Last season, the Vancouver Canucks were among the bottom ranked teams in the National Hockey League. They are currently in a rebuild phase, which means that the majority of their players are just entering the league. The average age of the players on the team is 26 years old. Many of their players are 18 or 19 years of age. However, last year, many of those young players struggled and underachieved. In response, at the beginning of the 2018-19 campaign, the management placed a ban on video games during road trips in hopes that this would improve on-ice performance and engagement in hockey among the players. Other sports teams and leagues have considered similar bans for players as the games serve as a distraction from their training and limit opportunities to bond with teammates.
Parents might find themselves envious of hockey coaches who have found a way to control video game consumption for their young athletes. Video games have evolved over the last few decades, becoming increasingly graphic and complex. In general, they are exciting, engaging, and fun activities that provide a great sense of novelty and challenge to the player. It’s therefore of little mystery as to why both children and adults can spend hours playing them, which can be a challenge for parents who find that their teens spend too much time doing so. Many teens will play over two hours of video games on weekdays, including 55% of teenage boys and 20% of teenage girls (Brooks, Chester, Smeeton, & Spencer, 2016). Although there are some benefits to video games, such as improved levels of motivation and perseverance when faced with difficult tasks, there are also a number of risk factors that are associated with overuse.
Sleep, Attention, & Social Isolation
Among the greatest risk factors associated with video games is sleep deprivation. There are two ways in which video games can contribute to sleep issues. First, late bedtimes as a result of late-night game play can reduce the amount of precious hours that teens get on a nightly basis. According to a review of the literature by Hale and Guan (2015) video games and screen exposure is strongly associated with poor sleep outcomes among teenagers. This is important because we know that lack of sleep can impair attention, increase irritability, and affect daily functioning. It is strongly advised that screen time be limited two hours before bed.
Another secondary effect of too much video game use is the lack of time that teens spend with friends, their family, and in other social contexts where they can develop their relationships with others and their social and communication skills. It has been argued that gamers can make social connections through online gaming, but this comes with its own risks and that level of interaction can never replace the importance of having regular face-to-face interactions with others. Again, gaming itself is not harmful, but the time that it takes away from other activities can contribute to social isolation or missed opportunities for creating positive interpersonal relationships.
Unplugging
As video games become increasingly graphic, parents and educators need to gain more of an awareness of what is appropriate and inappropriate for children of different levels. Here are a few tips to help teens use video games in healthy ways:
- Model: One of the simplest ways we can influence healthy use of electronics is to model healthy use for teens. As adults we can play video games and turn them off after 45 minutes to an hour of use. We can then set similar limits for teens. We can also model healthier ways of spending our leisure time, such as sports, exercise, spending time outside, playing board games with friends or family, and reading. The more teens are involved in these activities, either in the home or through extracurricular programs, the less time they will have for video games.
- Make a Plan: Creating a plan or set rules regarding video game use can be helpful if presented in the right way. Setting strict rules can be effective for some families, but many adolescents may take this as a challenge to sneak their games in. Involve your teen in planning out the amount of gaming they will do in a week. This will help them be part of the solution and limit feelings of guilt or anger that they might have towards needing to reduce time playing video games.
- Educate: Most adolescents (and adults) are unaware of the risks of excessive screen exposure. Educating them about healthy habits regarding screen time can spark some interesting questions and discussion and can keep the lines of communication open between parent and child.
In sum, the biggest risks associated with video games are related to time that is taken away from healthier activities. Video games can be a good source of stress reduction, and have been shown to be associated with some physical benefits when used in moderation, but can be problematic when the usage impairs functioning.
References:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/canucks-ban-video-games-fortnite-from-nhl-road-trips-1.4119958
Brooks, F. M., Chester, K. L., Smeeton, N. C., & Spencer, N. H. (2016). Video gaming in adolescence: factors associated with leisure time use. Journal of Youth Studies, 19(1), 36-54.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-wealth/201609/is-your-childs-brain-video-games
Hale, L., & Guan, S. (2015). Screen time and sleep among school-aged children and adolescents: a systematic literature review. Sleep medicine reviews, 21, 50-58.
Can Video Games Make You Smarter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOsqkQytHOs
Healthy Learning MTL 