Gaming Trends and Children: Impact Discussion

When it comes to the latest gaming trends, it is easy to overlook them and just let your kid follow their interests. But unfortunately, childhood is a time when our kids are most vulnerable and a time when we create a lot of our patterns. Everything our child experiences during their early period leaves a long-lasting mark on their personality and behaviour patterns. Every game we play will inevitably leave an impression in our minds. The younger we are, the bigger the impression. That's why it is vital that, in this early stage, parents follow the trends of where games are going and how they can impact our kids. Parental anger over a child spending more hours in front of a computer or a complete ban on playing video games often only results in rebellion. However, investigating the topic of video games with their kids helps parents to understand their children better and establish a closer relationship with them.

So let's dive in and explore current and upcoming trends and how you should talk about them with your kids—things like esports, a rise in violent video games and the affordability of VR. 

E-Sports

If you need to become more familiar with this term, eSports is competitive video gaming or competition in it. Titles like League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, Fortnite, FIFA, and many others have a large base of professional players as well as audiences. Every year, Riot holds the World Championship in League of Legends. In 2019 it attracted 100 million people who could watch the matches through Twitch, YouTube, and other streaming platforms. Do you remember the legendary final of Wimbledon, that same year when Novak Djokovic managed to defend two match points against Roger Federer and triumph after five hours in London? Nine million people watched that spectacular match at one point, while the League of Legends final was watched by 44 million. The difference in the audience size between tennis (or any other sport) and eSports is not the only thing noticeable but also the difference in the average age of viewers. The demographic of people watching esports is between 18 and 34. So it is only natural that your child wants to get involved and compete. Your job is to support them and warn them that it is more complicated than just putting on their favourite headset and casually playing LOL with their friends. Being a professional gamer not only takes a lot of dedication and hard work, but it's also incredibly difficult to get there.

The Impact of Violent Games 

Around 85% of video games have some violence, and we don't see this trend dying down any time soon. American and European psychologists have concluded that violent video games can increase aggression in a small number of players, however, they can benefit many others, sharpening their visual and spatial abilities and improving their social bonding skills. Reuters reported that in a special edition of the Journal of General Psychology published by the American Psychological Association, experts went so far as to declare video games beneficial in treating certain illnesses. "Violent video games are like peanut butter. They are harmless for most children but harmful to a minority with personality or mental health problems," said Christopher Ferguson of Texas A&M International University. Ferguson emphasises that studies have shown that violent video games have not created a problematic generation of children. On the contrary, since video games became popular, children have had fewer behaviour problems, are less violent, and perform better on standard psychological tests, according to Ferguson. It is essential to pay attention to your kid and how they behave and then decide whether to let them play violent games or not.

VR Technology is Getting More Affordable

VR is getting more popular and affordable as the technology matures. If your kid wants to be a gamer, you don't need to buy the latest gaming PC that will set you back a small fortune. VR headsets can work solely on their hardware and can offer an immersive gaming experience at an affordable price. Although the metaverse is dying a quiet death, we believe this idea was just a little too ahead of its time. When every household has its headset, a virtual space might become a reality, and so parents must be careful. Talk to your kids about their experiences while in VR chatrooms and help them get context from things they might not understand. You need to learn how to use parental controls in order to prevent harmful content from reaching your kids.

In Conclusion 

As parents, it is essential to pay attention to the latest trends in gaming and their potential impact on our children. While esports and violent video games may be popular, we must approach them with caution and awareness of our children's behaviour and personality. Encouraging our children to pursue their interests in esports while educating them on the dedication and hard work required to be a professional gamer is critical. Additionally, while violent video games may not harm most children, monitoring our children's behaviour and making informed decisions about their exposure to such games is essential.

Finally, as VR technology becomes more affordable, we must guide our children through their experiences in virtual spaces and provide them with context to ensure they understand the impact of their actions. By engaging in open and honest discussions with our children about gaming, we can establish a closer relationship with them and help them make informed decisions that will positively impact their future.