Is My Kid Ready for a Gaming System?
Question: We have a son about to turn 10. He\'s lobbying hard for a Wii or the new PlayStation3. How do we decide?
Common Sense says: The minute you bring a game system into your house, you\'ve added yet another thing in your son’s world that plugs in. Video games are fun -- but they\'re addictive and designed to suck up both time and money. And before you know it, your 8- or 10-year-old is lobbying for a T-rated game.
If you do decide to buy a system, here are a few suggested rules:
Question: We have a son about to turn 10. He\'s lobbying hard for a Wii or the new PlayStation3. How do we decide?
Common Sense says: The minute you bring a game system into your house, you\'ve added yet another thing in your son’s world that plugs in. Video games are fun -- but they\'re addictive and designed to suck up both time and money. And before you know it, your 8- or 10-year-old is lobbying for a T-rated game.
If you do decide to buy a system, here are a few suggested rules:
- Be clear about time limits -- and firm from the beginning. How much time should you allow? One idea we like is to set an overall media usage limit, then let your kids decide which of the many forms of media they wish to use on a given day. This gives them a little more control -- and might lead to a little less struggle.
- Know the content of what your kids play, both at home and at friends’ houses. Our reviews can help you know what to watch for -- and give you ideas for discussions to make your kids more media savvy.
- Think carefully about online play. We don\'t recommend letting kids under 12 go online to play games. For more on online gaming, read our guide.
