Yesterday, he New York News published a story that focused on how children spend too much time playing video games and using their phones during the covid-19 pandemic. Today, that story was on the front page of the newspaper. This seems strange considering how the world is falling apart and democracy is dying before our eyes, but yes, sure, we believe that children could be playing too much Roblox.
The article, which operated on January 16th, cited some experts and presented many “scary” numbers about screen time. But he also took into account the fact that video games and the Internet have helped many people, children and adults, to stay connected and in good shape during this terrible time.
The whole message is also strangely reserved for a small random family who are currently fighting during the pandemic. Your child plays many video games to connect with their friends. His father and mother are worried about the time he spends in front of the screen, but they also know that it is one of the few ways he has to relate safely while the covid-19 runs around the world. This is a difficult situation that I imagine many parents around the world are going through right now. But highlighting only the children and the amount of screen time they use ignores the fact that all of us, not just children and teens, are facing a longer time frame and the lack of real human interaction. Instead, the article goes on and on about how potentially unhealthy and dangerous this adventure could be for all children. How to disconnect more children. How kids play too much Roblox.
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“What will you do when you are married and stressed? Tell your wife you need to play on Xbox? “This is a quote included in the story, of the mother, as the son explains that after his dog died on New Year’s Eve, he used games to get the mind out of sadness. It is presented as However, I can list numerous times that I and others have used video games as a way to relieve stress or escape a terrible day.I am not the one trying to throw this mom under the bus. understand the frustration she and so many others go through.
The real question is why did this frustration have to be on the front page of the New York News, presented in an article that frames video games and the Internet as dangerous and addictive things that are ruining our children and keeping them captive. The article literally opens with a quote from the father about how he feels his son has “failed” because he plays video games and uses the phone. It’s like something I would have seen in the 90s in some local news, with clips of kids playing NES in the background.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen it larger and larger establishments focus only on children’s games and try to use numbers of fear and dread to construct a narrative that completely ignores reality.
Are there reasons to worry about the time we all spend online? Probably. Spending 12 hours stuck on Twitter and ruining the latest tragedy presumably hurts me in ways I don’t fully understand. Still, right now, things are different. The world is fighting a global pandemic that kills thousands every day. Many of us are trapped inside and face all the stress and boredom it entails. With all of this, we continue to work, go to school, raise children, and deal with hundreds of other problems. Don’t I have to tell you how difficult the lives of so many of us have become over the last year (calendar checks)? (Holy shit …)
So if you or your kids need to escape and want to play with it Minecraft and maybe you end up playing a few more hours than usual, don’t worry. We all rely on digital applications and services to stay connected and happy. Binge a bit on Netflix. Have a Zoom Hangout with family and friends. Or play some Call of Duty Warzone with your long-distance siblings.
Life is hard enough right now. Don’t stick around to take care of yourself or let your kids have fun with their friends.
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