Why TV and videogames can be good for your kids

A report from the Joan Gantz Cooney Centre explains how interactive parenting can benefit your child in a media-saturated world.

[WelshPixie]

But but TV and Vidya Games are satan's work! Spawn of the devil! Fox news told me so, it must be true!!

On a more serious note: Yay. We're progressing more and more strongly towards a digital future and rather than trying to rebel against it, people should be figuring out ways of adopting it beneficially.

[HanCilliers]

Good read. I totally think that parenting should adapt to the media-saturated environment children grow up in. Gaming for one can be a fantastic tool to educate and share one-on-one time with. Heck, it can be time spend on entertainment as well as education with the parent. It is something overlooked by most parents today, they use games as a tool to just keep kids busy.

[iamnsuperman]

For me it depends how it is done. Bad parenting has lead to the demonisation of TV and Video Games for children. Too many parents just plonk their child in front of a computer screen/TV and then wonder why their children turn out to be social hermits. It is a balance. Too much can ruin a child's social skills but it can, like you said, be used for educational purposes

[PandaMcBearface]

Exactly. The TV isn't a baby sitter. But at the same time we have to adapt to the fact that this is the age of social media. We have to find a balance - too much is silly, but if used in the right way, media can be beneficial.

[DesVader]

Nice positive story!

[GabeSA]

I think that interactive gaming is cheaper and easier than going out to buy puzzles for interest to let your child play. It saves space as well. It is progression, but as per any tool used by the youth, must be closely monitored by parents.