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With video games reaching an all-time record of $17.9 billion in sales for 2007, parents may need assistance in helping their kids use their games in safe and healthy ways. Here are two new resources we just learned about:
Xbox offers family settings where parents can set timers for their kids, control which games they have access to, and require approval before connecting with new people.
WhatTheyPlay.com offers parent reviews of video games, descriptions of content, and images/video from the games themselves. Users can search by the kind of video game system, the game rating, game title, or kind of content.
The Nintendo Wii, which allows movement in real-life time and space to control movement on a video screen, is offering a chance for rehab patients and seniors to take part in their favorite activities.
This video shows a cerebral palsy patient, stroke victim, and disabled veteran all using Wii to practice their balance and hand-eye coordination as they attend physical therapy.
The Daily Times reports that older residents who never thought they'd bowl again were throwing strikes with gusto. These kinds of activities encourage seniors to sharpen their movement skills.
A recent NY Times article explored a study which concluded that because violent movies attract violent people and keep them contained in movie theaters, there are 1,000 less violent crimes every week.
On the one hand, this seems like a time displacement argument with a very narrow focus
-- akin to saying that there are less people playing football in the park during the time that the Superbowl is on. (see submitted Letter to the Editor)
On the other hand, one could consider that keeping youth off the streets (whether through entertainment or after-school activities) is a valid way to keep crime down. Though of course this brings up the question of whether the content of that entertainment matters in the short- or long-term.
Here's the full text of the study -- what do YOU think? Respond by clicking on the Comments link below.
The following was written by Guest Blogger Dr. Gwenn, a pediatrician, health journalist, mother, and author of the blog Dr. Gwenn Is In.
Teen celebrity news is always adding that extra twist to our lives as parents, forcing us to answer our kids’ tough questions. And the latest gossip about Jamie Lynn Spears’ pregnancy is no exception.
What is important is our reaction to their questions and our ability to answer them in a way that keeps them coming back with more questions. If we become too rigid or judgmental, they'll run and get their answers from someone else.
The other element of this picture is to help our kids see the difference between our world, the real world, and the "real" world of the celebrities they idolize. I try to get my girls to see that their idols are in a way always in a show and always "on". Their lives are very similar to the sit-coms they are hired for and really the best "reality TV" on air today!
Celebrity news like this always sparks some great articles on how to talk to kids about difficult topics. One of my favorites is from last December's Newsweek. Author Kathleen Deveny hits the nail on the head about celebrity news and kids in her last paragraph:
"So I vow not to bring the subject up with my daughter and if she brings it up with me I will try to find out what she thinks about it. I will try not to be harsh or judgmental about Ms. Spears, because I want my daughter to feel like she can talk to me about anything."
So, as 2008 gets more underway, put on your best "I'm hear if you want to talk" ears...and get ready for another year of celebrity news. Who knows what we are in for next!
