Hey welcome back my friends. This is Parenting with Huddle Wisdom. My name is Devon. I'm a dad and a child psychiatrist. This is part two of a three-part series called Technology and Media. In this episode, I would like to talk about violent video games and movies. And I want to know, are they secretly harming our children? Are violent video games and violent movies secretly harming your children? Now you remember all the rhetoric and narrative around moral panic. And this is moral panic around video games. This is not a new issue. This is something that was also an issue for people worried about brain rot. And our children being affected by violent media way back in the day, when certain sort of comic books were coming out, certain sort of print media. So, you know, this topic is not new. The form of this topic is not new. But the content is different. It has evolved over time. So, let's dive into this contentious topic, the impact of violent video games and movies on children. Is it harmful? Is it what can parents do to navigate this complex issue? Let's start with some eye-opening surprising statistics. You know that 90% of movies, 68% of video games, 60% of TV shows contain some form of violence. It's quite a staggering amount of violent content that kids are potentially exposed to on a daily basis, especially if they have smartphones. Now, I want to address a common concern I hear from parents. The worry that exposure to violent media will lead to increased aggression. Increased aggression, desensitization to violence, emotional distress. Again, of course, these are valid concerns, and yes, they deserve our attention. But these are not new concerns. These are concerns that have been around for a very long time. At first, it was like comic books, TV, radio. Now, it's smartphones, video games, and stuff that you watch on Netflix. The research on this topic is complex, and at times, it's contradictory. When I was working for a regional forensic hospital some years ago, I conducted something of a survey of the violent men and women I were looking after on my unit. And I never published the data. It was just for interest, really. There was a correlation. People who were already violent or had shown violent behavior in their backgrounds seemed more likely to enjoy or not mind violent content. Non-violent patients of mine were less likely to gravitate to violent content on TV or in video games. It just wasn't that interesting to them. They might play a violent video game, but they weren't as affected or aroused by the content than other people. Again, this is correlation. It's not causation. But it's interesting. So, while I don't believe that violent video games or movies per se increase the risk of violence generally, I do think that there are some people who really should not have access to such content if you can help it. I do think that I know that I cannot generalize because it's, again, different strokes for different folks. Right? People are complicated. Situations are complex. Like I said before, the research is quite complex because you can't control for every factor when you're trying to design a study looking at causative factors. And some studies indeed have linked exposure to violent media with increased aggression and antisocial behavior, but it's important to note that other studies also suggest that most use are not significantly affected by this exposure. But what's not clear to me is how well these studies separate out different personality types and, like I said before, in my own survey of the people in my unit when I was working in the forensic hospital, forensic hospital. Those who are already in hospital, sorry, in trouble with the law of a violent behavior, seem to be more likely to enjoy violent content as opposed to the nonviolent crimes on my unit. But some nonviolent crimes on my unit did enjoy playing violent video games, but they weren't aroused by that content. Does that make sense? But, you know, this research is complicated. It's complex, like I said before, but here's what is interesting. Younger kids and those with preexisting emotional or behavioral problems may be more vulnerable to the negative effects of violent media, just like the folks I surveyed on my unit. And I think this is a critical point that often gets overlooked in the broader debate. I want to be clear about my stance on this issue. I do believe that we should not panic or overreact, but I do err on the side of caution when it comes to violence in media, especially for children who already tend to be more impulsive or aggressive. These children, in my opinion, do not need additional exposure to violent content that could potentially exacerbate their tendencies. Why do I say this? Because I've seen it. Because I've seen it. What evidence do you have, Devin? My personal experience. I can't generalize. That's just me, okay? That's just what I've seen. Let's talk about some practical solutions for parents navigating this tricky landscape. First, monitor the content your child consumes. Seriously, monitor that freaking content. It doesn't mean you have to hover over them constantly, but you have to be aware of what they are watching or playing. Look at content ratings as a guide, but they're not infallible. They're not infallible. I remember watching something on Netflix, you know, and I didn't do my research. And this movie was said to be PG, but it wasn't. It was actually a lot more raunchier, and there were some awkward conversations I had to have with my daughters after they watched certain scenes on the movie before I could turn it off. What's appropriate for one child may not be for another. Second, set limits. Frickin' heck, man. Set limits. This isn't just about restricting access to violent content, but also about managing screen time in general. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than one to two hours of screen time per day for children over the age of two. I still think that's a little bit much, but that's just me. That's just me. I had a conversation with someone the other day, and they said, "Oh man, I think I'm going to restrict my kid's screen time," and I said, "Yeah, that's a good idea. It's a good idea. Yeah, I'm going to restrict it from eight hours to four hours." I thought, "Man, we have very different lives. Third, and this is crucial, encourage alternative activities. Promote non-violent games and activities that foster creativity, problem-solving skills, social interaction. Board games? Board games are fantastic these days. They're so cool. Sports, art projects. Now, Devin, aren't you being a bit hypocritical, Devin? You do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you practice Wing Chun, you do Taekwondo. Those are martial arts, Devin. Don't they teach you to be violent? Well, that's a whole other conversation. For me, martial arts is about the art. It's about training your body to become under pressure, so you don't have to use violence. But that's just me. It's going to be different for everyone. You don't have to get your children to do martial arts if it's not the right thing for them. But alternative activities can be engaging alternatives for violent video games or movies. Here's a surprising fact. Studies have shown that pro-social video games, games that reward helping and cooperation can actually increase empathy and decrease aggressive cognitions in players. Fascinating. So, not all video games are created equal, just like not all movies are created equal when it comes to their impact on behavior. It's also worth noting that context matters. A violent scene in the historical documentary, for example. Now, I was watching this documentary about Jack the Ripper the other day. I've read books about serial killers, and they are pretty violent, obviously, but documentary, which is not known for violent content, documentaries. Things you might watch on History Channel. But, you know, it's true though, historical documentaries, they can have a different impact than gratuitous violence in an action movie. You just have to be mindful of context, you have to be mindful of individual capacities. As parents, it is our job to help kids understand and process what they are seeing or hearing. I want to address a counter-argument that often comes up in this debate. The idea that exposure to violent media can then serve as a catharsis. So, you know, Devin, what do you think about these violent people, you know, they're just, you know, playing video games. Isn't it better for them to play video games that's violent than acting it out in real life? Well, I get it, you know, the ideas that you allow people or children to safely explore aggressive feelings, right? You know, while this theory obviously has its proponents, the majority of research does not actually support this theory. In fact, some studies suggest that using violent media as an outlet may actually increase aggressive thoughts and behaviours. I think it's especially true for people who already have violent tendencies. So, in conclusion, you know, while the research on violent media's impact is mixed, I do believe it's better to err on the side of caution, especially for younger children and those with preexisting behavioural issues. Monitor the content, set reasonable limits, and provide plenty of alternatives. But remember, every child is different. What works for one family might not work for another. Okay, so as we go through this digital world, let's try and create a media environment for our children that promotes empathy, creativity, positive social interaction. It's very challenging, I know, but it's worth pursuing. It's crucial to our children's well-being and their future. So, how do we have open discussions with our children about this? How do we set reasonable limits in a way that means they will listen? Open communication. How, Devon? Well, trust, empathy, security. These are the things that paves the way for open communication to happen. You need to build up credit in the bank. And again, this is where the Huddle Wisdom resources can be incredibly helpful. By the way, if you find this stuff helpful, this episode, and this podcast, pause, and please leave us a five-star review. It does go a long way to increase our visibility and our reach. But the Huddle Wisdom courses, I think, can be incredibly helpful. I'm not just plugging them, because I think this topic is major. And anxiety in our day and age in our kids is growing more complex, and it's harder to treat. I need, as a clinician, all the help that I can get to help your kids. And I want you to also have the tools to help your kids. So I invite you. I invite you. Please do check out the courses. For example, the course about supporting and guiding anxious kids provides empathic parenting strategies for emotional and behavioral challenges. But it also emphasizes setting clear boundaries and maintaining open communication and helps you to learn how to implement those strategies. Put those into practice, those mental models. Thank you for tuning into this episode, my friend. This has been episode two of the Technology and Media series. It's a three-part series. This has been part two. Next time, we'll be talking about whether you should spy on your children's social media. So stay tuned for that. If you found this helpful, please leave us a five-star review, share it around, share it with your friends, share it with your parents, who might be struggling to figure this out themselves. So this has been the Parenting With How to Wisdom podcast. My name is Devon. So happy to have you here. I hope to catch you next time for the third installment of the Technology and Media series. Should you spy on your children's social media?
