Super Nanny Katharina Saalfrank says what parents should look for.
Talk, meet friends, play - but only on the net: For many children and adolescents, the PC is a great pastime.
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But the transition from harmless play to excessive consumption is often fluid. Of nearly 600 000 computer addicts in their teenage years, the Berlin Charité speaks. Computer games are not fundamentally an evil. If you regularly romp through the garden, you can handle an exciting game on the PC. Dipl.-Pädagogin and Super Nanny Katharina Saalfrank reveals what parents should pay attention to.
How do I know that my child is more at home in the virtual world?
"It's not that hard to remember, for example, if you know how many times, how long and what your child is doing on the computer, if your child is back, they are not meeting friends in the real 'world, then it can be the signals for the flight into the virtual world. "
How many hours of PC a day are okay?
A maximum of half an hour a day, is a widespread recommendation, but that is too rigid, finds Katharina Saalfrank. "This can not be answered flat rate, because it depends on how old the children are and what is done on the PC.Almost, you should not lose the contact as a parent to your children and accompany the PC use."
Incidentally, almost every sixth boy sits in front of the PC every day for more than four and a half hours. This is only one result of the largest German youth study on the use of computer games.
When do you actually talk about computer addiction?
"I would call it computer addiction when there is a compulsive urge to spend hours and hours on the PC every day, and it often happens that the sufferers no longer have a social reality, no friends, and the computer becomes the sole purpose of life."
Are violent games really aggressive?
"There are certain games that can cause the virtual world to fused with the real world and become blunted - you can not say that violence will always and always make you aggressive, but personally, I reject any form of 'killer play' ", says the teacher.
Asked what they find so fascinating about violence games, youthful online gamers told the addiction researchers in the study, "It makes me feel like I can make decisions, I have power."
Should I ban my child's PC?
"Just banning them is always difficult, I do not think so, and penalties and sanctions tend to harden the relationship between parents and children, " says the Super Nanny.
what else can I do?
Parents should make arrangements with the children: first homework and sports, then the computer. The employment with the PC also has a positive effect. Studies show that children's fine motor skills improve and their development is beneficial when they spend part of their free time playing interactive games.
Are girls at risk too?
For Katharina Saalfrank there is no difference: "Girls are also happy to be on the PC." According to the youth study, however, young girls and boys show different behavioral patterns in terms of content. While young women are mainly interested in chats and shopping, male netizens are drawn to action games. Boys who participate in online role-playing games show the strongest behavioral problems ...
