Playing Video Games to Learn

Part One:

The Big Digital Picture

Introduction

Parenting has become one of the most neglected aspects of human life. It’s a trend that became palpable at the beginning of the twenty-first century, and its subsequent effects have never been as devastating. There are many reasons why the contagious disease of bad parenting has eaten deep into the flesh of society, but one of the largest causes is unpreparedness. It cannot be denied that many parents and teachers have made no attempt to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for parenting and teaching using the tools and method offered by modern technologies. The result is often an ill-parented child regarding the useful handling of modern gadgets of information technology.

Parenting is the process of promoting and maintaining the overall growth of a child from infancy to adulthood. Good parenting – especially regarding the use of technological tools and toys- involves employing effective measures in the upbringing of a child that result in a noticeable improvement in their physical, emotional, social and intellectual development. Bad parenting involves purposeful, or unintentional, utilization of a series of measures in a child’s upbringing that can gravely harm their all-round development.

Knowing and implementing the right measures to raise a child is no superficial task. It requires a lot of hard work, foresight, and sacrifice. Psychologists and researchers alike have observed and recorded the results: the failure to put in the much needed work in a child’s upbringing can form mild psychological disorders. For example, the child may develop the inability to make or keep friends and healthy relationships, or suffer from depression and low self-esteem. The availability of new technologies enhances this effect by offering easy distractions. On the other hand, new technologies also offer opportunities to take the right measures.

A good parent understands themselves and their children, then uses that knowledge to create an effective regimen of activities that builds their children in character, intellect, and compassion – not by denying but especially by using modern technologies. But how can you acquire this knowledge? This book answers these (and many more) questions by providing education and recommendations that are handy in real life situations regarding the use of video games and gaming equipment with the focus on game-based learning

Welcome to the 21 st Century

The 21 st century is witnessing a revolutionary expansion of the technology bubble creating new technological ideas on a regular basis. Routine tasks, such as sending and receiving postal letters to keep in touch with loved ones have become incredibly easier with our use of exceedingly complex – yet simply crafted – gadgets including smartphones, tablets and laptop devices. However, while these technological advancements have been welcomed , they have brought with them negatives, especially in the way they have affected the attitudes of children but also of parents. Studies [1-5] have shown that a staggering number of kids possess or have access to smartphones, and most of them are perpetually connected to social media platforms. It follows logic to assume that time spent on these devices is time not spent involved in other activities, such as reading and physical exercise.

Technology has had massive effects in the way children interact with their immediate environment and with other people around them in contrast to children of earlier generations. Although social media can be used for educational purposes, its overuse has been found to have a negative effect on children’s self-esteem and self-confidence, and their all-round personal development [⁶].

In earlier days, kids were punished with house arrest. Due to their massive in-house engagements with technology, kids are now punished by asking them to go outside.

One of the most pronounced differences in the way children live today in industrial countries, as opposed to previous generations, is that they don’t get as much exercise. This is due mostly to the fact that technology (such as tablets, smartphones and gaming consoles) encourages them to be sedentary when they get home from school. And why would they when they have all the entertainment they need in the palm of their hands? As a result, fewer and fewer children go outside and play with other kids, and we’ve seen childhood obesity rates rise drastically over the past several decades. In 2012, the rate was 18%, which is 11% higher than it was in 1980 [7]. The same study also states that more than 33% of all kids and youth were overweight or obese. While many schools and parents have put in measures to curb this trend by promoting organized exercise both during and after school, we still have a long way to go in helping children assume a more active lifestyle.

Another effect that technology has had on children is in the way they interact with other children. Children who spend more time on their devices have minimal time left to spend with their peers, and tend to find it more difficult to pick up on social cues and develop meaningful relationships. This can develop into a serious emotional problem as they grow and develop.

The aim of this book is not to rule out the many uses of technology altogether, but rather to serve as a guide to parents who want the best for their children by using technology the right way. Technology offers endless possibilities of positive usage in a child’s learning, and can prove indispensable in their upbringing if utilized correctly.

The 21 st Century Parent

Every parent wants what’s best for their children. And to achieve this, they often implement strategies that help shape their children into successful adults while avoiding those that may result in maladaptive outcomes. As a parent in this digital age, you must understand that absolute control over your child’s development cannot be achieved or pursued nor is it useful. Instead, an approach of mutual understanding, between parent and child, must be employed to tackle the many setbacks to good parenting in this modern era. A way of achieving this mutual understanding is by recognizing your child’s needs at various stages of their growth and development and adjusting your attitude to suit their needs.

It’s safe to conclude that the parenting burdens on a 21 st century parent supersede those that earlier generations parents bore. This conclusion is drawn from the facts and figures surrounding the behaviors and attitudes of contemporary children, due partly to the direct effects of modern society, economy, the advancements in the technology of the era and partly to the ever-increasing levels of ‘urbanization’ and ‘civilization’ brought about by same technological advancements. The environment is always changing, and as such, children’s attitudes are evolving; a result of which is an ever present need for parents to adjust their behavioral and parental patterns. Somewhat in the 20 th century, for instance, a parent may have faced a challenge of keeping their children indoors more, to prevent them from coming to harm in the process of playing with other children. In this era, in contrast, a parent would be worried about the time their children spend indoors glued to their smartphones or televisions.

Parents have parental responsibilities now more than ever!

Innovations in technology have made the arduous task of parenting even more labor demanding. More than ever, children spending too much time on digital technology is considered injurious to their mental, physical, emotional and intellectual health. Children and adults are becoming increasingly timid and short of confidence due to over-indulgence in social media. All of these negative effects are happening in an era when parents are saddled with the responsibility of combining child upbringing and day-to-day-work.

The roles and responsibilities of parents towards their children in the modern era are more complex, and there’s no quick fix for the uphill task. However, there are certain guidelines and recommendations that, if adhered to, may bring about positive outcomes in the upbringing of your kids. Parents are not born, they are made. The role of this book is to outline the unique challenges modern era parents face in the course of parenting throughout digital gaming content, and present guidelines and recommendations to help surmount them.

Weighing In Modern Gadgets

Technological gadgets have become a mainstay in our lives. How could you leave the house a few years ago without a mobile phone, or not be available all day or arrange to meet someone on the road? How did one get answers to important questions or the news of the world and how did one stay in contact with distant people? From mobile phones to desktop computers, heart rate monitors to blood glucose sensors, intelligent watches and rings, electronic devices have become an extra appendage in our anatomy. Although children and adults share certain devices in common – including mobile phones and computers – some of these machines are age sensitive and used almost exclusively by specific age groups. Health monitors for blood glucose and heart rate sensors are only generally used by older people, while younger people favor more trivial gadgets such as gaming consoles and digital toys. As a parent, it’s important to know what gadgets are suitable for your children and how they impact them.

Personal Computers

Personal computers (PCs), like most devices, have undergone tremendous evolutions in the last few decades. Homes – and even offices – are shifting from bulky desktop computers to the more portable and sleek notebooks and laptops. Notebooks and laptops are favored by children, as opposed to desktops, because of their relatively small sizes and ease