The rise of the video game and social media networks and apps has insidiously undermined adolescent and children’s appeal for reading alike. Pundits have referred to these contemporary pastimes as a “double-edged sword” which if not brandished carefully, could sever in a clean sweep the reading culture in a society.
Playing video games and browsing through social media apps and websites has become a popular avocation with the majority of children and teenagers. In parallel, issues of children’s choice of games (and whether they are suitable) and parent supervision are also on the rise.
Inappropriate games could leave long-lasting harmful effects on children’s mental and physical health. To manage such harms, individuals must be selective in their choices of video games, IRNA reported.
Strictly restricting children’s access to video games will not yield effective results; they are always one step ahead and manage to find their way around limiting measures. Thus a better solution would be for the affiliated organizations to produce appropriate video games by improving quality and content.
Mental Games
Specialists suggest that problem solving games, which require gamers to think their way through, help in the development of thought, innovation, and the mind. Insufficient parental supervision, however, has only deteriorated the conditions for gamers who are now entirely digitally obsessed.
According to software and computer specialist Raja Ma’ali, with the advancement of technology, pastimes have also undergone fundamental change. Some games broaden the communication gap between children and their parents; in addition to affecting children’s physical health, unchecked gaming engenders mental and social disorders in the long run.
Foreign culture easily gains ground and spreads in countries where knowledge and indigenous cultural values are not given enough attention, whereas, if a nation is well-read and the undeniable value of reading is promoted, several social maladies and challenges could be nipped in the bud, he added.
Promoting Reading
A society’s development and scientific production all largely depend on the national willingness to read. Promoting reading must start within families, he stressed.
Cultural analyst Mohsen Babaei says that incorrect and excessive use of the newly introduced apps and video games has alienated family members despite their common physical presence in a shared home. In spite of their pernicious harms, widespread and popular social media, apps, and games are here to stay. To reduce harm therefore, a feasible solution would be to enhance production quality.
Childhood and teenage years are critical in the development of individuals and by providing suitable productive recreational entertainment, their talents can be nurtured; furthermore, social and cultural development could also flourish.
