Online Usage

[skinzzfan25]

My child subscribes to an online game. He claims to play it when "there is nothing better to do." He gets good grades (honor roll), no drugs, alcohol, or sex. But sometimes he plays it roughly 3-4 hours a day. He does however go outside and play football and basketball for long streches at a time. He does not have a high school club, but does recreational basketball. My main worry is that he becomes addicted to this game. At times, i let him stay home and when we leave he is on it, and when we are back he still is. He does fit my requierment of going with the family one place a week. I have tried a time restraint but he somehow seems to get on.

Should i take away the online game? Or should I let him keep it, allowing his grades are good, and he has a social life

Thanks :)

[lsie1]

You dont say how old your son is,but i would still let him play it,but maybe cut it down a little.I think if you took it away then maybe his grades will suffer and he may resent you and start misbehaving.

good luck.

[lepers]

i'd say give the kid a break, as long as he's not spending excessive hours in a dark room by himself! if not perhaps put the comp in a fmaily room like the living room or dining room. if he's interacting with other kiddies then i don't c there is much to worry about. better that than hanging about on the streets with some feral kiddies . . .

[skinzzfan25]

my son is 14

[skinzzfan25]

He sometimes plays for 6-7 hours on rainy days when it is too weather is not good enough for outside sports.

[lepers]

if he's not neglecting his school work or more important things to have some fun on the pc it isn't too bad is it? what else is there to do on a rainy day? yeah he could read a book or something, seems like ure almost looking for a problem with him. no offence meant.

[skinzzfan25]

any more thoughts?

[twopennorth]

Let him play the game.

He sounds like a good kid, who is mature enough to have found a way to relax and get away from his studies for a few hours. Essential for higher education, and a very useful strategy for coping with the difficulties life can throw up.

How many hours do you spend on chat pages, btw? :)

[skinzzfan25]

ok, any more thoughts?

[NiceCupOfTea]

My partner (who's 36) plays online games for three or four hours a day. It annoyed me when we first met, but then I realised that I would spend much longer reading a book, or watching the telly. They are all just ways of passing the time in ways which entertain us. At work, you have to take breaks every hour for five to ten minutes to give your eyes a rest from the computer monitor, so suggest the same to him.

[curiosity]

My son & nephew both play online games, and like you say some days it seems to be "their world" but it isn't, they do well at school & Uni, love socialising, music, any games really, very active outdoors when weather permits, will play board games also. The online games also include social elements & lots of strategic thinking, and typing skills, hand eye co ordination etc etc. When I think about the hours I spent concentrating on throwing two balls up against a wall and catching them while chanting some rhyme! I acknowledge that we all have our passions at one time or another.