[Tribune] Video games in local shops: winning returns for trading money or losing returns for kids? | Gabonreview.com
Local shops became spaces for video games. Indeed, neighborhood shophouses, in addition to offering residents basic necessities, now offer video game rooms for children. The easy accessibility of this video game machine blows your mind. It is important to establish rules for accessing this gaming machine, overuse of which may pose a danger to young children. Dactor in psychology from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (Paris), Responsible for rresearch to cam and members ofHuman Research Institute (IRSH), Noelline Sallah argument and sound the alarm.
More and more experts argue that video games are the cause of the decline in education levels. © Gabonreview
More than ten years ago, on April 21, 2011 to be precise, we submitted an article at United News Daily by title : ” When we expose our children to video games “. This contribution, to the general public, is a synthesis of the results of a scientific study of the action spaces offered to children at the Nzeng Ayong agglomeration in Libreville. The results of the study describing the pleasant environment include seventy (70) local shops that it also functions as a video game area.We analyzed the time children spent on these devices, approximately 4 hours per day.By addressing the addictive nature of these games, we denounced the potential for deviations from their exposure (Sallah, 2011).
A few months later, this playroom suddenly disappeared from the local shop. According to Mohamed, a wholesaler in the Nzeng Ayong district, these local shops do not have the approvals that allow them to open spaces for video games.
However, for some time, we have seen the return of these gaming devices in local shops, especially in Nzeng Ayong.
Can local commercial spaces now have approvals that allow them to offer video games to children? How to understand that what “harms” individual development is placed beyond doubt within its reach, especially when it comes to children? During our investigation, we overheard a discussion between a mother and her preschooler. The mother, realizing that taking her child out of play did not seem to please her, explained to her that she could return the next morning and promised to give him the required amount (100F CFA) herself on condition that she agreed. Come back, because it’s getting late. The child’s reaction suggests that he is definitely developing ” addicted to practice this game. It’s just like what we said back then.” they video games produce addiction, because they create psychological dependence in the same way drugs or alcohol do (Sallah: 2011: 546). Although video games are considered as fun entertainment games, several studies have shown that video games are far from ” socialize “. In fact, it isolates and locks the individual into an imaginary world.
WHO, since 2018, recognizes video game addiction as a separate disease. In some developed countries, such as Japan, gambling detoxification clinics are becoming increasingly popular. There are even video game addicts and other digital addicts. If some specialists agree to show consequences for individual behavior, should we democratize installing these machines in the local shop, in the district shop? If it were up to parents to regulate the practice of this type of gaming in their homes, who would be responsible for this role in local businesses whose sole purpose was to make money?
Remember that the practice of such activities will interfere with the practice of activities which are important for the harmonious development of the child and school activities for that matter. Although Greenfield and Zeiltin (1994) have spoken of these games as instruments of cognitive socialization, a growing number of scholars argue that they are the cause of a decline in school levels. Several other studies have shown that playing too often can develop an aggressive personality in children (Delaunay, 2012). Most scientific studies reveal that video games increase the risk of violent behavior among users. We’ve issued this warning: these programs are coin activated, where does the money come from to allow kids to operate video games outside the home? Must be parents! In this case, children may develop the reprehensible practice of playing video games. “.
Parents must ensure that they provide their child with an environment that is conducive to their development. It’s true on the 21stth centuries are interconnected, but the responsibility to protect the child from potential excesses lies with the parents, while the public service thinks first of all about saving its finances through the taxes that video game machines will generate.
Noelline SALLAH
CAMES Research Officer
Research Institute of Human Sciences (IRSH)
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Reference
Delaunay Aurélie, “Video games and aggression: what is the relationship in cycle 3 children”, EducationJune 2012.
Greenfield Patricia and Zeitlin Edith, “Video games as instruments of cognitive socialization”, Network, Volume 12, Number 67, p. 33 – 56 1994.
Sallah Noelline. “When we expose our children to video games”, United News Daily, Not. April 21, 2011. P9.
Sallah Noelline. “Action space and context of video game practice by young people in the Nzeng Ayong agglomeration in Libreville”, Ivory Coast Journal of Languages and Communications. December, N°5, Vol 2, 530-549, 2011, Paris, Paari.
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