Last But Not Least

It's very easy for parents to become wistful about the simple old toys of yesteryear, when toys demanded real imagination, and everything wasn't done for you. It's certainly possible to be quick to jump at toys today that do some much, labeled as interactive, and as far as your concerned, that means that they're taking away the opportunities for imaginative play, and that this is likely to be detrimental to the child's development and happiness.

Of course, the fact that it is very easy to jump to such conclusions doesn't always necessarily mean that they're right, and it is worth looking at not only what it is that these toys are contributing to a child's play experience, but also how much of a factor they really are in determining the form of play that the child experiences.

The term interactive can mean a wide range of things as far as manufacturers are concerned. More because of the fact that the term is still considered an advantage when it comes to marketing a product, toys can be considered as interactive just because they have a button on them which, when pressed, illuminates a character's nose, or produces a sound. In this sense, switching on a light could be considered interactive, yet few people would consider that a light switch was likely to detract from a child's overall learning and play experience. In fact, it would be possible to argue that such an experience is a valuable learning opportunity - with the child understanding more about cause and effect, linking their action to a consequence or result.

Interactive is all about this cause and effect relationship, teaching the child that if they do this, then that happens, and this is no more taking away from them the learning opportunity than the experience of 'if you run downstairs, you'll fall', or 'if you try balancing too many bricks on top of each other, they will collapse'. It is certainly possible to argue that in the case of the stairs, the child is also learning about safety, balance and physical control, and with the bricks, motor control, judgment and vision.

But before we get carried away with the idea that interactive toys are taking over the world, and in particular, our child's play and learning opportunities, it is important to understand two further things. The first, is to what extent children actually use the interactive features to the detriment or exclusion of other, more valuable experiences, and secondly, what experiences these interactive features can contribute to a child's well being and experience that other, static and traditional toys, don't.

Any parent who has invested a considerable portion of their pay packet in order to purchase the latest electronic interactive toy will notice is just how fleeting the initial enthusiasm is, and often a child will focus on using the toy in ways it wasn't intended, or in combination with other toys. Seeing an all singing, all dancing, flashing robot that uses half a dozen heavy duty batteries and can speak three different languages, sitting down, mute, next to a scruffy old teddy bear taking part in a traditional tea party is not something that will be unheard of. In fact, children very often take toys and interpret their capabilities in ways we couldn't foresee as easily.

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Video games can be found everywhere, and they're available in formats ranging from hand held Gameboys to playing online video games over the internet with people from all over the world. We know that spending long hours playing video games is bad for us, and we've gotten the message about finding something else to do with our time loud and clear. Still, the gaming industry only gets bigger and companies are constantly coming up with new games and equipment.

It's a love affair. People can't stop themselves from 'just trying this game for fun', and they'll find themselves hooked to the newest fad, game or trend faster than snapping their fingers. There are different niches of games to satisfy everyone, from hard-core combat to fairylike fantasy. It's easy to find one that suits your preference, and soon enough, you're registered, logged on and playing online video games with all your heart.

So Why Do Video Games Suck Us In?

One reason playing online video games may have become so popular is because our fast-paced, real-life world has conditioned people to have short attention spans for situations that move too slowly. We've become victims of our own creation, becoming bored easily and turning away from cards or tabletop games to an exciting, easy, quick fix for our entertainment. Playing online video games gives a real boost to our nervous system - our attention level spikes sharply, we sit up and feel the tingle of excitement, anticipating the barrage of mental stimuli and instant gratification playing online video games offers.

Another reason we might cleave to playing online video games is because gaming takes up a good chunk of our concentration and focus. While we're trying to plan our next move, or running through our options in lightening-fast decision making, there is one thing we tend not to do: Pay attention to the world around us. Take note of peoples behaviour while they are playing online video games they seem to be phased out, and speaking to them most often gets no response. It's as if they need to be woken up from their games and brought out of their trance-like yet extremely complex mental state.

What does a trance have to do with the possible psychology of playing online video games? Simply, the person is using the game as a form of escapism. While playing online video games, no one has to deal with work issues, home problems, doing laundry or feeding the cat. Nothing but themselves and the computer screen matters, and for a period of time, they can phase out and forget the world, and their problems, exists.

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