He earned global attention for his role in Anatomy of a Fall, winning the Palm Dog prize for best canine performance at Cannes
entertainment1 hour ago
While violent video games and dangerous online material may be popular among young people, some experts are warning that over-exposure to such material may cause children to become aggressive, see violence as normal, or, in some cases, even lead to physical harm.
Parental concern over violent and dangerous games was starkly highlighted by recent rumours of the "Blue Whale Game", in which an online social media group allegedly dared young people to commit a series of 50 increasingly daring challenges, before being told to commit suicide. Although Dubai Police swiftly noted that no cases of the game have been reported in the UAE, the rumours caused considerable alarm among parents.
Much more common and popular, however, are violent video games, ranging from first-person shooters centred around the use of weapons to games that glorify criminal acts or include sexual content.
But some experts are warning that exposure to violence in video games can lead to psychological issues, increases in aggressive behaviour or decreases in empathy and sensitivity to aggression.
"When it comes to violent video games, there has been extensive research on this issue, consistently confirming that violent video games do, in fact, have adverse effects on users," said Tonya Schwab, a clinical psychologist at Maple Tree Center DMCC in Dubai. "In my own clinical observations this is especially true for children and young adolescents."
Schwab noted that there are several reasons why violent video games could be especially impactful for children and teens.
"The first of which is the way in which individuals become desensitised to violent content. If you were to look at situations in which individuals are faced with war and traumatic events related to violence, over time as a way of dealing with the psychological impact individuals become blunted to the effects of violence," she said.
"The same is true with video games, with users becoming almost numb to the natural human response to violence."
Additionally, Schwab said she believed that many video games "train users to abandon the empathy that we all would normally feel for our neighbours."
"Instead it trains users to view them as a simple image or even enemy," he said. "This I believe can translate into day-to-day life as well."
Schwab also said "individuals unconsciously reenact experiences that they do not understand."
"For example, when you watch a child play, they will often act out aspects of their life that they are trying to better understand of gain mastery over," she noted. "Therefore, when a child is exposed to such violent content that they can't fully understand it, it is natural for them to reenact the violence or aggression."
"This, of course, causes concerns that peers and other children may be a victim," she added. "Bullying is a tremendous issue among children and adolescents, which is why empathy and kindness are such important topics to be taught in schools. Adding violent video games into the mix will only increase the difficulty with bullying in most schools today. It is important that parents and schools do their part to reduce chances that children are hurt emotionally or physically."
Schwab recommended that parents take a number of steps, the most important of which is maintaining a positive relationship with one's child.
"You want your children and teens to trust in you enough to ask questions and to also collaborate on plans to choose appropriate video games and times for multi-media devices," she said. "If you have a relationship with your child in which there is mutual respect, they are also much more likely to turn to you in their time of need."
Other steps recommended by Schwab include limiting the time a child can spend on devices, setting limits on data, keeping multimedia devices in common areas of the home, and ensuring that parental controls on devices are used.
Another expert, Lynette Owens, the Founder and Global Director of Trend Micro's Internet Safety for Kids and Families programme, suggested reminding "kids about the power and responsibility that comes with using the Internet."
"We do need to allow kids to learn how to master using the Internet for their future success, but while they are online, they should understand how to be safe, be kind, and be smart about what they are doing," she said. "Everything we do online reflects on us and is a record of our actions and character, and that we should have fun online but also learn how to use the Internet in productive ways as we get older.
He earned global attention for his role in Anatomy of a Fall, winning the Palm Dog prize for best canine performance at Cannes
entertainment1 hour ago
Leveraging sleep science to create luxurious sheets
kt network2 hours ago
An Israeli official said the proposal that Hamas approved was a watered-down version of an Egyptian offer and included elements Israel could not accept
world2 hours ago
The status of the UAE as a global business hub is undeniable
kt network3 hours ago
It was scrubbed with less than two hours left in the countdown as the capsule stood poised for blastoff from Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre
space3 hours ago
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) operates as an autonomous body within the private sector tasked with developing the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
kt network3 hours ago
The decision laid down conditions and controls for plant-production practices on small farms, improving marketing opportunities for local products
uae3 hours ago
Abu Dhabi-based airline will also add Bali, Mykonos, Nice, and more as summer destinations
aviation3 hours ago