Games – Join the Internet Computer Technology Initiative

VIDEO GAMES AND CHILDREN: A DANGEROUS RELATIONSHIP

Since the late 1990s, video games have become one of the most popular entertainment options for children and adolescents. Although it has been shown that their use can bring some benefits for children, excessive use can have negative consequences for their development.

Especially since the Covid-19 pandemic, children’s screen time has increased considerably. They no longer only function as a form of entertainment, but have also become part of their routines thanks to online classes. On average, American children spend between 5 and 7 hours watching some kind of screen.

READ MORE: “ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ONLINE EDUCATION“

Playing video games does not always have to be negative, and it has been shown that they can increase concentration, improve visuospatial skills, develop their ability to solve conflicts or problems, among others.

However, parents should be aware of different symptoms of possible addiction. In this article you will see what they are, their consequences and how they can be avoided.

HOW CAN I KNOW IF MY CHILD IS ADDICTED TO VIDEO GAMES?

The WHO recognises “video game disorder” as an official condition and in some countries, such as China and South Korea, there are already centres to treat video game addiction. These are the symptoms you may notice in your child if your child is developing a condition due to video games:

They are having an impact on their school performance.
Playing video games for more than 6 hours at a time.
No interest in spending time with friends, peers or family tukif.
Mood swings and irritability or anger when unable to play.
Avoids homework or commitments in order to play.
Only feels happy when playing.
Lack of concentration on other activities.
Does not spend time outdoors.
Uses video games to avoid problems or difficulties.

HOW TO PREVENT VIDEO GAME ADDICTION IN CHILDREN?

According to the Healthy Children organisation, there are certain characteristics that can make a child more vulnerable to suffering from video game addiction: boys, suffering from disorders such as anxiety or depression, having problems with aggression or shyness. Also, children suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be even more prone.

One of the reasons why video games cause addiction is because they activate the brain’s reward system. If a child is unfamiliar with managing their emotions, has low frustration tolerance and problems in their academic or interpersonal life, this can be particularly attractive. However, there are steps parents can take to help their children develop a healthy video game habit:

Create a schedule for media and screen consumption: Although difficult, especially after the pandemic with the rise of online classes, it is recommended that children spend no more than 2 hours in front of screens.
Know the games your child plays: It is important to know the type of game, what messages it has and how it can affect them.
Ideally, keep video games in common areas so that you can keep an eye on them.
Playing with them can help them to not only bond, but also setting an example of limits can be beneficial.
Playing outdoors: In addition to video games, it is good to encourage them to do other outdoor activities, as well as having contact with other people. Another excellent option is creative activities, such as painting or playing with toys.

VIDEO NOTICE

As far as I am concerned, there was only ever one comic worth getting. Forget your Dandys, Beanos and 2000ADs, none of them came close to Eagle. The reason for Eagle’s excellence was all due to two characters.
Doomlord was a photo-story of a person who changed into a monster which used to absolutely terrify me. Dan Dare was the star of the show, though, as he went about saving everything that needed saving and generally being heroic. The perfect person, in fact, to star in his own computer game….

Dan Dare

I don’t know what it is about these Classix reviews, but I always seem to be reviewing my favourite ever games. And this is certainly no exception.
Dan Dare starts with you (as DD, surprisingly) in your little space ship speeding over an asteroid. This is no ordinary asteroid though. It has been hollowed out by Dan’s sworn enemy, the evil Mekon (a little green geezer with a disproportionally large head who sits on a hovering platform). Inside, the Mekon has placed an atomic bomb and you can guess which planet he is going to send this deadly contraption on a collision course with. The only hope for the Earth is for Dan to enter the asteroid and detonate its self- destruct system.

The asteroid contains many rooms connected by platforms and lifts. There are 5 keys to collect in order to activate the self-destruct system. Once you find the first, you take it to a special room and a door to another section of the asteroid will slide open. Trying to stop you achieve this task is an army of Treens (the Mekon version of the Stromtrooper – incapable of actually shooting the enemy) and various other gun emplacements.

There is a refreshingly different system of ‘lives’. You have two hours of real time to complete the game and only one life. Each time you run out of energy (after being shot or falling a long distance) you collapse and are taken to a prison cell. This takes up to 10 valuable minutes. Every level has its own cell, except the last, which is located near the entrance to that level. In effect, therefore, you have to complete the whole level each time you fall unconscious. Dan Dare is a huge game.

A map will come in handy, especially when you are low on energy or ammunition and need to find more, but is by no means essential. There is a great sense of exploring dangerous new areas each time you enter a new level and, coupled with the fact that every level has something different about it (eg enemies, obstacles, graphics), you always want to get that bit further every time.

Apart from the non-existent music, there is nothing bad about this game. From the cartoon supplied with the game to the colourful graphics to the addictive gameplay to the asteroid exploding sequence at the end, everything is first rate.

Dan Dare 2

In all my time involved with computers, this was the game I have most looked forward to being released. I couldn’t wait for the follow up to my favourite game Dan Dare and after seeing the screenshots in the magazines, I began dribbling with anticipation. Unfortunately, I don’t remember ever being so disappointed after buying and playing a new game.

That’s not to say its appalling, its just nowhere as good as its predecessor. The reason for this is that the playability is simply not there. The idea for the game is good (you must kill new Super Treens in incubation on board a space ship), the enemy forces are nicely varied, the hovering buggy you fly makes a nice change from the norm, the problems you encounter are challenging and the graphics are well detailed and colourful. It should be a good game but it definitely isn’t.

This has to be one of the most annoying games ever. The collision detection is so bad you can shoot an enemy several times and he still kills you. Your ship responds sluggishly (possibly deliberately) which produces the feeling you have died because of a lack of response to your commands. Worst of all, you can get stuck under an attribute square. This drives you mad when you need to escape down the passage quickly.

If just a little more time had been spent on this game, the problems could have been ironed out and all the good work that was put into the rest of the game would have been realised.

Dan Dare 3

This is a very easy game to review. All the normal things you look for in a game like addictiveness, playability, excitement, involvement, a challenge, decent sound and graphics do not matter. There is one insurmountable drawback with Dan Dare 3 – it’s far too easy.

I completed it on my second go after less than two hours play. And don’t forget that I’m a senior member of the I’m Crap At Games Society. What is the point in spending many hours and hundreds of pounds creating a game so easy that you will only ever play it once or twice? I feel sorry for anyone who spent £10 on this when it came out. That’s £10 for two hours play. No game is that good.

It’s such a shame because it would be quite a good game otherwise. I suppose at today’s car boot sale prices of 50p a game it’s just about worth buying. But it’s still disappointing because you don’t feel you’ve accomplished anything by completing πορνο.

Conclusion

So it’s a bit of an odd trilogy, is Dan Dare. It could so easily have consisted of three classic games, but as it stands there is only one. Hopefully, the Dan Dare film that is about to go into production will bring some fame and fortune for Mr Dare and not be the embarrassment that other recent films of cartoon characters have been.

Category: Games