There are around 5 million PS3 consoles being sold annually all over the world, Wii has reached the 4 million sales mark, and the Xbox has reached the magical seven figure sales (which is almost, if not slightly more than, Japan’s population rate). These figures may not be as accurate as we might have liked it to be, but one thing is for sure, these gaming consoles are selling fast. This means that a family with kids can have a single, if not two, consoles in their house… And for sure the kids are not letting them gather up dust.

Good ‘ol commercialism, never letting the good ‘ol bank account gather up more than the owner (normally parents) would have liked. Bank accounts are one thing, but the development of the children playing these games is another.

A kid who owns a gaming console can play up to an average of 60 hours each month. Though that would only be 2 hours of gaming each day, but some people say that these 2 hours could have been spent on more “productive” activities and tasks, such as drawing, reading, or heck, even playing musical instruments (and no, Rock Band does not count people).

There are parents who claim that their children (who play video games on the norm) are becoming short tempered and throw tantrums more often than other kids. There are those who even reach the heights of claiming that their kids are transforming to the negative.

But are these claims valid? Can children really become hot tempered because of playing games constantly?

Well one should always look at many things before coming up with a conclusion. Here are a few points worth looking at, before making a smart opinion about these gaming habits.

The Games That Kids Play

If there are emotional changes in one’s child, the games that he or she is playing is not very suitable for their age. There are many regulatory bodies that make sure that consumers (be it a full grown adult or an underage person) have a clear idea as to the content of the game or software that they are buying. The governing organizations normally make ratings and review the contents of an upcoming product, and then stamp on rating so that people can have a clear picture of what they are buying, be it for mature (M) audiences only or for everyone (E).

One of these organizations is the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), and is also currently the largest self governing regulatory board for games. For more information visit their site (http://www.esrb.org).

Looking at the most popular games list, there are about 2 games for mature audiences in it; Halo and Grand Theft Auto. These games are the top 2 games, respectively. However, the rest of the popular games are mostly Es, meaning they are generally safe for children to play and enjoy, such as Need For Speed, Pokemon, NBA Live, etc.

Be sure to check what you are buying for your kid before swiping your card, and not just with their video games.

How Parents React to Video Games

There are times that parents who do not agree with video games nag their kids a bit too much to stop playing. Although it can’t be helped for parents to be concerned, the child gets a bit more defensive every time he or she is made to stop playing (especially when a oh so hard to beat stage is finally beaten). Tantrums and such cannot be avoided if stress levels are high.

Parents should start thinking about setting a good play schedule for their kids, which would be fair to both parties. Some parents tend to overdo it, some tend to under-do it. A nice conversation with a calm voice would be great, especially if they want to reach a mutual agreement (and not a forced treaty).

Keeping in Tune… The Good Way

It might be a good idea to check on what the kids are up to when it comes to their gaming. But parents should also remember that everyone wants their privacy, and no, barging in when unwanted and without knocking all the time is not included.

Try to strike up a conversation about it, or just plain watch it quietly. A friendly banter is ok, and do try to keep the snide comments to yourself.

In keeping track of the child’s gaming activities, you don’t need to know everything, or become a game master in just one night. All you need to do is have an idea, ask around, try to understand and not over react.

Normally, it’s not the games that you should blame when children suddenly change.

Most of the time, these games are just outlets, and not the source.

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