Appropriate guidelines for video game play need to be set in place. Parents, educators and others need to be aware of the messages they are sending children regarding video game playing. More specifically, parents should be involved.

Parents can play a part in guiding their children’ s use of video games in the following ways:

Getting involved

Choose video games for your younger children and look for games that do not contain violence or stereotyping;

Play the games together with your children, especially when they have a new game;

Place the computer in a public area, for instance, the living room, so that you can monitor what your children are playing.Discuss video content with your children

Talk to your children on why you find certain video game content objectionable. Do not ban them outright but enable them to understand the reasons behind your objections.

Control the amount of time spent on playing video game

Establish rules together with your children on how much time to set aside for playing video games.

Encourage other activities

Encourage your children to participate in other activities, for instance, outdoor activities or hobbies.

This paper includes inputs from a report by Ministry of Community Development and Sports and Media Awareness Network (Canada).

Videos games can affect cildren’s life in a positive or negative.