Addiction to computer games can seriously threaten the mental health of children, emphasize scientists who conducted research among 3. students in Singapore. Every tenth child had problems resulting from spending too much time in front of the computer. The findings of the study were published in the Pediatrics journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
As children become addicted to computer games, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social phobias worsen and their grades deteriorate, says researcher Dr. Douglas A. Gentile of Iowa State University, adding that the problem is not being given enough attention. lots of attention.
The questionnaires completed by children in schools show that computer games consumed an average of 20 hours a week. Researchers considered 9 to 12 percent addicted. boys and 3 to 5 percent. little girls. These children were more prone to impulsive behavior or they performed worse in the group of peers.
According to the authors of the research, compulsive computer gaming causes mental health problems, which make children less successful in the real world. This, in turn, makes them run away to the virtual world more and more eagerly and more often. However, Dr. Gentile points out that this is only a conjecture so far and not a research conclusion.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that the time a child spends in front of a computer or TV should be limited to two hours a day. Experts also advise that parents give their children educational games instead of those that contain scenes of violence, and encourage them to play games together with their friends (PAP).