To assume not being permitted to play Xbox/Playstation is pure snobbishness?

[RichTeas]

Computer games are part of normal childhood now, and even give the children shared experiences. Why do some parents deny their children a bit of fun and modern learning. Moderation is the key, but some parents seem to think computer games are the end of civilisation.

[wobblyweebles]

They do play games on their PC, so perhaps that's what's saving them from a pointless, excluded childhood of misery.

[Artandco]

We don't own a tv.

So owning a games console would be a bit pointless no?

Dh and I never had them either and seem fine

[Sparklingbrook]

I find it hard to get het up about it TBH. All of my sons' friends (15 and 13) play Playstation or XBox.

They also manage to find time for playing for football teams, homework, revision and going into town.

DS1 goes to a school 12 miles away and he used PS4 online to connect and socialise with his friends who are spread far and wide and quite rurally. That, to me is a good thing.

[TheChandler]

Because they're addictive and there are better ways of getting "modern learning".

Echo hate this use of the "snobbiness" word to describe anyone who makes different choices to you.

[Heels99]

How is not having an Xbox denying a child "fun and modern learning" ?
How is it snobby?
And what in earth is "modern learning?"

[Sparklingbrook]

How do parents whose DC don't have a Playstation or XBox and don't want to get one know what it's like for their DC to have them ?

[murphys]

Sorry I don't believe the line that "my kids are not interested"?

Believe what you like OP - my dd is NOT interested.... She does not see the point of a tv game, she has said so herself....

My ds has an x-box which he loves, often I have heard him ask dd if she wants to play a game with him. I have never once seen her play on it. She ISNT interested...... Btw she is 12, so not a young child, ds is 15.

She would much rather be outside, doing athletics, dancing, playing with the dogs, swimming..... she is an outdoorsy child whereas ds isn't.

[solidussnake]

i have a partner and I'm constantly on the xbox/nintendo DS. I spent a lot of money on games and my 3DS and such. I'm not just going to not use it. I love gaming and I have since I was very young. I'd much rather (and always have preferred) to sit inside and play games and I am healthy and fine and not a weirdo. I never had friends as a child and I was absolutely fine with that. With my games & my books I was fine, just like I am now. I have my partner and ONE friend. And I DON'T want to go kick a ball in a field or anything like that. Never have wanted to!

[RichTeas]

Issues of screen-time and issues of snobbery are two entirely different things, Permanentlyexhusated. And if we all stopped worrying about things that "didn't make a blind bit of difference" to us, Mumsnet would shut down tomorrow.

It may be the case that not everyone that disallows computer games is a snob, but they are almost certainly old-fashioned and out of date. Note the word, "disallows"please, I am talking about attitude not about affordability or interest.

[Chandon]

Is not wanting my 11 yr olds to play Call of Duty, black ops (or whatever) other horrors snobby?

Maybe it is.

I think those violent 18+ games are hideous. I see the ads on TV and look at the 18 ratings and thing: No way!

The whole point of X-box and playstation are those nasty games, no?

Minecraft, Mario and stuff can be played on normal PC/tablet

[stargirl1701]

"Electronic games are not a substitute for experience. We have a group of children who leading second hand lives."

Claire Warden of Mindstretchers.

As a primary school teacher, this quote really resonated with me. Last Christmas, on the last day of term, we banned electronic games from being brought in. The previous year we had 90% of upper classes sitting in solitary silence tapping away on DS type machines. A tiny minority brought board games and actually interacted with each other. It was quite chilling as to how 'zoned out' children became on these machines.

[hellsbellsmelons]

Honestly - I kid you not!
We have a Wii from when she was much younger.
It's been played with about 20 times in 7 years.
She is NOT interested/gets bored with it all very quickly.
It's just how she is.
She is of course now, too busy with work etc....

[Sparklingbrook]

FIFA 15 is the game of choice here Chandon. A football game played on the PS4. Not nasty at all, unless there's something I don't know.

Or Minecraft, which isn't nasty either.

Both played online with friends.

[badgerknowsbest]

Parents used to worry that books were bad for children, ha how things have changed!

[RichTeas]

No Chandon, not wanting your DC to play those nasty is sensible. That's content control. But there are other games which kids can play, driving games, adventure games, puzzle games.

[RichTeas]

Thankyou Sparklingbrook, I forgot all the sports games!

[Wolfbasher]

I'm not keen on screens in general. My kids (7, 5 and 3) watch 2 hours of TV a week (film night at the weekend) and the eldest occasionally gets to use the laptop (with us) to look up something for school or to help with the weekly shop. We don't have any computer games. Except when their uncle visits a few times a year and lets them play one on his phone :)

At the moment it doesn't seem to be an issue. If/when it becomes one, then we'll reassess. I certainly don't feel the need to push it on them. At the moment DC1 is very keen on chess and plays a game with me or DH most nights after the other two are in bed. I can't see that playing a computer game would be better "learning" or a more "shared" experience.

I don't look down on other people for thinking differently though, and am quite happy to accept it works for them.

[beadybaby]

There are only so many hours in the day. Why encourage your child to use it up on something that has so few positives and loads of pretty serious negatives? (And characterising gaming as creative we could have a whole thread alone on how wrong that is).

Gaming is to recreation time what chewing gum is to food. Just a crap, modern facsimale of something actually worth doing.

And it doesn't actually give you a good grounding in technology as the user interface is overly managed in that regard. I do research using complex GIS modelling etc and didn't have any experience of computers til university.

I don't care what 'normal' childhood is. Maybe being snobbish is teaching you child to not be a sheep.

[RichTeas]

Ok Murphys, I believe your daughter is not interested! My comment was aimed at parents that claim their child is not interested, when in fact the child has never been given an opportunity to play a good game on a good console.

[Wolfbasher]

great post, beady.

[southeastastra]

i loved playing with spectrum games when i was younger too, horses for courses. i don't think they are as bad as people make out them to be.

you can experience life and play games too it's a bit strange to suggest otherwise, but i expect someone on here knows of someone whose life has been completely ruined by world of warcraft or suchlike,

[Sparklingbrook]

Ds1 (15) will come home tonight around 4.30, do his homework and revision, then go on the PS4 with his friends before football training. It's his down time after a day at school.

[RedButtonhole]

DS (5) has a basic tablet and use of a playstation that I kept back from when ExP lived with me.

He has a couple of Disney games for the playstation that appear pretty mind-numbing but he enjoys them. He can play similar mind numbing games for his tablet but it is used more for spelling and maths games which his teacher reccommends in his homework book.

He also has a tonne of colouring pencils/ paper, piles of books, toy cars, lego, action figures etc. and funnily enough doesn't burst into flames when we play outdoors.

He has a wonderful imagination, is creative, bright and active- I don't believe that playing computer games has done any damage to his mind at all, and I think some parents are a bit over-paranoid about it.

I agree that they are not a necessary for children to own though, DS got his tablet as a present but I'd never have went out and bought him a playstation at his age- doesn't do him any harm but he doesn't need one.

I don't think it's much different from adults watching crap tele or reading a boring book- sometimes your brain needs a rest.

[PeaStalks]

Sparklingbrook Your DS like mine is probably a classic example of how young people socialise today. Only on MN would they be deemed abnormal.

All those with 7 year olds (or in fact up to 11/12) who are not interested, do come back when they are of secondary school age.

[Catbadger]

I don't really see the need either. My kids have tablets with games and movies on for long (>1hr ) journeys to stop the endless squabbling but they have VERY limitedscreen time at home, we also have a PS3 (unwanted gift from childless, overpaid uncle) but it's rarely used....gets more use as a DVD player than anything else and that tends to only be weekends. They are allowed a DVD or tablets or PS3 if I want a quiet hour on a Sun a.m but I'm an LP and it's only if they've gotten up dressed, breakfasted and cleared up breakfast.

They whine when the TV goes off/screens go away but then ten mins later they'll be up to their eyes in playing some other game or engrossed in Beano annuals etc.

I try very hard to really really limit their screen time, would prefer them running about, den making, trampolining, lego building, junk modelling etc.

It's not 'snobishness' I want them to have a range of interests, be creative etc. Yes I can see them being creative on Minecraft and that's a proper shared interest with friends but mindless hours on some shoot em up or Sonic. The limited time means it's something they look forward to and I do remove screen time if they're being vile to each other, ignoring me etc.

Eldest is getting into Scratch through coding lessons at school and I'm allowing some screen time for that.