Is Online Gaming Appropriate for Children Under 10?

I was reading through a forum the other day, and ran across a post that asked the same question about online gaming for children. Actually the question was, "Do you Think Online Gaming is Appropriate for Children under 10."

My first response was to say no because the first thing that comes to mind are games like "World of Warcraft." I'm kind of old fashioned when it comes to what I think children should be doing with their spare time. Interacting with other family members, going to a dance class, the park, playing sports, or riding a bike are things that come to mind.

We're forming habits and ideas when young that will certainly carry over into adulthood. Of course any unsupervised use of a computer for children under 10 should not be allowed. Some families are very strict about how long a child can be on a computer or gaming device. Other families use computer games as babysitters. If a child is busy playing a computer game then Mom or Dad can ignore them because the children are occupied, and don't require attention. I know at times parents are tired and worn out from the day. Hey, what's wrong with finding a comfy place next to your child and let them play awhile, but always know what they are doing.

This post also got me wondering what the experts have to say about this subject. Not only that, but I was curious as to what kind of online gaming there was available for the younger generation. What I found was kind of surprising. I found sites, like Disney's Club Penguin. You can use the site without a paid membership, but if you buy a membership there are more features that you can use. It's kid safe with no ads. There are many other sites for young children. Be sure to try them out for yourself to see if you find them appropriate for your child.

I also read about video game addiction. One fact that stuck out was about the under 10 group. There is evidence that shows that gaming could cause more aggressive behavior in young children. Just this one fact is enough to convince me that children under 10 should be closely supervised when using the computer.

Here are some good rules to follow with young children:

1. Don't let them play for unlimited lengths of time. Any time over two hours is too much.

2. Don't let them play unsupervised. Play with them. It will be a fun way to interact with your child.

3. Always know what your child is doing on the computer.

4. Be sure to use safeguards on your computer so they can't get into anything you don't want them to see when you are away.

Certainly there are fun things to do together online. To me that's the best way for young children to be on the computer. There are lots of things to learn. I think the computer is a great learning tool. So in answer to the question, is Online Gaming Appropriate for Children under 10? I think the answer should be, only if supervised by an adult. What do you think?

http://factoidz.com/topic/Do-you-think-online-gaming-is-suitable-for-children-below-ten/

http://addictions.about.com/od/lesserknownaddictions/a/videogameadd.htm