First glance at the photo shows a young boy smiling and holding the controller to a video game. This is not such an uncommon sight these days but if one looks more into the image other things begin to show themselves. On a more in depth look it becomes apparent how young this little boy is to be alone in a dark room with only the games. No parents or friends are visible in the dark room where the little boy is sitting on the hardwood floor. The screen of the TV is not visible only the light cascading over the boy lets the viewer know it is there. This does not let the viewer know what game he Is playing, as the game is not the important part of the picture.
I believe the message that this photo is sending is not that games in general are bad, but that children so young should not be left alone to be raised by the games. Its not so much a problem that this child is playing the games, but he should have a parent of friend with him. Leaving a child in front of video games in the dark for as long as the child wants is not an appropriate parenting method. Although is seems like common sense to not let a child play a video game all day , may parents let the child do it because it is easier than setting rules for how long they can play.
Playing too many video games at such a young age with little parental intervention can cause problems for the child later in life. A dependence on games for entertainment and relaxation may develop. This is not such a problem if the child has other ways to cope as well, but if all they know is the games difficulties will occur when the games are not available. Social interaction skills may also be damaged if all the child does is play games alone instead of with other kids. The games themselves are not causing the problem and in moderation can be good for the child. Yet as with most activities should be limited by the parents and watched over.
Photo found at http://www.aolcdn.com/ch_playsavvy/kid_tv_light.jpg
I disagree with the argument that parents should watch over their children while playing games. At this young of an age, parents are actually the ones that are supplying the games to their children, and most of them are wise enough to buy appropriate games. There are several educational games that are being made, and the box itself will tell a buyer what type of audience should be allowed to play this game. I feel that parents should give their children the freedom to play these games without supervision to make a child feel more independent. Also, the picture doesn't coincide with your assumption that the child is playing all night long. Even though it is dark, maybe that is the allotted time that the parents actually let their child play. Like maybe this child is allowed to play for an hour after dinner, which the rarity of playing could be the reason why he is smiling. But I do agree with the fact that parents should be more involved with their children, and if they are indeed involved, then the children won’t lack such social skills in the future.
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