Gaming is not as bad as you think

Perhaps your child has already played a game or two, for example Minecraft. This game is the most successful computer game of all time with between 400 and 450 million players.

And it looks like it's fallen out of time: In an age of high-end games, where gamers are truly immersed, with almost lifelike graphics, it's almost an anachronism. Almost. Because the imagination of gamers easily fills this visual gap.

The game itself is an adventure playground: exploring, building, working, fighting.

The game itself is an adventure playground: exploring, building, working, fighting. No wonder it exerts an almost uncanny attraction on children. Younger gamers in particular often recount the most hair-raising adventures they claim to have had in Minecraft. And adults shake their heads in fear: is my child losing their sense of reality because of the game?

Experts relativise this concern and point out that boys and girls gradually acquire this sense. Around the age of six, children learn the difference between reality and fantasy (after the magical phase).

However, this does not prevent them from immersing themselves in the world of fantasy time and again - while playing in the forest, with friends or even in a game on the screen. Research is now convinced that a child's imagination is important for their healthy development, for example for learning success, social skills and the interpretation of reality.

Parents should limit the time spent gaming

Especially in connection with PC games, however, the question always arises as to the measure and the choice of game. Here are a few tips:

• In principle, I would advise against letting children play on screens if they are not yet able to distinguish between reality and fantasy. So in terms of age, up to around the age of six.
• The age recommendations on the packaging can help you choose a game. There are many websites that present age-appropriate games. We recommend www.pegi.info.
• Parents should limit the amount of time spent gaming, as there is too great a risk that the child will literally lose themselves in the game. We are also familiar with this phenomenon from other situations, but where it is considered less problematic.
• Further tips on using digital media can be found at www.swisscom.ch/kinder-begleiten.

Sometimes I have the impression that gaming is given too much importance. Children try out things in games that they can't do in real life: building, researching and seeking confrontation with monsters. Imagination does the rest.