Pokémon GO is has taken the country by storm, and it's not just kids, adults are playing too. According SurveyMonkey, Pokémon Go has become the biggest mobile game in the history of the US. The app now has more than 21 million daily active users, which surpassed the very popular game Candy Crush when it was at its height in 2013.
Pokémon Go has many terrific aspects including the fact that kids are running around outside and many people are interacting with each other to play the game. However, kids are still looking down while running around. One big question is whether this new game is increasing the total amount of time kids and teens are spending on devices or whether it is replacing time they were spending on other less interactive, more sedentary activities on their screens. According to SimilarWeb, the average time per day spent on Pokémon Go was 43 minutes. The next highest app on the list is WhatsApp at 30 minutes, followed by Instagram at 25 minutes and Snapchat at about 23 minutes.
So, for today's Tech Talk Tuesday, let's talk about Pokémon GO. Also, please read my blog from last week about what's going on in their brain while they are playing this game and why it's so seductive.
Questions to ask your kid about Pokémon GO for Tech Talk Tuesday this week:
1. How is this game different than all the other games you do?
2. What's your favorite part of it?
3. How much time do you think you are spending a day playing it?
4. Do you think you replaced other things you were doing on screens with this, or do you think you've just added this on top of the other things you used to do on screens?
5. Do you think there are any dangers with this game, or do you think it is all positive
6. Do you find yourself running around more now that you are engaged with this game?
7. Do you think there should be places that Pokemon should be off limits, i.e. cemeteries, 911 monument etc? How about school? Do you think the game should be off-limits at school?
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
Pokémon GO is has taken the country by storm, and it's not just kids, adults are playing too. According SurveyMonkey, Pokémon Go has become the biggest mobile game in the history of the US. The app now has more than 21 million daily active users, which surpassed the very popular game Candy Crush when it was at its height in 2013.
Pokémon Go has many terrific aspects including the fact that kids are running around outside and many people are interacting with each other to play the game. However, kids are still looking down while running around. One big question is whether this new game is increasing the total amount of time kids and teens are spending on devices or whether it is replacing time they were spending on other less interactive, more sedentary activities on their screens. According to SimilarWeb, the average time per day spent on Pokémon Go was 43 minutes. The next highest app on the list is WhatsApp at 30 minutes, followed by Instagram at 25 minutes and Snapchat at about 23 minutes.
So, for today's Tech Talk Tuesday, let's talk about Pokémon GO. Also, please read my blog from last week about what's going on in their brain while they are playing this game and why it's so seductive.
Questions to ask your kid about Pokémon GO for Tech Talk Tuesday this week:
1. How is this game different than all the other games you do?
2. What's your favorite part of it?
3. How much time do you think you are spending a day playing it?
4. Do you think you replaced other things you were doing on screens with this, or do you think you've just added this on top of the other things you used to do on screens?
5. Do you think there are any dangers with this game, or do you think it is all positive
6. Do you find yourself running around more now that you are engaged with this game?
7. Do you think there should be places that Pokemon should be off limits, i.e. cemeteries, 911 monument etc? How about school? Do you think the game should be off-limits at school?
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
For a long time, people have been talking about how video games might be linked to extreme acts of violence, such as school shootings. The fact is millions of youth have played violent video games, and far less than 1% will ever do any such acts of violence. Today I look at two studies that shed more light on the ACTUAL effects that violent games can have on youth behaviors.
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READ MORE >Today I’m sharing two polar opposites stories of people’s choices around video gaming — extremes can be great conversation starters. One is from a kid who decided, on his own, to stop all video gaming essentially, and the other is about teens attending a high school that is 100% focused on video gaming and the video gaming industry.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.