When is a child addicted to gambling?

Our daughter likes to gamble. What does she get out of it?

It develops empathy. In no other medium do we immerse ourselves so deeply in a character, because we become that character ourselves and make our own decisions. And it gives players the opportunity to take on an incredible number of different roles and recognise how they would react in a certain situation. Games also promote planning skills.
Philomena Schwab

If you ask young people which games trigger aggression in them, it's not shooters, but sports games.

Daniel Süss

Our son often plays games that are not suitable for his age. When do I need to worry?

The level of development is not only dependent on age. We assume that children are usually resilient and will not immediately suffer serious damage if they play a game that is not age-appropriate.

It is important that parents remain approachable so that the irritated or worried child knows that they can talk to them about it and are not immediately banned from playing. It is much more important to clarify with the child how they can avoid negative experiences in future.
Daniel Süss

What is the minimum age for the computer game Fortnite?

According to PEGI, the Europe-wide age rating system for computer games, the game is approved for ages 12 and up. With PEGI, the age is determined by the manufacturer. If parents want to get a feel for a game, it is best to watch a trailer of the game. Just because a game is approved for ages 12 and up does not mean that parents have to allow their 12-year-old to play it.
Thomas Feibel

My son loves to play violent first-person shooters. Does that make him violent?

I cannot confirm that violent games make people violent. What people experience in violent games is primarily the competition. It's about developing skills and achieving something together as a team. If you ask young people which games trigger aggression in them, it's not shooters, but sports games.

Children and young people are very good at distinguishing between competition in a game and reality. But there are also risk constellations. If someone lives in a violent environment, feels marginalised or under pressure and then frequently plays violent games, this can change their attitude towards violence.
Daniel Süss

What should I do if my child is immersed in play worlds for hours on end?

If someone can no longer free themselves from games, it also has something to do with their social environment. I think people are always willing to throw themselves deep into game worlds when life isn't so much fun or they don't feel particularly well. That's when you look for escapism, and games are perfect for that. I would try to offer alternatives. Or simply a hardcore cut: we're going to the mountain hut now. Full stop.
Philomena Schwab

It is easier to keep your own emotional world at a distance in a computer game.

Christine Tresch

Why are boys more interested in computer games than girls?

This is partly due to the opportunity for distancing that gaming brings with it. Emotional passages can appear in a book that are too close to many boys of a certain developmental age.

It is easier to keep your own emotional world at a distance in a computer game. The gender stereotype that a boy should not show too much emotion certainly plays a role here. Then there is the competitive nature of computer games. Boys also seem to respond more to this.
Christine Tresch

My child gambled away 6,000 francs on his grandfather's tablet. Can we get the money back?

Getting the money back is not very realistic. We therefore recommend not using a credit card as a payment method and deactivating in-app purchases on Apple devices or securing them with a code. On Android, this can be done via the Google Play Store. However, this is only a technical security setting and not an educational measure.

We recommend organising prepaid cards for games or other apps where you can spend money, i.e. topping up credit. It's a good idea to think together with your child about how much credit is reasonable or justifiable.
Daniel Betschart

Our daughter wants to become a game designer. How can I help her?

I recommend designing a board game with paper, scissors, pens and dice. This is one of the first modules on the «Game Design» degree programme. There are also practical tools such as «Scratch» and «Game Maker». Otherwise, I recommend visiting a game studio in the neighbourhood. And another tip: game studios often take part in the Swiss Future Day. www.nationalerzukunftstag.ch
Philomena Schwab

My daughter now wants to become a «Let's Player». Should I advise her against it?

The job sounds very tempting: play games, everyone thinks you're super cool and you earn a lot of money. But it's easy to overlook how much work is involved. I recommend just giving it a try: Create a YouTube channel, play a game, upload the result and then suddenly realise that I'm not getting any views. That's disillusioning. If you want to build something like that, you need a lot of stamina.
Philomena Schwab

Addiction is a very complex issue. Simply recording playing time in minutes or hours is not enough.

Daniel Betschart

My son plays games for several hours a day. Is he addicted to games?

Addiction is a very complex issue. Simply recording gaming time in minutes or hours is not enough. Not every intensive gaming phase is an addiction. Rather, the problematic aspects must be recognised: Is my child's everyday life suffering as a result? Is gaming neglecting important things such as school and education?

Are they hardly sleeping? Are there no more social contacts? Does the child show withdrawal symptoms when they can't game? Is the so-called tolerance development increasing, i.e. does it now take two hours of gaming instead of one to experience the same «positive feeling»? These would be important signs of a problematic progression.
Daniel Betschart

Can I forbid my child to play certain games?

Yes, if they are violent games or games for adults. However, I recommend that you give good reasons for the ban.
Thomas Feibel