Yesterday, the New York Times ran 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 paper. This looks strange considering how the world is falling apart and democracy is dying in front of our eyes, but yes, we certainly think that children could be playing too much. Roblox.
The article, run on January 16th, citing some experts and displaying a lot of “scary” numbers about screentime. But it was also the reason that video games and the internet have helped many people, children and adults, stay connected and in control at this terrible time.
The whole career is also strangely motivated by a small random family that is currently struggling due to the pandemic. Their son plays a lot of video games as a way to connect with his friends. His father and mother are worried about the amount of time he spends in front of the screen, but they also know that this is one of the few ways he needs to communicate safely while covid-19 is running wildly all over the world. This is a difficult situation I think many parents around the world are going through right now. But clarifying just children and how much time they spend avoids the fact that all of us, not just children and teenagers, are dealing with more time. urgency and a real lack of human interaction. Instead, the article goes on and on about how unhealthy and dangerous this time can be for children. How children need to disconnect more. How children play too much Roblox.
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“What are you going to do when you’re married and stressed? Tell your wife you need to play Xbox? ”This is a quote that is included in the story, from the mother, as the son explains, after their dog died on New Year’s Eve, that he used games to make up his mind off the grief. It is presented as negative. However, I can list several times when I and others have used video games as a way to reduce stress or escape a horrible day. This is not what I am trying to throw this mother under the bus. I can understand the fear she and many others are going through.
The real question is why that fear had to be on the front page of the New York Times, presented in an article that frames video games and the internet as dangerous, addictive things that harm and detain our children. The article literally opens with a quote from his father about how he feels he has “failed” his son, as he is playing video games and using his phone. It sounds like something that I would have seen in the 90s on some local news broadcasts, with clips of children playing NES in the background.
This is not the first time we have seen larger and older centers focus on just kids playing games and try to use scary and scary numbers to build a statement that completely avoids reality.
Are there any reasons to worry about how much time we all spend online? Probably. I seem to be spending 12 hours on Twitter and breaking down the latest tragedy hurting myself in ways I don’t fully understand. But, right now, things are different. The world is battling a global pandemic that is killing thousands every day. Many of us are locked in, dealing with all the stress and frustrations that come with it. Through it all, we continue to work, go to school, raise children, and deal with hundreds of other problems. I don’t need to tell you how hard life has been for so many people over the past year (check calendar)? (Holy shit …)
So if you or your kids need to escape and you want to play a little Minecraft and you may be playing a few hours more than usual, don’t worry about it. We all rely on digital apps and services to stay connected and happy. Binge some Netflix. Schedule a Zoom session with family and friends. Or play some Call of Duty Warzone with your distant sisters.
Life is hard enough right now. Don’t beat yourself up for taking care of yourself or letting your kids have fun with their friends.
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