Dealing With Teen Video Game Obsession
AnneMing asked:
Games can be addictive – But obsession is something else.
The following article is meant for parents of a teen who might be obsessed with video and/or computer games. While in some of our other articles we may sound as though we encourage obsession, we share a concern over teens who tend to shun other interests in life in favor for gaming activities to the point where they withdraw from society. We would never encourage this kind of behavior, and that’s why we’ve taken time to describe some of the signs of game obsession and offer some advice on how to deal with it.
Recognizing the signs of teen game obsession isn’t as easy as one thinks. It always starts off as first, an interest, and it then starts to grow into an addition. The problem with identifying the beginning stages of game obsession begins with the teen. By the time our children are 15 and up, they’ve learned some rather impressive debating skills. So when we question their motivations for repetitive game play, they may rebut our concerns with logic and even make it a point to question our own flaws as parents.
Since no parent ever really wants to admit a flaw, we can sometimes cave in and convince ourselves that maybe 4 hours in front of a video game isn’t that bad. After all, we spend that much time at the computer, on the phone, or transmitting data back and forth between our Palms, Blackberries, and Cingular cell phones.
Be careful not to fall prey to the logical teen. Video games can be addictive and if the time spent playing them is not carefully monitored, they’ll consume everything that a teen used to care about.
The moment you notice your teen’s grades falling, homework missing, or social life starting to drop off, nip that game time in the bud. If you wait too late to restrict game time, you may experience pre-adult temper tantrums that you aren’t prepared to handle correctly (cursing, breaking things, stealing, running away from home, etc.). At this point, the child is obsessed and will do anything to get his or her hands on a game controller.
Another sign of obsession is a behavioral change. A child obsessed with gaming will lose patience with things and with others, be quick to anger, and react to situations without fully thinking of the consequences. If you’ve paid any attention to video and/or computer games, you’ll notice that they require this kind of behavior to win or to advance to a higher level.
It’s unfortunate, but a teen obsessed with this kind of violent gaming is literally being trained to react in the manner described above. That’s why it’s pertinent that as an adult, you restrict access to this kind of entertainment and replace it with activities that slow thinking (such as art, music, theater, etc.) and expose your child to other non-violent pleasures (swimming, dance, skating, etc.).
There are a lot of debates circulating around about the impact that video games have on today’s youth and some of it might warrant paying closer attention to. As a mother or father of a teen, you will do well with your teen’s desire to “get his game on” by keeping a close eye out for undesirable changes.
Games can be addictive – But obsession is something else.
The following article is meant for parents of a teen who might be obsessed with video and/or computer games. While in some of our other articles we may sound as though we encourage obsession, we share a concern over teens who tend to shun other interests in life in favor for gaming activities to the point where they withdraw from society. We would never encourage this kind of behavior, and that’s why we’ve taken time to describe some of the signs of game obsession and offer some advice on how to deal with it.
Recognizing the signs of teen game obsession isn’t as easy as one thinks. It always starts off as first, an interest, and it then starts to grow into an addition. The problem with identifying the beginning stages of game obsession begins with the teen. By the time our children are 15 and up, they’ve learned some rather impressive debating skills. So when we question their motivations for repetitive game play, they may rebut our concerns with logic and even make it a point to question our own flaws as parents.
Since no parent ever really wants to admit a flaw, we can sometimes cave in and convince ourselves that maybe 4 hours in front of a video game isn’t that bad. After all, we spend that much time at the computer, on the phone, or transmitting data back and forth between our Palms, Blackberries, and Cingular cell phones.
Be careful not to fall prey to the logical teen. Video games can be addictive and if the time spent playing them is not carefully monitored, they’ll consume everything that a teen used to care about.
The moment you notice your teen’s grades falling, homework missing, or social life starting to drop off, nip that game time in the bud. If you wait too late to restrict game time, you may experience pre-adult temper tantrums that you aren’t prepared to handle correctly (cursing, breaking things, stealing, running away from home, etc.). At this point, the child is obsessed and will do anything to get his or her hands on a game controller.
Another sign of obsession is a behavioral change. A child obsessed with gaming will lose patience with things and with others, be quick to anger, and react to situations without fully thinking of the consequences. If you’ve paid any attention to video and/or computer games, you’ll notice that they require this kind of behavior to win or to advance to a higher level.
It’s unfortunate, but a teen obsessed with this kind of violent gaming is literally being trained to react in the manner described above. That’s why it’s pertinent that as an adult, you restrict access to this kind of entertainment and replace it with activities that slow thinking (such as art, music, theater, etc.) and expose your child to other non-violent pleasures (swimming, dance, skating, etc.).
There are a lot of debates circulating around about the impact that video games have on today’s youth and some of it might warrant paying closer attention to. As a mother or father of a teen, you will do well with your teen’s desire to “get his game on” by keeping a close eye out for undesirable changes.
How To Write: English Language Software
Jane Sumerset asked:
Even if you are a native English speaker, writing articles, stories and essays in that language may become an altogether different matter. There are just some formal rules in the disciple of English writing that are normally dispensed with when it comes to conversational terminology. According to many experts in the field of communication, there are many articulate people who still struggle with the written English text simply because the spoken word does not translate well once it is in printed form. What may sound great may not look great once it is in text form. So if people with an extensive background in English are having problems writing in that tongue, can you just imagine how much more difficult it is for people who are only ever trying to learn English as a second language?
Fortunately, there are many English language software applications available now that can make the learning process easier to bear. Depending upon your background in this tongue, you can choose Basic English software or advance English writing software. There are also applications that are directed specifically for a certain fields of interest like: creative writing, business writing, legal document writing, and medical transcriptions. It should be noted though that there are also English language software applications that can be used by people who simply want to improve their speaking and debating skills. However, according to communications experts, people actually learn how to be articulate faster by mastering the written form first and foremost. This is precisely why comprehensive online tutorials with instructional materials on English writing are more popular among ESL students and instructors.
As such, there are many advantages on using such software applications. Some of these advantages include:
1. Intensive materials on English grammar. Needless to say, the formal rules of English grammar are very different from other languages; and this very evident when it comes to translating English to another vernacular, and vice versa. There are proper sentence constructions, subject-verb agreements, and tenses to remember (among many things.) Although most English writing software applications do have grammar corrector and grammar check functions, it is the English grammar lessons that are proving to be essential when it comes to harnessing the writer’s talent. Depending upon the application you get, you can acquire these aforementioned grammar lessons in the software itself, or online via a virtual instructor or both.
2. Intensive dictionary functions. Dictionary functions are not relegated to just providing definitions or translations of words or terms; or provide proofreading and spell checking functions either. There are other types of dictionary functions that allow the user to explore antonyms and synonyms, commonly used idioms, common word usages (and those that are categorically exceptions to the rule,) subtle changes in meanings, English linguistic morphology, and even the origins of the particular word or term. In some cases, particularly in creative writing software applications, the program make context based suggestions to help bring out a more colorful or apt description of a subject. At the same time, there are also business writing, medical transcription and legal document writing dictionary functions that govern specific work-related jargons.
Even if you are a native English speaker, writing articles, stories and essays in that language may become an altogether different matter. There are just some formal rules in the disciple of English writing that are normally dispensed with when it comes to conversational terminology. According to many experts in the field of communication, there are many articulate people who still struggle with the written English text simply because the spoken word does not translate well once it is in printed form. What may sound great may not look great once it is in text form. So if people with an extensive background in English are having problems writing in that tongue, can you just imagine how much more difficult it is for people who are only ever trying to learn English as a second language?
Fortunately, there are many English language software applications available now that can make the learning process easier to bear. Depending upon your background in this tongue, you can choose Basic English software or advance English writing software. There are also applications that are directed specifically for a certain fields of interest like: creative writing, business writing, legal document writing, and medical transcriptions. It should be noted though that there are also English language software applications that can be used by people who simply want to improve their speaking and debating skills. However, according to communications experts, people actually learn how to be articulate faster by mastering the written form first and foremost. This is precisely why comprehensive online tutorials with instructional materials on English writing are more popular among ESL students and instructors.
As such, there are many advantages on using such software applications. Some of these advantages include:
1. Intensive materials on English grammar. Needless to say, the formal rules of English grammar are very different from other languages; and this very evident when it comes to translating English to another vernacular, and vice versa. There are proper sentence constructions, subject-verb agreements, and tenses to remember (among many things.) Although most English writing software applications do have grammar corrector and grammar check functions, it is the English grammar lessons that are proving to be essential when it comes to harnessing the writer’s talent. Depending upon the application you get, you can acquire these aforementioned grammar lessons in the software itself, or online via a virtual instructor or both.
2. Intensive dictionary functions. Dictionary functions are not relegated to just providing definitions or translations of words or terms; or provide proofreading and spell checking functions either. There are other types of dictionary functions that allow the user to explore antonyms and synonyms, commonly used idioms, common word usages (and those that are categorically exceptions to the rule,) subtle changes in meanings, English linguistic morphology, and even the origins of the particular word or term. In some cases, particularly in creative writing software applications, the program make context based suggestions to help bring out a more colorful or apt description of a subject. At the same time, there are also business writing, medical transcription and legal document writing dictionary functions that govern specific work-related jargons.
