Video games are widespread. If you only look around, you would see countless people, young and old alike, getting into internet gaming, and Minecraft is one game that has captivated numerous kids.
Minecraft is one of the most popular video games that kids nowadays love. It is a sandbox game wherein you can go anywhere and do anything that you want. However, while Minecraft can indeed develop children's creativity, there are things you need to know before you let your kids explore it. Read on to get the fundamental idea about Minecraft.
What makes Minecraft addicting?
Children love playing games that have a lot of adventure, building, and battling in it. Minecraft has them all. Since what kids can do in the game is endless, they get addicted to it.
Still Minecraft, like all other video games, has both positive and negative impacts on children's development.
What are the benefits of playing Minecraft?
- Improve processing speed
- Enhancing the memory
- Improve problem-solving skills
- Promote socialization
- Improve cognitive flexibility
Playing Minecraft helps build kids' focus. When building in Minecraft, kids must concentrate intently to complete even the smallest structure.
Minecraft helps planning skills as well. Kids are expected to plan or make their schedules at school, and when playing this game, kids also must intensively plan how to accomplish a structure.
They would have to watch a video on how to do it, and craft all the other necessary items to build.
Thus, kids start from zero-level and then make their way up with all their plans in mind. There is a lot of excitement that kids feel while playing the game.
What are the drawbacks?
The problem with playing Minecraft is it is highly addictive that the kids would want to only sit on their chair, with eyes locked on to their computer screen all day; there is no peer to peer socialization at all.
How can you maximize the benefits of the game?
Playing Minecraft for an hour a day is beneficial to children. If it goes more than that, then it might do more harm than good.
It would always be better to have a balance in everything that the kids do. They should still have time to play outside and do activities that require physical strength.
Children are at risk for "Internet gaming disorder", wherein he experiences withdrawal symptoms when the game is taken away from him, and he wants to spend more and more time playing.
How to stop your kids without scolding?
It is possible to teach your kids responsibility by setting a certain time for them to play, and also for the time that they need to stop playing.
For example, you may say that they should stop playing once the minute hand of the clock is at number 12. This style teaches your kids how to handle their time wisely.
And when they can control themselves, it will be easier next time around. You may ask your kids to give their cell phones or gadgets so that they will not be tempted to use it.
At least kids know when to stop, and no more scolding is needed. Also, this approach applies to any other game or activity that is hard for kids to stop.
