Video Games & Your Kids: How Parents Stay in Control
Obsession with video games has risen to the level of addiction worthy of possible listing as a psychological disorder, according to psychotherapists Cash and McDaniel. They explore the addictive nature of many games and offer assessment tools for parents to determine if the games are presenting a danger to their children. They examine research on the physiological effects of too much gaming, particularly for younger children, as well as negative effects on academic and social skills. Drawing on vignettes from their own practice, they look at various development stages and how children are affected by excessive video-game playing, from console games to group online games and social networks. Each chapter ends with practical advice for parents on setting limits. The final chapter is aimed at families in need of intervention beyond the book. Whether parents think games represent as extreme a danger as do Cash and McDaniel, who cite action taken by the Chinese and Korean governments to curb gaming, they will appreciate the information, including a glossary of computer-game terminology. --Vanessa Bush