Violent games can hurt our children

This time of year we regularly write concerning the noxious effects that can be triggered by allowing children to play with violent video games or toys. In light of the horrific shooting in Newtown, Conn., the need to pay attention can become even more urgent.

Violent gw2 gold games do not necessarily cause violent behavior. However they set a context and provide tacit approval for violent thoughts and actions. Also, by making such purchases we're all supporting a culture of violence that is no longer tolerable.

When getting gifts for kids this holiday season, then, it is worth noting that lots of of today's computer games & toys are shockingly violent, and the messages sent to people that play them can make a cumulative difference over time.

We know that youngsters learn by way of play & they absorb values by mirroring what they see & hear. When we give a kid a violent game, computer game or toy, we're saying it's OK to play that way, & that those activities are acceptable. There is a subtle message being sent — and 1 that is reinforced at every turn in the news — that violence is "out there," & it is OK to fantasize about it.

It is totally not OK for kids to fantasize about violence, particularly at the individual level. We need to make that message clear to young folks as early as we can.

We live in a media-saturated world, and those media messages are filled with violence. This is a big departure from earlier generations. A large number of of us played with violent toys, however it was easier to separate that play from reality because the movies we watched, the books and newspapers we read, were gentler & more innocent than the current fare. Play and fantasy were clearly separated from reality.

That's not accurate today. Cartoons, reality shows and computer games appear to blend with informational shows or news. We have turn out to be numbed to tragedy & suffering. Sometimes it has even been glorified. We hope that the tragedy in Connecticut begins to change that culture, though we all want to do our part.

We know the pressures our children exert on us when there is a game or toy they honestly want. Primarily around getaway time, we should give kids gifts that will make them pleased.

However when movies, computer gw2 gold games, television programs, DVDs, & even the morning newspaper and evening news are filled with messages of violence, it will become more difficult to separate the fantasy messages from those of the genuine world. Our children can turn out to be numb to human suffering basically for the reason that news of it surrounds them at every turn.

As parents and relatives, we send messages to our children through everything we do, and — whether we mean to or not — by means of the games and toys we give. If we really hope to accomplish a safer, more civil world, we've got to start little & early, acting on the values we wish to reinforce. Actions consistently talk louder than words, and giving violent toys & games can counteract what we say to our children about kindness and compassion.

There are a lot of astonishing games & toys accessible. When it comes to the violent ones, it can be finest for our children if we just choose something else. That conclusion is becoming more & more self-evident. Let's all do our part to start counteracting the culture of violence.