4. Gaming: Positives & Negatives
Gaming can Build Skills and Also Harm Us
Gaming can be both positive and negative
Gaming is in everything! From grocery points card programs to live streaming platforms. Just like food, it’s what you consume as much as how much you consume that makes a difference in your life. If you like to game, find positive games and groups to play with online.
Benefits of Games
Gamers have better attention, speed, accuracy and multi-tasking skills and gamers score highest on tests of creativity. There are many ways that games are used positively.
Check out these links;
Heal your brain with video games | Jane McGonigal (video)
Positive Games
27 Best Educational Games for Kids
Check out the games you play on the CommonSense Media Game Reviews
A Guide to Game Ratings (PBS)
Learn about online safety by playing the Google game - Interland. (Activity)
Games for Change, featured games
My Advice
We have age restrictions on many things in our world; driving, voting and going to casinos for example. Some activities require an adult level of brain development and awareness of risks. My advice is...
Use Apps and Play Games Rated For Your Age!
Activity - Look Up Your Favourite Game or App
Games - ESRB - The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings are designed to provide information about video and computer game content so people can make informed purchasing decisions. ESRB ratings have two parts: rating symbols suggest age appropriateness for the game and content descriptors indicate elements in a game that may have triggered a particular rating or concern.
Apps also have age restrictions. See below!
Trolls
Don’t be one!
Don’t encourage!
Don’t help!
Continually look for the line between humour and cruelty.
Speak up for others who are being attacked.
Report, block or mute players who harass you in-game
Report In-Game Abuse
While there are positive games, there is no denying that there’s also trolling, abuse and harassment in games. If you feel scared, threatened or harassed reach out to a trusted adult and check out these websites together.
Go to these sites to report. cyber abuse
ERASE.ca : A short nine step questionnaire that lets you anonymously report bullying in your school
RCMP crime Reporting Website
X-Box - How to file a complaint
Playstation - How to make a report
Nintendo - How to report cheating, profanity or inappropriate behaviours