Notes

Is Minecraft Kid-friendly?

If you're a mom or dad of kids over the age of 5, the chances are good that you are well acquainted with Mojang's popular online game "Minecraft." But, is Minecraft good for kids or good for kids? It all depends.



You have probably dropped a few buzzwords like "Steve," "Creepers," "Baby Zombie Pigman" in an effort to pretend you have been listening when your young "Minecraft" fan prattled on about a mod or whatever-it's-called. You may have had an enthralling green and brown cupcake at a child's birthday party and recognized the theme at work.



Most of all you've probably asked that a child get off the game. Then, perhaps, you demanded it. Then, possibly, you hid the "Minecraft"-supplying device after all kinds of ultimatums (yours) and loud protestations (your kids') and went to bed that night still cursing the "Minecraft" name under your breath.



If you somehow got past all of this and still remain afloat, please share your experiences.



What is "Minecraft?"



"Minecraft" is a game for one or more players that gives children the chance to construct their own worlds, complete with homes and pets and resources and even enemies that might sneak into their homes at night and strike.



With a reported 176 million copies around the world in May 2019 and counting, along with 200 million registered users, it's clear that "Minecraft" is a huge success and for some, almost seeming to be addictive.



Is "Minecraft" not suitable for children?



Are they being given the keys to a kingdom that could quickly become "Lord of the Flies" if the wrong hands are involved?



"Minecraft is online Legos," parenting and expert on child development Dr. Deborah Gilboa told TODAY Parents. "Could a kid go rogue on 'Minecraft,' create something inappropriate, or focus on gore and destruction? It's possible.



"But that's not the purpose or the focus of the game," she said, "and most 'Minecraft' obsessions help kids be more creative, improve their working memory and cognitive flexibility, and give them opportunities to feel great about their geeky skills."



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The game itself isn't too bad. NBC News even used it once to explain who is the owner of the moon. But what do you think of all that screen time?



Be assured, parents An analysis conducted in 2017 by the Oxford Internet Institute (Centre for Child Development) found that the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for managing screen time in children's lives may be misinformed or alarmist.



'Minecraft' sells 5 million copies on Xbox Live



While the AAP recommends the restriction of screen time for young children to 1-2 hours per day but the Oxford study found that moderate use of screens over the recommended limits of the AAP could actually be beneficial to the well-being of children.



"Our findings suggest that the family context, including how parents decide on rules regarding digital screens, and whether they are actively exploring the digital world with their children is more important than screen time," Dr. Andrew Pryzbylski, lead author at the Oxford Internet Institute, wrote in the paper. "Future research should be focused on how digital devices are used with parents or caregivers, and turn into a social experience that can affect children's psychological well-being, curiosity, as well as the bonds formed with the caregivers."



Although these findings could be reassuring, they do not solve the problem of teaching children to manage their real and virtual worlds. Perhaps if we put students in schools they could attend in their "Minecraft" mods Our kids will be more enthusiastic about their math homework?


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