself. Real relationships develop. While you spend hours on the Internet, your peers have time to do something, develop as individuals, become more successful in life.

Communication on the Internet among teenagers takes place in a special language. Adults don't even understand it. When communicating with the help of abbreviated and perverted words, emoticons, the vocabulary and speech abilities of a teenager are impoverished. In the company of Internet lovers, he looks his own and can communicate in this slang, but loses his literacy, the ability to clearly express thoughts and feelings. Long-term communication only on the Internet leads to the fact that the ability to maintain a conversation with a living person is significantly reduced, even lost.

With a long stay on the Internet, a person ceases to notice the charm of real life - the people around, events, nature, feelings, both his own and that of another person. Dependence on the Internet leads to the development of neurosis, psychosis and even schizophrenia.

The Internet allows you to develop the horizons of a person, since you can find any information in it. If you are searching the Internet for information on a subject of interest to you in order to study something in more depth, this is normal.

If you wander aimlessly through the sites, thinking what else to look for, then you are just wasting your time. So, it's time to stretch, shake things up and urgently do something that is not related to the computer.

HARM FROM COMPUTER

"What is our life? Game!" Shakespeare once said. Did the great playwright know that in a few centuries the capitalists would reverse this phrase, and the Game would be compared with Life, and not vice versa? Today, millions of people voluntarily imprison themselves in the matrices of computer games, chaining themselves to keyboards with dependence on virtual reality. Engaged in exciting fantasy battles, addiction victims live in the game, leaving only a hunched, obese body in our world. Sometimes his life support systems fail during the next session of computer entertainment, and the person dies. Meanwhile, the ruthless machine of the gaming industry is reaping billions in profits from ruined souls, producing ever more advanced "substitutes for reality." A gamer (so-called addicted to computer games) goes into virtual worlds, from which only a few return.

But the "Ministry of Health" warned. In the early nineties of the last century, only a lazy psychologist was not marked by a publication about the dangers of computer games, then only raising their heads. Now, instead of these articles, reviews of new samples of virtual dope are being printed: after all, the 21st century is in the yard, and psychologists are no longer relevant. Why don't we figure it out ourselves? We figured it out, and now game manufacturers are competing in the realism of virtual worlds, the possibilities for developing their character, the number of "bonuses". The indicator of "time to pass" comes to the fore, which in conventional terminology is the same as the strength of the drug. A person spends real time on imaginary development, exchanging his health for an increase in numbers that exist only in the computer's memory and sick imagination.

Of all addictions, the strongest is psychological. When there is no strength left to fight something, the only way for a coward is to run away from the problem. Turn away from reality. So they get addicted to drugs or alcohol. Computer games are no better, a person bogged down in invented worlds loses fundamental instincts: awareness of space and time, life and death. Morality and communication skills with people are far behind, but who cares when you can feel strong in the game, be a hero, replaying unpleasant moments in case of failure! The flickering of the monitor warms the downtrodden soul, taking it into the world of dreams. And the more time the player spends at the computer, the worse the addiction becomes, changing the consciousness of the victim. Experiences associated with virtual characters are experienced as one's own, and adrenaline is released into the blood - a drug in itself that makes the parts of the brain responsible for pleasure work. In normal situations (take sports, for example), this hormone "spurs" the body, forcing us to do everything "faster, higher, stronger", and itself is destroyed when moving. But in the blood of the sitting body, it stagnates, destroying the nervous system. As a result - neurasthenia and irreparable changes in the brain.

Consciousness begins to exist already "on the other side of the screen." The more enthusiastically a gamer plays, the less he reacts to external stimuli. The need to eat and sleep is replaced by the need to kill virtual monsters, and the human mind stops hearing the body's natural signals. As a result - dysfunction of the cardiovascular system, exhaustion of the body, loss of consciousness and necrosis of tissues. A person slowly dies without realizing it. So, for example, the Thais Thanet Sommoi and Yuen Long died, having lost the whole night in "Counter-Strike" and "Diablo II", respectively. Unfortunate "lucky", the incident received publicity only because it happened in an Internet cafe. But there are many such cases, and they differ only in the cause of death (most often this is a cerebral hemorrhage) and the place of action. Also, a huge number of suicides are associated with computer games. In 2001, Russia was shocked by the suicide of six schoolchildren who were fatally carried away by the game "Last Fantasy". In the same year, the suicide of Sean Woolley from the USA, who "did not return" from the game "Everquest", acquired a wide public outcry. “It was like any other addiction,” Elizabeth, the mother of the deceased, told reporters. “You either die, or go crazy, or get out. My son died.” After the incident, she created a program for the treatment of gambling addiction, which is currently unable to cope with the flow of clients.

In terms of effects on the body, computer entertainment is akin to drugs. But if the whole world is irreconcilably fighting against intoxicating substances, then only individual enthusiasts care about gambling. A particularly difficult situation with gaming addiction is in Russia, where computer "piracy" flourishes. The games are easily accessible, and the population is not educated enough to appreciate the danger they pose. Most often, children and teenagers become victims of virtual reality in our country - parents encourage the virtual adventures of their offspring, naively thinking that this is better than a bad company in the gateways. Alas, they teach to kill just computer shooters. The plots of most games cultivate deceit and violence as the only ways to solve the problem, and even if the child does not become addicted to virtuality, his psyche will still be damaged by the iron monster. Behavioral foundations are formed in childhood, you know.

"This is not a game, this is life," reviewers of gaming magazines like to end reviews of regular multi-gigabyte shooters with these words. Beautiful words, but only the heroes of computer games have a few lives. We live once, there is no alternative to life, and no one will let us "replay" it. The gaming industry can only release a pseudo-real surrogate, slowly but surely leading to the death of its consumer. The most interesting game is still our life, as the classic spoke about. You shouldn't change it for dead flickering pictures, believe me.

Zhanna Alekseenko

Harm of some computer games

Harvard's Kimberley Thompson and Kevin Haninger found that popular E-video games recommended for children over the age of six tend to instill violence and cruelty in children. There you need to beat, shoot and kill, and there is a reward for this. In action games, violence takes up 91 percent of the time, with 27 percent of games resulting in violence resulting in death.

But in parallel with the inoculation of cruelty in the computer generation, there is a decline in mental abilities. Scientists at Tohoku University in Japan found that computer games stimulate only those parts of the brain that are responsible for vision and movement, but do not contribute to the development of other important parts of it. Games stop the development of the frontal lobes of the brain, which are responsible for human behavior, memory training, emotions and learning.

So, computer games lead to the degradation of the frontal lobes. And those children who do good old arithmetic and solve traditional mathematical problems develop their frontal lobes. When their intellectual abilities were compared with the successes of those young people who spent days on end at the Nintendo video console, it turned out that to solve arithmetic problems of the level of our great-grandfathers, much more intellectual efforts are needed than those that "video-computer" children spend on their "shooters". ”and“ walkers ”, and these efforts just fall on the frontal lobes of our brain. In addition to mathematics, the brain is best developed by activities that Mikhailo Lomonosov indulged in in the era of candles and sails - reading and writing.

The world's largest association of psychologists - the American APA - seems to have come to the final conclusion that video games with elements of violence have a negative impact on children and young people.

The association concluded that "play" violence provokes "aggressive thoughts, aggressive behavior and angry feelings among young people."

"By showing violent action without consequences, games teach youth that violence is an effective means of resolving conflict," said APA psychologist Elizabeth Carl. According to her, having "played enough" in violence, teenagers may want to continue experiments with aggression in real life.

And today's games offer exactly to engage in sadism in a perverted form and also enjoy it, realistically showing what will actually happen. That is, the child will not be stopped by the fact that after killing one person, he will suddenly see a pulsating fountain of blood from the wound and the victim's death cramps. He will ALREADY consider this normal and will go on killing, catching a buzz. This is where situations like in America come from - a schoolboy gets high for half a day by killing his peers, until he just gets bored with it.

COMPUTER GAMES: BENEFITS OR HARMS?

The computerization of our lives has long become familiar and has brought along with it a lot of problems along with benefits. This also applies to computer games - especially since they are mainly addicted to children and adolescents. In society, the opinion is spreading more and more that they are dangerous for the child's psyche: they develop aggressiveness in him, narrow his circle of interests, impoverish the emotional sphere

The computer, of course, is a useful thing in the household. They can hammer nails. Not? Will not work? Well, then you can put a vase of flowers on it and stick stickers on it. Again no? Then you can put a child behind him - let him learn to comprehend the interactive space. Everyone understands that this is a tool with which you can earn money, and communicate, and learn a lot of useful things. It's all about how you use your computer. What is the danger? There is growing concern among parents around the world that children are spending too much time on the computer and on the Internet.

Until recently, the Internet was associated with a source where children could get a huge amount of useful information. It is known that the computer is only a means of faster and more convenient transmission of information, it allows us to reach a wider circle of people. Greek mythology, math games, learning English grammar - all this helps to improve your knowledge. Now all these pluses have become minuses. Studies have shown that children spend very little time on the Internet, learning something. Basically, a computer is needed for games, the Internet - for downloading music and programs (mainly the same games), as well as for interactive communication. Most online games are accompanied by chats, and under the guise of their characters, players communicate with each other. It is chatting that attracts many teenagers who are still alone and do not feel like members of society, and taking part in the game, they satisfy their need for communication and sometimes they find friends only there. Computer games are, of course, very interesting and popular now. People make a lot of money playing games. And a huge number of children are infected with the desire to play games. Children rush home after school or to special clubs to quickly continue the game they have started and see what happens next. There are many sites on the Internet dedicated to these "toys", and on these sites the counters show high numbers.

In the age of universal computerization, when computer science lessons at schools have become commonplace, you will never meet a teenager who has never sat down at a computer in a big city ... If there is no computer at home, one of your friends or acquaintances will definitely invite you to play and look. How not to go? After all, everyone is going ... Everyone is playing. But really - everyone plays! Computer games have become something of a childhood infection. Today, many scientists and sociologists believe that computer games are drugs. They are addictive, excite excitement. And it's hard to get rid of them. But not everyone is aware of the fact that there are so many harmful things in games. I, like all parents, understand that this problem can arise in any family in the most unexpected way. If earlier children, having come from school, immediately ran outside to play football, now everyone runs to monitors or computer clubs to play football online. But what's the point of that - not a penny! Caring parents are sounding the alarm: children are practically never outdoors, they move little, they have difficulty with personal communication. The opinions of parents about what exactly harms the child are divided: some consider the biggest evil that children spend too much time at the computer, others see the content of the sites they browse as a problem. Computer games in general are a strange thing. Many consider them extremely dangerous - for a number of reasons: escape from reality, the possibility of a miraculous resurrection after death, violence in computer games. Psychologists say that the computer industry has created millions of antisocial zombies who know no other means of communication than games and violent virtual environments. Such adolescents lose their vitality, become easily excitable and angry with others, they are easily offended, and they become prone to quarrels even with people close and loved by them.

The main harm from computer games is mainly associated with their excessive use. For any age, there are, as you know, certain temporary norms, and they must be strictly adhered to. But those for whom computer games are a source of livelihood (game manufacturers, authors of gaming publications that tell about the benefits of computer games, owners of computer clubs) say quite the opposite - there are interested parties. It's just that each of them is interested in his own and tries to achieve this by any means available to him. And what do you want - business is business ... Supporters of the opinion that the computer is absolutely safe for teenagers believe that the introduction of computer games into the structure of a teenager's hobbies only distracts him from other types of leisure for a few weeks, and then most children return to their former hobbies . In addition, they argue that teenagers who spend their free time at the computer are generally more smart and purposeful than their peers, and better assess their abilities and capabilities. Simply, in their opinion, there are fans, the number of which, however, does not exceed 10-12%. But numbers are numbers, and behind each of them are human lives. Ask those parents who are faced with the intractable problem of computer addiction of their own child, do they care about the question: is it a lot or a little - 10%?

After sociologists identified the phenomenon of a person's psychological dependence on software in 1994, the public, as it should be, was divided into three camps. The first advocated an immediate ban on computer games in any of their manifestations, including Tetris. The second argued that the problem is generally “sucked out of thin air”, and games are nothing more than a pleasant way to spend leisure time. And still others, who had not yet made up their minds, indifferently watched the developing actions and waited for how it would all end. Almost a decade has passed since then. Today, this problem has not only not been solved, but has become even more painful and deeper, the disputes have become louder and more aggressive, and the games themselves have become much larger. This deadly sin was most often blamed on action games, which are popularly called "shooters", which are mainly blamed for the presence of scenes of cruelty and violence. According to experts, participation in such games leads to the fact that players begin to use similar methods of solving problems in real life. There are actually dozens of such stories. The panic is well founded. And we should not frivolously dismiss this new dependence, they say, we are still far from the complete computerization of the country, so the danger is not great. Once upon a time, we were just as frivolous about drug addiction. Please note that many teenagers spend almost all their free time in the club. When and what will they learn to become people in demand in adult life? A person who has not received other skills other than the ability to move a mouse, scream loudly for joy or grief, and the ability to distinguish one game from another, having entered adulthood, will have to quickly learn something. Otherwise, he will have to join the ranks of the same alcoholics and drug addicts, or he will have to go stealing, because he does not know how to earn money. How will such a person support a family? And will he be able to start a family? After all, the skill of communicating with girls also did not arise. What about health? Will the young man have problems with the reproduction of offspring, will there be diseases associated with a decrease in visual acuity, vascular problems, physical inactivity? Are we now witnessing the emergence of another "lost generation"?

You can talk for a very long time about the benefits and harms of computer games. However, the funniest thing lies in the fact that they themselves do not have either a sign of harm or a sign of usefulness, just like any other object. After all, you can cut a lemon with a knife, or you can kill an old woman. And for some reason, it never occurred to anyone to ban knives. It's not about the objects, but about how, by whom and for what purpose they are used. I'm reminded of Sony Online Entertainment Vice President Scott McDaniel. When asked to put warning labels on EverQuest packages, he replied: “Any product must be used responsibly, because cars don’t have warnings like “Don’t run over people.” In everything you need to know the measure, and those who have children should be interested in what they are doing. And he's right.

Of course, parents need to be more attentive to what their child is doing in general, and to what games he plays, in particular. The harm and benefits of computer games are one of those questions that cannot be answered unambiguously. One thing is obvious: everything is good in moderation, and each person must be responsible for his life, to know what is harmful and disastrous for him, and what is beneficial. We draw conclusions, gentlemen!

The age of information technology has had a strong impact on all areas of human activity. In particular, information technology has improved and facilitated work, learning and entertainment. New opportunities have become available in the process of raising children. Many developing, educational and entertaining games can be obtained with Internet access.

Many parents are apprehensive about new technologies. It would seem, why use a computer in the process of a child's development, if you can use the old grandfather methods that have been working effectively for many years. Before you completely abandon new technologies, you should carefully study all their advantages and disadvantages.

Computer games can harm a child if:

Spend too much time on them;

They have a theme that is not suitable for children.

To protect your child from the negative impact of games and get only benefits, you need to check them and limit the time spent at the computer. For small children, 10 minutes a day will be enough. Gradually, the time can be increased by 5 minutes, while taking breaks between the game, but it should not exceed two hours.

If these tips are not followed, the computer can indeed be harmful, just like any other object or action if used excessively or incorrectly.

For some reason, everyone talks about the dangers of spending time at the computer, but there are many pluses. Let's consider them in more detail.

American scientists conducted an experiment on children with dyslexia (having difficulty in mastering reading and writing skills). They invited one group of children to play action games. The results showed that playing children began to read faster. Scientists explained this by the fact that during the game the player needs to be very careful. Improving attention improves reading skill.

No matter how surprising it sounds, but scientists have been able to prove that people who play have much better eyesight. In addition, playing people are able to simultaneously monitor five objects. By the way, an ordinary person can only monitor three at a time. The speed of visual data processing has also improved.

There are a lot of dress up games, makeup and hairdressing in the catalogs of online games. Girls can meet their favorite dolls, fairy-tale heroines, cartoon characters, celebrities and ordinary girls in them. A large selection of clothes, hairstyles and makeup, allows you to experiment a lot. Girls learn how to create beautiful images, and most importantly, that their mother's clothes and cosmetics will remain intact.

Memory games are great for improving memory. They may have different game mechanics, but the main task is to repeat what they saw or heard. A wide variety of such games will allow each time to set a new task for the child.

This is facilitated by various coloring pages, musical games and alterations. A kid can decorate a beautiful picture, and if he makes a mistake with the colors, you can always apply a new color without any problems. Musical games in which you need to repeat the melody will allow you to develop an ear for music. Some even allow you to create your own music. Makeover games will offer the player to decorate something to their liking or, for example, create the interior of a room.

There are a number of games aimed at learning something. They are designed specifically for young children and effectively help in learning the alphabet and numbers, teach them to read and count, and introduce them to foreign languages. They will present knowledge in a fascinating, interesting and simple way and give a pleasant pastime. Thanks to them, you can prepare the child for school.

You have probably noticed more than once that work allows you to forget about pain for a while. A person focuses on the process that he is performing and forgets about everything outside. Computer games immerse the child in the game process, thereby allowing him to forget about the pain.

Playing computer games, children will learn to make independent decisions, assess the situation and solve logical problems. They will be able to try themselves in different professions, identify their talents and get acquainted with new objects, phenomena and activities. A wide variety of online games on the Internet allows you to choose the right ones for your child, as well as play something new every time.

Given all the advantages of games, we can conclude that they will be an excellent assistant in the process of child development. You can safely use them, but do not forget about the time limit and careful selection of games with themes suitable for the child. Don't be afraid to try something new!

• Child and computer game
• Pushing buttons or doing things?
• How to keep your child away from the computer?

What is the virtual world? What are the consequences of a child's fascination with a computer game? Computer games with role-playing games are compared by a practicing psychologist-teacher.

Child and computer game

Some will immediately speak in favor, appealing to the fact that computer games contribute to the development of the child. However, the "developing nature" of computer games is another myth. What do these games develop? Reaction speed, attention? Yes. And what does this have to do with educational goals? Of course, if we reduce education to the development of mental processes, then the computer is quite conducive to this. Then do not grumble if you get the corresponding “product” with a developed reaction rate at the output. If the goal of education is understood as the cultivation of spiritual maturity, then what does the speed of reaction have to do with it?

This is, of course, not about the dangers of the computer, which is really necessary in our lives. No, we are talking about abuse, about the transformation of an instrument, a technical means into an object of dependence and addiction.

Dependence on any object of passion (in particular, on a computer) is called an additive syndrome. I will not dwell on clinical cases of computer addiction (impaired vision, general physical development, vegetative-vascular dystonia). By the way, there is a known case of a stroke and death of a 12-year-old boy who overplayed the computer, and in China there is even a clinic for the treatment of computer addiction. Let's talk about the psychological features of this phenomenon. To do this, let's compare computer games with role-playing games for children.

Pushing buttons or doing things?

In a role-playing game, the child imagines a situation and plays it out. In the role, the embodiment of the ideal ideas of the child unfolds. This is how the ideal, or inner, world of a person develops - the ability to set goals (a goal is an ideal image of the future), plan, represent the course of the game and plot situations. But the main thing in the game is that the child performs actions for the material embodiment of the plan. This is an act of creation! The described abilities determine the subsequent development of the child, not to mention the fact that it is in the game that the skills of human communication, mutual understanding, concessions, the ability to resolve conflict situations, etc. are worked out.

What is the virtual world? How does it differ from the world of a role-playing game, where ideal images turn into material actions and deeds?

The virtual world is also a world of images. However, virtual images are not created by the child himself, but are set (or imposed) from outside. Therefore, they do not need to be conceived, depicted, or implemented. This is not the case in the virtual world - there are no actions for material embodiment. But there is an illusion of omnipotence, when it is enough to press a button - and you can “do”, “commit”, “win”, etc.

The fact is that images, as products of the imagination, arise as a result of independent activity, i.e. they themselves are created: defined a goal, conceived a plan of action, implemented it. Their implementation is carried out independently and requires efforts, diligence, creativity, the ability to correlate their actions with the actions of others. These images always correspond to the desires and capabilities of the child.

In the virtual world, images do not need to be born, they are already ready and may not correspond to the child, his characteristics, age, etc. Virtual images do not need to be implemented, they can only be manipulated! By the way, manipulation is a characteristic property of someone who wants to dominate and subordinate the will of others to his will. And children successfully learn this by playing "harmless" computer games.

A feature of virtual images is their attractiveness - brightness and dynamism, which excite the child and give rise to dependence. Even if these are harmless everyday games where, by pressing buttons, you can cook dinner: take a grater and a carrot and “grate” it on the screen. All this, unfortunately, does not develop industriousness and motor skills, does not replace real help for the mother or the game of daughter-mothers, where the “mother” not only cooks dinner, but also takes care of the “children”.

The child learns to press buttons, not to perform actions. There is a substitution of living reality. This can slow down and even suppress the development of a role-playing game. A child who has not mastered the role-playing game may subsequently experience various problems in communication.

How to keep your child away from the computer?

The desperate reader may say that we live in a time when it is difficult to keep a child away from the computer. Difficult, but possible - under certain conditions.

1. If parents unanimously understand the consequences of this hobby.
2. If there is an understanding that a computer is a thing, of course, it is very convenient, but still it is better for it to serve us, and not we for it.
3. If there is an alternative in the form of a full-fledged, healthy, active family life, where they try to live in an atmosphere of warmth, mutual understanding and spiritual unity.

Do not sit your child down for computer games, no matter how "good" they may be, no matter how the child asks you about it. The computer can replace the role-playing game, in which the skills of communication, mutual understanding and much more are formed, which he himself cannot give.

One of the most natural, organic nature of children are games with natural material, simple productive activities: modeling, drawing, applique, needlework, making handicrafts. How much joy a child can get from this! And this joy of creativity, creation makes him a creator. Connecting with nature through sticks, knots, cones, sand, clay, the child receives the strength and energy of life itself - something that he does not receive from interaction with dead computer images.

I recently visited a young couple who are raising a three and a half year old son. The picture is typical: parents are busy with work, household chores, and other everyday problems. The child needs to be occupied or “neutralized”. They turn on the TV for him, where drawn figures flicker, screams and music come from. It is convenient for parents, because they know for sure that the child is securely “chained”: he will not bother them with questions, fuss - and then you don’t need to remove it (there is so much garbage from natural material!).

40 minutes pass, the child gets tired of the TV, he pulls out a toy train with a trailer and a driver from the box and starts rolling. However, the television action does not stop and requires attention. The child is faced with a choice: he has not yet let go of the locomotive, but the TV “snatches” the child out of the game situation and makes him look blankly at the moving pictures.

Parents do not understand at all the meaning of this everyday, familiar situation, they do not understand what is wrong with the fact that a child takes unknown content in “horse” doses of products that become part of his inner world and displace much of what he should have been doing. .

I think that if the mother did not turn on the TV, but put pencils, an album or a coloring book, or plasticine, or a set of indefinite objects, or a construction set, or toys for a story game (you can add the list yourself), in front of the child, then it would unwittingly create the conditions for the emergence of play or productive activities. Thus, an impetus would be given to the development of motor skills, ingenuity, cognitive interest, will, the ability to set goals and plan - i.e. development of all the skills and abilities necessary for a fulfilling life.

Before you sit your child in front of a computer or TV, think about it: will it replace the game and create an addiction? It brings up everything that surrounds the child: people, toys, lifestyle, behavior and actions. This process is invisible and lengthy, but the result is visible and serious.

Discussion

What's the point of this article? Few want a child to play. How to save? Practical advice 0. Try to get out into the real world, fellow practicing psychologist! All children have mobile phones ... They play with them non-stop. How to deal with it?

01/06/2018 15:02:22, DenisAz

There is a benefit from playing on the computer, no matter what games he plays, the child develops logic (in order to pass something, you need to think about how to do it), hand motor skills (press the keys), learn spelling (when you need to write something, he types on keyboard words and if they are corrected incorrectly), thereby the eyes gradually remember the correct spelling of different words. The main thing is not to allow to sit near the computer for a long time.

To protect the user from electromagnetic radiation, the computer and other modern devices (flat-panel TVs, etc.) need to be grounded in sockets. Without grounding, safe health standards are violated.
The correct room temperature for human health is 22 degrees Celsius.

01/24/2014 13:20:32, Nick14

I think that all computer games and, in general, all communication between a child and a computer cannot be treated “one size fits all”. There are useful games, in addition, there are games that develop in our children not only reaction, but also creativity, holding competitions in which children have to draw, compose or do something with their own hands. I think the author of the article did not study the issue, but was content with generally accepted clichés.

I think that all computer games and, in general, all communication between a child and a computer cannot be treated “one size fits all”. There are useful games, in addition, there are games that develop in our children not only reaction, but also creativity, holding competitions in which children must draw, compose or make something with their own hands. I think the author of the article did not study the issue, but was content with generally accepted clichés.

The article is useless. We started with a computer and ended with a TV, and I thought it would be about computer games. Not specifically what is bad in computer games, what is good. No specific advice. And then there are educational games, presentations. And there you don’t need to stupidly press the button, you need to think there. For example, my eldest daughter enjoys watching presentations on the computer, playing games (for a short time for 15 minutes a day), drawing, modeling from plasticine, playing role-playing games, reading books and watching cartoons. And all with pleasure. I don’t see any harm from the TV and the computer, everything is useful and harmonious.

It seems to me that it is necessary to give access to computer games and cartoons only after the child has OTHER real hobbies. So that TV and a computer are just “one of”, and not the only desired type of leisure. Dates are individual, depending on the child)

Comment on the article "Computer games for children: benefit or harm?"

There is nothing more important and more precious than the health of our children. You can’t buy it for money and you can’t change it like a used battery. It is very important to understand which organs and systems of the baby suffer from the computer. And take steps to prevent that from happening.

Impact on children's health

1. Vision.

The eyes are the first to suffer. They are in constant tension. If you stay at the monitor for a long time, symptoms such as double vision, temporary myopia, dryness and burning sensation occur. Children's eyes quickly get tired due to their immaturity.

Vision is deteriorating, and glasses will soon have to be put on. Most often, children play on a laptop or tablet while lying on the couch, which increases eye strain. In recent years, according to statistics, myopia (nearsightedness) is twice as common in first-graders. This indicates the detrimental effect of the computer on vision.

1. Posture.

The computer also harms the posture of children. As a rule, a place for playing or learning at the computer is not equipped for the growth of the baby. For example, he plays on a laptop, sitting on the couch, on the floor, lounging on an armchair.

The back is in the wrong position. The child slouches or stretches his neck too much because he cannot see the image. Over time, this leads to curvature of the spine. There are complaints of pain in the head and in the back.

1. Nervous system.

A weak, not yet fully formed nervous system in children fails during prolonged contact with a computer. This is manifested by increased excitability, poor sleep, a sharp change in mood.

Attention decreases, unmotivated aggression appears. Subsequently, children develop computer addiction. In addition to the favorite "toy", the dependent child no longer cares about anything.

Signs of computer addiction in children

• the real world is replaced by the virtual;
• communication skills are lost. It is easier to find friends on the Internet than live;
• achievements in real life are replaced by passing the level of some game;
• the desire to go out somewhere, to do something disappears;
• avoid contact with other people;
• appetite decreases;
• sleep worsens;
• school and household duties are ignored;
• aggression is manifested at any attempt to limit contact with the computer.

This condition requires medical intervention. Parents alone are already difficult to cope.

At what age can you play on a computer?

Children and the computer is a very discussed topic. It is believed that the later a child gets acquainted with an electronic computer, the better. But you need to consider the benefits of a computer.

When the baby is very small and is just beginning to explore the world, it is interesting for him to look at funny pictures on the monitor and press the keys.

At this age, the words “impossible” or “enough” cannot be explained. An attempt to take them away from the computer will end in crying and hysteria. The benefit of this is questionable.

It is preferable for children to start mastering the computer not earlier than 3-4 years. They already understand the word "no". And with him you can agree on the time.

Psychologists have come up with a formula. With its help, the approximate time that the baby can spend at the computer without harm to health:

Age × 3 = number of allowed minutes. Further received minutes × 3 = rest time.

Example. The kid is 5 years old. 5 × 3 = 15 minutes - computer game. 15 × 3 = 45 minutes - rest.

Choice of computer games

The computer gaming industry does not stand still. New games are released regularly, and one is better than the other. There are many good games that help children develop memory, logic, and thinking. Also, some games allow natural talents to be revealed, allow you to learn a lot of new, interesting and useful things.

The main thing is an individual approach, which takes into account the character and interests of the little "gamer". In addition to the benefits, there are also harms from computer games. It manifests itself in a strong passion, which ultimately leads to addiction to computer games.

Children cease to control the time they spend at the computer, forget about everything in the world. As a result - overwork, memory impairment, the appearance of problems at school.

Be sure to watch the presentation for the game you are going to buy. Make sure that it does not contain violence, excessive cruelty, as well as erotic scenes. Incorrectly matched to the temperament of a small user, the game will quickly overwork him, put a lot of pressure on the psyche.

There are very receptive children. They often transfer their impressions to the real world. This can be manifested by aggression towards people around, fears, nightmares at night, isolation.

Computer Harm Prevention

• organization of a children's place for playing a computer;
• correct position: back is straight, elbows and knees are at an angle of 90 °. The distance from the eyes to the monitor is at least 70 cm;
• good and correct lighting;
• charging after being at the computer with the obligatory performance of special exercises for the eyes;
• limiting the time of using a computer depending on age;
• careful selection of games, taking into account the individual characteristics of children;
• control over the sites visited by the child with the help of special programs.

How to replace a computer?

Many parents are only happy about the appearance of computers. After all, this is another way to captivate the child and go about their business. But for those who know about the dangers of a computer and want to spend more time with children, this information will be useful.

How to diversify leisure?

• use educational and board games;
• show imagination and come up with games with safe items that are at home;
• walks in the open air. It is better to call other kids for a walk or meet them on the street;
• attend developing circles and sports sections;
• reading books together, learning poems and songs, listening to music;
• handicraft or other creative work.

And this is not the whole list. With a child, you can do anything. The main thing is to find time and desire.

We live in an era of advanced information technology. Without computer knowledge, it will be difficult for a modern person. We should be calm about the fact that our children will sooner or later master this “miracle machine”. This will help them in their studies and in finding good jobs.

The main thing is to remember the harm that a computer can bring if you do not follow the basic rules for using it.

Computer games have firmly entered our lives, taking an honorable place as a leader among the many ways to organize youth recreation. Virtual reality beckons with its endless possibilities, and every year the computer entertainment industry presents gamers with more and more new games that are simply impossible to refuse.

However, everyone around is trumpeting about the dangers of computer games - and the issue of gambling addiction of parents, whose children spend all their free time at the monitor, is of particular concern. Why are computer games dangerous and can they be useful?

Harm of computer games

The biggest danger posed by computer games is the emergence of gambling addiction. This is a real deviation of the psyche, requiring the help of a qualified doctor and the support of relatives and friends.

A person who has succumbed to addiction to computer games literally lives in virtual reality, only occasionally going offline. The extreme degree of gambling addiction is when the gamer loses his appetite (he does not want to leave the games even for eating) and sleep (he spares time to rest and even in his sleep continues to conquer worlds and kill enemies). The worst thing about this addiction is that it usually starts quite harmlessly, without arousing suspicion from loved ones. That is why it is so difficult to fight gambling addiction - when it becomes obvious, it is impossible to pull the gambler out of her tentacles so easily.

The harm of computer games for children is especially noticeable, among which adolescents are a special risk group. In a matter of days, their fragile psyche succumbs to the negative influence of games, and parents face the acute problem of how to tear their child away from the computer. In addition, children, unlike adults, do not know the measure and have a worse sense of time - it seems to them that they spent only a few minutes at the computer, while several hours have already passed.

However, the harm of computer games also affects adults. And if an adult can and should be next to a teenager who is obliged to snatch him from gambling addiction, then few people follow an adult gamer. And by the way, computer games, along with drunkenness and betrayal, are becoming one of the most popular causes of divorce in young families. Well, what kind of wife would like a husband who spends all his free time not with his family, but surrounded by virtual robots, zombies and killers? In addition, over time, the gamer becomes inattentive, absent-minded, he does not get along with his work, he ignores his duties. Gambling addiction causes the collapse of the family, problems at work, leads to depression and loneliness.

Many gamers go further and are willing to spend money to take advantage of paid services in online games. Become the strongest and coolest in a few minutes, without "pumping" your hero for several months - well, who doesn't dream about it? And the creators of online games "helpfully" slip the players this opportunity. Of course not free. And since everything is not limited to one game, money slowly begins to flow away from the family, the gamer eventually gets into debt, real life begins to resemble a living hell, but in virtual life he is a king, a god and a superhero. Such is the price of gambling addiction.

Speaking about the dangers of computer games for children and adults, it is worth noting that various shooting games, rpg games, flying games and racing are of particular danger in this regard.

Why are computer shooting games dangerous? This is the most dangerous type of games, because the gambling addiction caused by them is accompanied by aggressiveness and anger. And no wonder - shooting people for hours in the virtual world, you are unlikely to become a kind-hearted person.

Also harmful are rpg games, flying games and races, which, although not characterized by aggression, require increased attention, are addictive, and it is difficult to break away from them. Of course, it seems completely impossible for a gamer to press pause during the next race or through the maze.

And, of course, online computer games are dangerous in terms of the material waste mentioned above.

In addition, constant sitting at the computer can cause negative consequences: vision will deteriorate, problems with excess weight and the musculoskeletal system will arise, and hands will become swollen.

The benefits of computer games

Do you still believe, after reading everything, that computer games can be useful? It turns out that it really can be!

First of all, you should pay attention to the varieties of computer games that contribute to the development of intelligence, logic, attention, memory and other qualities. These are various logic games, puzzles, rebuses. Strategies occupy a special place among such games. Such games do not require increased attention, speed, eye strain. They are measured and designed for a long pastime. They can be interrupted at any time without the risk of being killed or eaten.

There are a number of educational computer games for the youngest children from 3 to 5 years old. They will teach the baby letters and numbers, introduce the world of animals and plants, have a beneficial effect on the development of the emotional sphere, contribute to the development of hand motor skills (manipulating the joystick, mouse and keyboard), visual memory, musical ear.

The benefits of computer games for younger students are also obvious - a lot of educational games have been developed for them that will help deepen their knowledge in a particular area, teach them how to act in various situations, and contribute to the formation of perseverance, concentration, attentiveness.

With the help of computer games, you can unobtrusively teach a child foreign languages, improve his knowledge of a particular subject, develop “limping” qualities and abilities. Of course, the computer should not become the only source of development for your child - books that develop board games, constructors, puzzles and, of course, parental attention and affection as an integral companion of all activities are still relevant.

That is why the direct responsibility of parents is not to forbid the child to interact with the computer, thereby causing resentment and aggression, provoking him to escape to Internet clubs (where no one will definitely offer him educational games, but will load him with shooters and walkers), but to choose the most optimal for him, options for computer games, draw up a lesson plan for them, allow him to play “harmful” shooters for a certain time limit, stimulate the child to relax not only in the virtual world, but also in the real world.

Yes, and for an adult there is a benefit of computer games, "consumed" in moderation. This is a good way to relax after a hard day's work, get away from the everyday hustle and bustle, "wiggle your brains." As in the case of children, the type of game is important here (well, what kind of rest and relaxation in the next shooter?) And the time that is given to it. From 1-2 hours a day spent in the computer worlds, nothing bad will happen.

What do we have as a result? As it turned out, everything depends on the sense of proportion and the variety of the game. Virtual reality should not take up all the free time of a person, it should not provoke him to cruelty, develop aggression and anger in him. It should be just one of the leisure options, along with sports, outdoor walks, reading books, watching movies, meeting friends ...

If you understand that you are deprived of all of the above, and only games are left in your life, urgently fight this! Or better yet, just avoid it. Life is so beautiful and varied - and it would be so stupid to spend it all sitting in front of a monitor screen.

Our modern life is simply inconceivable without all these shooters, rpg games and other virtual games. A perfectly logical question arises: "Is there any benefits of computer games? Can they only do harm? Gambling is equally common among both children and adults. There was an opinion that the eyesight deteriorates from computer games. Appears overweight. There is a disorder of the nervous system. Research conducted at the University of Rochester (New York State) led to the following results.

The group of students who regularly played virtual games demonstrated better results during the eye test than the control group. Moreover, they turned out to have much better visual reaction and the ability to track up to five objects at the same time, while the “non-players” stopped at three. The speed of processing visual information among the players also turned out to be higher.

The problem of excess weight is the scourge of our time (see article). But is there a direct relationship between fullness and computer games? Scientists from the University of Hong Kong, dealing with this issue, were perplexed by the results. It turned out that the speed of contraction of the heart muscle and the energy consumption spent on virtual actions (per minute of time) are four times higher than in other seated games. However, it was confirmed indirect dependence of overweight and computer games. This is due to the consumption during the games of cola and chips (children) and beer with sausages by adult players. in this matter is hardly present, but there is no direct harm either. If you take breaks and do gymnastics, then playing computer games will be quite a useful activity.

Dr. Christopher Ferguson has conducted a series of complex long-term studies, trying to trace the relationship between various types of nervous disorders and gambling addiction. It was not possible to prove an unambiguous relationship. In each case, there were side factors that could lead to mental disorders.

Also, don't forget to say about the benefits of computer games that there are not only arcades, shooters and racing, but also logic games and strategies that train the ability for logical thinking, spatial imagination, planning and the ability to learn from mistakes. Moreover, if a teenager is given the opportunity to pour out his aggression on imaginary enemies, then in life he will be more restrained. Computer games help children find something to do, instead of aimlessly wandering around the yards and gatherings with alcohol and cigarettes.

The main thing is that you need to know the measure in everything and limit the child’s contact with the virtual world, preventing him from straying too far from reality, because you can not notice and. Yes, it is worth mentioning such an important aspect for parents as the ability to use games for educational purposes. Weaning from the computer, as a punishment, is less painful than "hands-on training", but at the same time very effective. Naturally, each parent should dose the amount of time spent playing games. Children are not burdened with thoughts about work, how to feed their families, etc., they may well be dragged out by games. And this may well cause difficulties in communicating with the real world.

Which reign in society and which are quite far from reality. And now let's look at 7 useful properties of computer games:

1. Increase self-esteem, make a person more self-confident and purposeful.

A few years ago, Mark Griffiths, a scientist at Trent University in Nottingham, set out to find out what benefits games could bring. The scientist conducted a study during which it was possible to find out that games develop self-confidence. According to the scientist, "when you win the game, you feel good - and this raises your self-esteem."

Robin Rosenberg, a scientist at Stanford University in California, came to the same conclusion. Research results have shown that games in which people play the role of superheroes help to be more useful to society in real life.

2. Gamers improve their English language skills through games.

World of Warcraft, Call of Duty and other similar action games and shooters contribute to the popularization of the English language. For example, one study in Sweden showed that young people who play computer games communicate online in English (written or spoken) for about 10-12 hours a week. Moreover, games often use colloquial language with expressions and words that are not found in either general school or university programs.

3. Computer games are a source of new knowledge.

A survey of the creators of the popular game WOT (popularly known as “tanks”) showed that players became more interested in military history, including tank building, which made them visit museums and thematic exhibitions more often. And, importantly, not alone, but together with their spouses and children.

Another WOT player under the nickname Swordman writes: “And I personally have a sadness: when you watch old war films, you immediately notice that instead of German tanks, ours are only in a square body kit made of painted wood. I didn’t notice before, but now you can see everything at once even by the skating rinks.”

4. Games improve coordination and memory, develop logical thinking.

The best evidence for this is the fact that some schools in Europe use computer games (like Minecraft) to develop motor skills and logical thinking in children, and many surgeons prefer to play shooters to train coordination.

On the WOT forum, one of the players (under the nickname Asasinhope) wrote that his passion for games even saved his life: “I bounced off a car whose tire was torn off, I think purely because of the reaction that I acquired in shooters.”

5. Thanks to games, you can meet new people and even find your soul mate.

It's not true that avid gamers are people out of touch with real life. On the contrary, they are more socially active than many non-players. For example, research by the Entertainment Computer Manufacturers of America showed that the majority of gamers regularly play sports, read the latest news in newspapers or online, engage in creative work, and regularly visit movies, theaters, and museums. Agree, it does not look like social isolation at all.

On the already well-known “tankers” forum, a player named AmberMind writes: “Based on personal experience, in an online game you can really meet very responsive people who will come to the rescue in difficult times. This is great! By the way, there are also enough examples when dating in games led to the creation of happy families.

6. Shooters and action games are a great way to throw out negativity and aggression.

Studies prove that games help patients to distract from pain, and when aggression and negativity accumulate in real life, this is a great opportunity to throw it out virtually.

And here is an example from life. Mrtimoxa, an avid tanker, writes: “I play after work. a couple of hours - and all the aggression accumulated during the day goes away. I found a friend in a random house, it turned out we live in neighboring areas, now we periodically go bowling.”

7. Computer games develop creativity and imagination.

Performing various tasks, finding possible ways to solve the tasks, a person develops his creative thinking and the ability to think outside the box.

TotalDespair, a WOT player, believes that “strategic and tactical games develop global thinking, you pay more attention to small things. For people of creative professions, games are sometimes a source of inspiration, like music, books, films. And also, in my case, a team game (in the realities of WoT, I mean a platoon) is another reason to chat with friends with whom it is not always geographically possible to maintain regular communication.