How Does the Internet and Video Games Affect Children?

By John M Grohol PsyD
March 28, 2008

Mind Hacks has a good entry today about U.K. psychologist Tanya Byron’s take on the effects of digital media — mainly the Internet and video games — on children (PDF). It’s a 226 page file, and I stopped about 10% of the way through it, but hope to finish reading it over the weekend. The gist of her findings, which were done at the request of the U.K.’s Prime Minister, is that technology is both good and bad. It’s just as important to understand and embrace it, than it is to fear and demonize it. Because through embracing and understanding, we can better educate and help guide our children in its use.

Throughout the report, she emphasizes the need to come at all of this through a child-centered approach. We need to look at these things through the eyes of children and teens, their technical prowess, and their heavy reliance and importance that technology plays in their lives. To dismiss this facet of modern childhood is to really miss the entire point of the lives of children and teens who grow up in this Internet age.

Sensible words if I’ve ever heard them.

Read the full entry now: Impact of digital media review hits the wires

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues, and the intersection of technology and psychology since 1992.