How much time should parents allow students spend on video games?

Blog

This debate has been going on since I was a kid. The truth is, each parent has their own parenting style, and there´s no 100% right or wrong way of doing some of this stuff. Not every kid is the same, and not every game is the same. However, growing up playing on my Atari 2600 Jr. first, and then on my Mega Drive, I certainly didn´t have all the time I wanted playing Sonic 3D Blast. But things have moved on in the last 20 years, and even the school curriculum has evolved a lot.

Obviously, student years can become really stressful, especially if one is engaged in intense curriculum, extracurricular activities, and some socialization.

Others, yet, find more time to enjoy their beloved PS Vita gameplay by prioritizing gaming over some voluntary and non-mandatory activities. In that case, some students often decide to buy essay from EssayShark service, which specializes in those facilities. But let’s be honest, we are not talking about the academic writing guides but rather about the limits pertaining to gaming.

I´m 33 now. I don´t need to have my parents tell me how much time I play my Vita (though my wife certainly wants to have her say every now and then). It does help, though, that this is as much of a job now as it is a hobby, so it´s not the same as just being a kid. Let´s go over some guidelines, then, let´s take a look at what parents can do to manage their kids´ gaming time, be it on the Vita or on other consoles.

Context

First things first, it would be reasonable to review the context of student life. It is often speculated that the setting of college (or university) education is the best time for networking and making good use of social links.

But how it can be related to gaming? Well, all students should acquire some sort of versatility to pass that Managerial Finance course, alongside progressing through God of War, having parties with colleagues from campus, and succeeding in their personal hobbies. But let’s be honest, there is no such way as the universal student that has time for all of that. In that sense, the process of sacrificing something for the sake of another alternative seems to be natural and valid.

So, what makes the context of student life so peculiar for our review is that a vast majority of students are fond of gaming. Since they are not kids anymore, parents should leave it as it is, meaning that all those dull research articles about the artificial limits of gaming should be seriously perceived only in the context of the teenagers or youths. That’s a point!

In another good point, we have to remember that the Vita can go pretty much anywhere, so you can encourage kids to, say, take a hike down a secure trail, play games on the go when they are atop of a neighborhood hill, and then come back. That way, they go outdoors, they excercise, but they also get to play on their favorite portable!

Limits, limits, limits

All those notions about students not being the kids anymore are clear enough for us, true gamers, but not so evident for parents who genuinely want their children to succeed in life. Because of all those stereotypes concerning the limitations, parents might be too obsessive with controlling, observing, and even limiting.

There’s no ideal answer to the question of how much time should the students be allowed to spend on video games just because it cannot exist from any perspective. What we mean to convey is that some student’s stories about the sufficient combination of studies and gaming are not the myths but rather the natural cases of ordinary students. What makes our beloved field of portative gaming so flawless is the flexibility and adaptability to anyone’s needs and preferences. Solely because of that, students should assess how gaming impacts their studies by themselves, without even bothering their parents. Students aren’t kids, remember that?

Just set a timer

Regardless of what major a student has or how busy the schedule is, the limits should be imposed depending on one’s business. While some might feel that four hours of gaming is totally fine, others might be happy to have that one hour of their Playstation fun.

So, that basically means that we are strongly against any kind of categorization regarding the time that can be spent on video games. Technically, it is advisable to spend not more than an hour of screen time daily not to disperse the attention from the other vital activities.

Even setting timeframes within which games can be played helps. If you say, you can play games from 3pm to 4pm, then you have a rough idea of how much time that kid spends on gaming.

Also, it is vital to remember that all students develop a sense of self-constraint sooner or later, especially if it relates to something that brings them much joy, such as PS Vita. When it comes to the actual process of setting a timer, a student should manually track how much time is spent on gaming in order to get a more comprehensive image of the time management.

Just consider this direct and straightforward method to develop a more substantial realization of what’s going on with your free time, especially that relating to portable gaming.

Don’t quit

Yes, that is our main recommendation. We wouldn’t be now interpreting how it works scientifically, but gaming is a tool to satisfy your own pleasure-seeking brain. If you feel that you are a bit backpedaling in terms of your studies, just think twice about setting stringent daily limits of 30 or 45 minutes. After all, isn’t it always a decent option to make pauses in your studying process?

So, you should definitely try thinking about more strict rules in terms of timing and regularity of your gaming, but not about the ways how to erase one of the most crucial pleasures of your leisure time. This is especially true in terms of your balancing mood, which will surely require you to conduct drastic measures in the directions of academia and gaming. If you’re a parent who is reading this article, just don’t forget about eliminating that controlling and obsessive attitude, which would make the situation even worse.

Final remarks

Regardless of what is your personal attitude to gaming, you should be aware that any game on PS Vita is the adventure, which can motivate a student to reach the new heights in terms of academia. Once everyone stops being straightforward regarding criticizing gaming, the world would definitely be a better place to live (and play) in.

Encourage young people to incorporate physical activities within their gaming schedule as well, such as going out for hikes, playing with friends in order to develop social skills, and of course, set limits.

When it comes to the aforementioned limits, one is to acknowledge that their existence should be decided on the individual level of business and scheduling nuances. Technically, we could have recommended that limit of an hour per day, yet we feel that this advice might be perceived as too silly for students who have much more free time for gaming. So, just play it until you feel comfortable about how you handle all your other activities, alongside portable gaming, of course.

Facebook Comments

About Marcos Codas 384 Articles
Lover of portable gaming and horror cinema. Indie filmmaker and game developer. Multimedia producer. Born in Paraguay, raised in Canada. Huge fan of "The Blair Witch Project", and "Sonic 3D Blast". Deputy head at Vita Player and its parent organization, Infinite Frontiers. Like what I do? Donate a coffee: https://www.paypal.me/marcoscodas