A new study commissioned by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has suggested that computers should be placed in sitting rooms rather than childrens bedroom, so that parents can monitor if the kids are looking at inappropriate material.
London, Mar 22 : A new study commissioned by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has suggested that computers should be placed in sitting rooms rather than children's bedroom, so that parents can monitor if the kids are looking at inappropriate material.
The study by Tanya Byron, the television psychologist and parenting expert, has suggested this recommendation for parents to adequately keep a watch on what their children do on computers.
Byron's review of the impact of video and online games on young people will be suggesting that as much as possible kid should use computers under the watchful eye of their parents. This implies that family computers will be in close sight of the elders of the house in communal areas of the home, instead of children's bedrooms or their parents' private studies.
In fact, it has been suggested that there's a need to bridge the technological "generation gap" and this can be done by making sure that the elders know as much about the Internet and video games as their computer-savvy children, reports Telegraph.
As part of her research, Byron has talked to children, fellow psychologists, parents and industry experts after the Prime Minister expressed concern last year at the impact of violence seen by young people.
While she will be stressing on streamlining the rules on the certification of video games and simplified for understanding, she will also be arguing on the benefits for young people from some games.
She believes that the debate about damage to children caused by video games has been botched with prejudice and troubled by stereotypes and ignorance, which in combination have created "moral panic" among parents.
She does not advocate that all games have a negative effect, in fact she has found that many, including those that encourage children to take physical exercise, can actually have a positive impact. These include sports games on the Nintendo Wii system, with which players use a motion-sensitive controller.
However, according to her research, many times children coerce their parents to buy unsuitable games without any knowledge about the certification rules whatsoever.
The study will be placing responsibility firmly on mothers and fathers to stay up to date with the technology, while also making an effort to understand how to lock keep at bay offending material.
Byron said that parents should realise that supervising their children's Internet and video games pursuits was part of modern parenting.
ANI