What children learn for life from gaming

When I think of the wonderful moments of my childhood, all kinds of images come to mind. Playing hide and seek in the neighbourhood until it got dark. Badminton in the street: of course the cars had to wait until a point was scored, only then did we take off the string and let them pass with a nod. Sundays with my family by the river, where we barbecued, let ourselves be carried away by the current on our air mattresses and searched for leeches in the algae.

But I also have fond memories of exploring the vast landscape of Legend of Zelda with all its secret passages on the Nintendo console together with my best friend and my brother. And the wonderful feeling that came from entering the underwater world in Mario Bros - the melody still plays in my head today.

I think it's a shame when adults categorically reject computer games without ever having played them.

There are always pictures circulating on social media showing children on bikes or playing in the mud - often with a slogan like: We still had a real childhood! There is still a clear ranking in the minds of many adults from morally superior to reprehensible leisure activities, with computer games often falling into the latter category. Usually well behind the much more passive television.

Counterproductive bans

Of course, we are all aware of the risks of excessive media consumption, know about the dangers of addiction to video games and find it highly problematic when teenagers isolate themselves and immerse themselves in an artificial world. Withdrawal, addiction and aggression should worry us as parents.

However, we cannot protect our children from this by constantly making derogatory comments about their hobby or threatening them with stultification and square eyes. And prohibiting and banning is another matter: it can also increase attractiveness - especially in adolescence.

I always find it a shame when adults categorically reject computer games without ever having got involved with them. But perhaps you would be surprised if you as a mum or dad jumped over your shadow and entered this world together with your child with curiosity and an open mind.

Maybe then you realise that gaming is not asocial per se. I can still remember many individual rounds of Mario Kart: a fast-paced car race in which you could often take first place at the last second by firing a turtle shell, picking up a star or strategically placing a banana peel. It was almost impossible to sit still: we were often jumping around on the sofa out of sheer excitement. And when my children play Mario Kart with their friends today, I like to challenge the winner to a duel.

The preconception that gaming automatically stupefies children cannot be upheld.

My son and I have been eagerly awaiting the release date of the new Zelda. Now we crack the puzzles in the shrines together and let the ideas fly back and forth. When I see the excitement in his eyes, it reminds me of my own fascination and makes me feel like a child again. Of course, it helps that Zelda uses the same characters and sound effects as before to provide the necessary nostalgia factor.

The preconception that gaming automatically stultifies children cannot be upheld either. It's not just studies that show this - we also realise this when we take a closer look. As a teenager, I loved economic simulations, city-building and real-time strategy games. I was always puzzled by how positively adults rated analogue brain games such as chess and how little they perceived this quality in computer games.

I was fascinated by how much you have to think about and how much you have to consider at the same time in order to progress in an economic simulation or a construction game, for example. You're struggling with a level, taking the dog for a walk and suddenly you have an idea. And lo and behold: the new strategy works!

Gaming has many advantages

When I started my own business after graduating, I was confronted with one failure after another - for years. Many people around me discouraged me: «Why don't you realise it and do something else? Surely you can find a good job.»

Computer games have taught me that it's all about getting the right «knack» and that success often only comes when you get fully involved in a game, get to know the invisible «rules» and patterns behind it, pick yourself up after a frustrating experience, try again and say to yourself: «There must be a way and I will find it».

My daughter finds it a bit difficult to read. But when she plays Animal Crossing, she wants to know what's in the long speech bubbles and tries hard to decipher the content. I am also constantly surprised at how well many young people can speak English because they have acquired a larger vocabulary through games or meet up with players from all over the world to play online.

Sometimes I also find it difficult to get involved in a game. Minecraft, for example. I can't do anything with those awful graphics. But my children love it. They can't stop building houses, digging caves or competing against each other in building battles. When they show me the results, I can't help but admit that this game spurs them on to creative flights of fancy and that at least as much is possible with it as with a huge pack of Lego.

Of course, my wife and I also make sure that gaming doesn't get out of hand and that our children also pursue other interests, play outside with friends and get a sufficient dose of the lake, stream and forest.

But I have to admit that I'm not the most consistent when it comes to gaming. Or as my daughter puts it: «One advantage you have is that you can easily squeeze in an extra half hour of gaming time.»