| Online gaming is becoming an addiction, particularly with kids, writes S. AISHWARYA |
Pastime Glued to computer screen
Heavily driven In case you have missed this, online gaming is no more a youths’ sport. Kids too are heavily driven by the digital entertainment. Internet games are enjoying a central part of kids’ agenda.
“We don’t download the games. Though it’s expensive to work online, downloading is risky. There are few viruses that can break the firewall and anti-virus software protection,” Bharath says.
Cricket and baseball stand next to racing games in the list of favourites for kids. Street crickets are passé. Kids bowl and bat virtually and the scores flash in seconds. E-sports have become their mainstream entertainment and computer characters, their sports stars.
“We tailor the players and choose their skills. It’s fun to choose humanoids rather than cars and machines,” says Dinesh.
Overscheduled Overscheduled kids are finding it hard to leave their study table for long breaks. They rather prefer to log in to internet for quick gaming. Action-packed tussles and fast-paced animations make it all the more addictive for the kids to get off from the study station.
Parents fret that while gaming hasn’t hacked away the time for academics, it has certainly cut down the time spent with family. “Kids don’t feel they are missing out outdoor games. They sit down to study at 5.00 p.m. and get off the table only to dine with us,” Gayathri Srivatsan, mother of two teens, says.
Even as internet connections have become a household essential, cyber cafes continue to see a stream of regulars for gaming. Reasons Ravichandran, who mans a centre on Salai Road: “We provide game accessories that aren’t normally available at homes. Also, playing games at homes is unsafe for computers. Hackers and virus threats are higher in gaming sites.” Ask him the demography of game freaks, comes the expected answer, “drop in to our centre any evening, it will be teeming with school bags and books.”
Different perceptions Mythili, mother of Vashisht, doesn’t see any harm in permitting the kids into virtual world. “All they need is watchful parenting. We have to sit with kids and navigate their choices. But parents have to give a go to internet access only if they are on the ball,” she says.
With Vashisht’s computer quotient seeing steady growth, her perception makes sense. But doctors, not surprisingly, disagree with easy-going parents. “There is lot of naiveté out there. Parents don’t realise the subtle effects of computer gaming,” observes M. A. Aleem, consultant neurologist.
While keeping a check on their URL of websites is all too good, health should be taken into account. Sun-deprived games confine the kids to their study room for hours. “It might seem like a good break. But constant exposure to fast-moving images has severe side-effects. Headache, eye disorders, irritability and neck pain will be the first phase of warnings.” Compression of peripheral nerves in hands and elbows will take a toll on the writing skills of students.
Behavioural problems He lists out a whole set of behavioural problems too. “Everyone knows action games trigger aggressiveness among kids. But invariably, all parents feel half-an-hour exposure won’t affect the kids anyways. What they forget is it is 30 minutes every day.”
Obesity is another major factor that parents fail to notice. Kids tend to binge heavily while on computers, doctors warn. “Those with nervous seizure have double the risk. Prolonged exposure to rapidly changing frames is said to aggravate fits,” Dr. Aleem cautions.
If your kids find it difficult to get his hands off from keyboard, pamper him by letting out to play with his friends. After all, few extra hours of leisure is much better than long hours at your medico’s clinic.
Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 12, 2008
Metro Plus Tiruchirapalli
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