Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2013 10:40:05 GMT -5
My son will watch videos of people playing games for hours. He does that way more than actually playing them and I don't think he's doing it to get tips or ideas. Just for the sole purpose of watching them. It really bugs me for some reason.
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spartan7886
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Post by spartan7886 on Oct 12, 2013 11:30:24 GMT -5
I never watched the videos, but I would happily sit and watch my brother play. My parents never got it, but I figured it wasn't any different than watching TV, except sometimes when I yelled at the screen, I got results.
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ZaireinHD
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Post by ZaireinHD on Oct 12, 2013 12:17:58 GMT -5
My son will watch videos of people playing games for hours. He does that way more than actually playing them and I don't think he's doing it to get tips or ideas. Just for the sole purpose of watching them. It really bugs me for some reason. OH ok - at first I though yea that is a bit weird - BUT then I thought but what if it's a RPG (Role Playing Game) - these games are actual movies! or if it is a war combat game! geez those games get really intense. now if it is just a driving game - nah can't see that happening; watching for hours. but God of War! yea or Resident Evil. these games actually have breaks in the game and play movie scenes. oh! which reminds me the last NFS (Need For Speed) driving game I just recently finished will get to a certain point the game will stop and play movie scenes. Also I was driving exotic cars being chased by mob guys, had to out run SUV's with guys shooting high power assault rifles, not to mention other attempts to put me out the race when the Helicopter was also shooting at me and I blew up a few times trying to out run the Helicopter, then the short cut I had to take (because the movie scene goes that direction) with a snow avalanche on a thin road, or the military short cut later on in the game where they were bomb testing field! WHEW - hopefully now you can understand games today are and can be intense!
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Oct 12, 2013 14:47:24 GMT -5
And that is the problem. My son loves soccer, and he is very good at it. He is the leading scorer on his team and the team captain. But, if I give him the choice to go to soccer practice or stay home and play on the iPad - he would likely take the iPad time. If he didn't like sports, I wouldn't make him go - but when the season was over, he talked about how he couldn't wait for it to start again. It isn't that he isn't doing things that I want him to do - it is that he isn't doing things he wants to do. It seems like classic addiction - he can't pull himself away, and then he is disappointed to see what he sacrificed.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2013 16:25:42 GMT -5
My son will watch videos of people playing games for hours. He does that way more than actually playing them and I don't think he's doing it to get tips or ideas. Just for the sole purpose of watching them. It really bugs me for some reason. OH ok - at first I though yea that is a bit weird - BUT then I thought but what if it's a RPG (Role Playing Game) - these games are actual movies! or if it is a war combat game! geez those games get really intense. now if it is just a driving game - nah can't see that happening; watching for hours. but God of War! yea or Resident Evil. these games actually have breaks in the game and play movie scenes. oh! which reminds me the last NFS (Need For Speed) driving game I just recently finished will get to a certain point the game will stop and play movie scenes. Also I was driving exotic cars being chased by mob guys, had to out run SUV's with guys shooting high power assault rifles, not to mention other attempts to put me out the race when the Helicopter was also shooting at me and I blew up a few times trying to out run the Helicopter, then the short cut I had to take (because the movie scene goes that direction) with a snow avalanche on a thin road, or the military short cut later on in the game where they were bomb testing field! WHEW - hopefully now you can understand games today are and can be intense! We're talking MineCraft. Not exactly exciting movie action there...
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Oct 12, 2013 20:32:45 GMT -5
This is a question for the people who defended my son's right to play a lot of video games. I have some questions. - Do you have limits on your child's video game time? Yes. - Do you have acceptable times during the day or week, and mandatory non-video game hours? Yes - Do you monitor their playing? Do they ever use the computer / iPad / xBox to not play, but instead watch video games being played by others? (Posted videos) Is that okay, is that the same as TV? Yes, to posted videos and hulu-type situations. I treat tv & video games as the same thing anyway. - Do you ever feel that your child has an unhealthy obsession with video games? No, but I limit it so much and refuse to buy very many of them or more than an Xbox and a Wii. They just don't have the opportunity to become obsessed. If I allowed it more, I'm not sure what would happen. - Is it okay for the child to choose video games over other activities - like playing outside, joining a team, etc? That hasn't come up yet with the two kids still at home. It kind of did for DS #2, who is now 23. We ended up sending him to the Navy when he was 19 because he wouldn't get a real job. He wanted to be a professional gamer. We encouraged him to actually attempt that, but when he didn't nor found any other type of job, enlistment was the next step. I'm very conflicted. I can't make your previous statements jive with a healthy lifestyle. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Just a caveat: I don't know what other comments/thread you're referring to. I'm not here much in the fall and spring. I also haven't read any other responses yet.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Oct 12, 2013 21:02:03 GMT -5
Okay, I didn't understand the watching videos of people playing games thing. Now that I've read through the thread, my kids don't watch that stuff. I'm not sure they know it exists. When I said yes, I meant they'll watch videos on youtube.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Oct 14, 2013 14:53:59 GMT -5
My son will watch videos of people playing games for hours. He does that way more than actually playing them and I don't think he's doing it to get tips or ideas. Just for the sole purpose of watching them. It really bugs me for some reason. I don't get it either. Also have a Minecraft junkie in the house. He will wander off to watch videos of games he doesn't have/isn't old enough to play if you don't watch out. (Mine, not yours) He was watching Assassin something 4 (or whatever it might be called) and he said he couldn't wait until he was old enough to play it. I had to point out that if he's not old enough to play it, he's not old enough to watch it either. I just looooooove how literal he is.
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8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Oct 14, 2013 15:09:58 GMT -5
Speed runs can be fun to watch sometimes. People do some pretty amazing things.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Oct 14, 2013 15:12:18 GMT -5
He's 9, he's mesmerized by anything game related. I've already starting cutting him way back, he has the same issue as Thyme's kid, missing out on stuff he actually would like to do if he could get his brain back in gear.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Oct 14, 2013 15:15:20 GMT -5
I watch DH play certain games like Assasin's Creed (IV comes out in two weeks for Chocolate's information) or God of War. The graphics on those games are absolutely amazing and I enjoy the storylines. I was banned from watching him play Hitman after I figured out how to get in the club. DH said he didn't want the games to give me ideas.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Oct 14, 2013 15:18:38 GMT -5
Gee thanks DQ, I'll run right out and buy it. That was it though.... it just cracked me up that he so completely got that he was too young to play it, but it went right over his head that he probably shouldn't watch it either. Tell your DH you have way better ideas than that
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Oct 14, 2013 15:22:14 GMT -5
Tell your DH you have way better ideas than that
Why would I go to the trouble of garroting a gaurd, taking his clothes and sneaking into the building when all I have to do is smother DH in his sleep? He didn't think things thru very far. I did get him past that mission. Took me five seconds and he'd been stuck on that level for several hours. Non-gamer wins this round!
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Oct 14, 2013 15:23:54 GMT -5
Tell your DH you have way better ideas than that
Why would I go to the trouble of garroting a gaurd, taking his clothes and sneaking into the building when all I have to do is smother DH in his sleep? He didn't think things thru very far. I did get him past that mission. Took me five seconds and he'd been stuck on that level for several hours. Non-gamer wins this round! No wonder he was mad, he'd wasted hours and hours and you just showed him right up. How rude!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2013 15:36:47 GMT -5
Ok. finally have a keyboard and some time. Sorry this took me so long.
I am a reluctant and constantly reassessing mother of a video game afficianado. I didn't buy the first video games my kids had. My mom bought their first DSs and their first Wii. I wasn't sure how i felt about it, but didn't say no either when she told me her plans.
My son has become quite a gamer. My daugher goes through spurts. Mainly, she wsa really into minecraft for quite awhile, but it has waned. She sometimes picks up handhelds, and likes app games, but otherwise is not a gamer.
Son is 15. He plays nearly every day. Do i limit. Eh... this is one area in which i fall down on consistently. I don't set exact 'you will spend no more than two hours on screens per day' type limits. But he is generally amenable if i say, you need to be off that by... or you need to do these things take a break, etc. And sometimes its after a short time, and yes there are times he spends hours gaming. He also watches videos of games, and makes videos of games, and skypes with his friends while they are all playing games, reads articles on games and attends lectures on the industry.
I am often not sure how i feel about this.
We have had many discussions about gaming and he is articulate on the subject. He has done a lot of research on gaming and violence and could adequitely debate you on that subject. Although he also respects my limits on games. He does play some M rated games (and watch some M rated anime/read manga) But if i say no, he doesn't go there. WHich is nice. Generally, at his age, i screen for sexual violence/oppressive behavior. No need to conflate a developing sexulity with violence against women... Otherwise, i don't limit much... but he's 15...
The other day he asked me if i played a lot as a kid and i said no i read books and he said he thought that was sad. I explained that Pong and Astroids didn't exactly provide the same characterization and plotting as a book back then...
But... the thing is, NOW they do. And we've discussed this. And truth be told, if games came before books, no one would read books, because why settle for a flat, linear progression of events when one can immerse oneself in the multilayerd, visual, audio, world where you can interact with your environment and be the character?
Now we've also discussed the issues of the Matrix, and when does living on the holodeck become easier than facing the realitis of life on the outside...
But ultimately, visual audio interaction is here to stay. There is no way to predict how gaming and simulation will be used in the future. Already we are waiting for the PC verision of this new game that actually teaches Java as you play it.... I'm convinced you'll soon be able to buy the video game version of your textbook. Have you ever heard of foldit? Gamers are solving puzzles that have stumped scientists for a long time. More and more simulations are being used to train and teach...
There is honestly no way to determine the vast potential of this type of interaction.
Does that mean i'm all in? No. There are times i worry excessively about his playing. But he's also a good kid, smart, does his school work, interacts with friends, etc. I make sure he still reads and listens to books... we try to maintain balance. Now, as we homeschoool, i think he plays more than others his age daily... no bus rides, school doesn't ususally take us 7-8 hours, etc.
He used to play sports, but doesn't want to now. He does rock climb, take guitar lessons, etc. but not as often as he used to.
Not sure if that is a good answer to what you were asking...
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2013 15:38:01 GMT -5
As far as obsessive behavior... when you ask him to get off, or take it away, is he angry? depressed?
When they were younger i would often do 'screen free week's every so often. Haven't done one in quite a while. Might be a good idea.
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8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Oct 14, 2013 16:15:17 GMT -5
There are times I feel like a laboratory rat playing certain games. There are times I've spent hours upon hours to win some exclusive item, or raise up some special breed of monster with particular traits. Wish I was that devoted to my career. Then again, my career isn't as fun; and doesn't have nearly as many women in revealing costumes, who kick ass.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Oct 14, 2013 16:15:27 GMT -5
Oped, you've described my 16 yo and his gaming attitude. He has always done fairly well with dealing with "I need you to get off there and do this or that" even when he was 11 or whatever. I never did set massively stringent limits with him because his attitude never got out of hand. A bit cranky over having to stop, sure now and then, but the foot stomping/pouting my youngest does? Never. I'm still trying to figure out how much is too much for the younger one. He won't be getting the same freedom because he can't handle it. Thankfully, he's too young to remember how much time DS1 spent on this or that at the same age. And, for the gamers here, I did tell the younger one that there's nothing wrong with being a gamer, there is something wrong with being so obsessed that you ignore your friend when he comes over and wants to play. Or won't go to his house to see if he's home and able to play because you're too stuck to the game.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Oct 14, 2013 19:33:05 GMT -5
As far as obsessive behavior... when you ask him to get off, or take it away, is he angry? depressed? I don't know if he is angry or depressed - but I might describe it more as frustrated and/or anxious. He is pretty even-tempered for a kid his age, but I can tell if I say "no" he can't keep the idea out of his head. I will say that it just got a LOT easier. His homework is all online, and I was being a little lazy and didn't check his progress, but I would ask him if he did it and what he was learning, and he would tell me reasonable things. Well, today I checked on and found out he has basically lied to me for a couple of weeks about doing his homework - so, that's it. He gets zero game time until he catches up. And now I know that I need to ride his ass. So glad I found this out today because parent-teacher conferences are tomorrow.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Oct 16, 2013 10:42:30 GMT -5
Oped- there are times that I wonder if we are raising the same kid. My DS and your DS seem to have a lot in common. I thought you all with the screen time limits would appreciate this. So I was in the family room last night and DS sends me a text "tell Dad to leave my room because I'm trying to finish my homework!" So I called up to my husband and was all "I need you to come hang out with me for a little while". DH was playing Grand Theft Auto 5 (?). All the gaming stuff is in DS' room so that's where he was playing while DS was sitting at his desk trying to do his homework. So yeah- last night DH had some video game time limits . When he was done with his homework he did come into the family room and tell his dad he could come back in his room and play his video game again. eta- the Boy texted me so it wouldn't seem like he was the one kicking his dad out of his room
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 10:49:42 GMT -5
Me too!
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