Dr. Rachel Kowert on the Truth About Video Games & Kids Physical, Social, and Psychological Well-Being
Dr. Rachel Kowert, an independent research consultant and author the book A Parent’s Guide to Video Games: The Essential Guide to Understanding How Video Games Impact Your Child’s Physical, Social, and Psychological Well-Being joins me for a conversation about video games. I know gaming is a big part of life for many differently-wired kids, and I also know there’s a lot of concern in our community about how much is too much, what effect violent games have on our kids, what constitutes video game addiction, and much more.
In today’s episode, Rachel and I will look at what the research has to say about the impact of video games in our kids lives, bust some myths about the potential harms and benefits of video gaming, and answer questions posed by members of the Tilt community. Whether your child is into Minecraft, Clash of Clans, Slime Rancher, Hey Day, or any other online games, I guarantee you’ll take away some nuggets from today’s episode.
About Dr. Rachel Kowert
Dr. Rachel Kowert is a research psychologist from Austin, Texas, with a PhD in psychology from the University of York (UK) and an MA in counseling psychology from Santa Clara University. Dr. Kowert has dedicated her career to studying video games and the gamers who love them. As a researcher, psychologist, gamer, and parent, she strives to educate other parents about the potential dangers and unique contributions that video games can bring to our everyday lives. Click here to visit Rachel’s website.
Things you’ll learn from this episode
- The truth about whether or not violent video games make our children more violent
- How to determine if your child is addicted to a video game (versus just being “engaged”)
- What the research says about long-term effects of gaming on kids
- How video games actually have social benefits for kids, and can be especially helpful for kids with social deficits
- The truth about whether or not fast-paced video games exacerbate ADHD problems
- Special considerations for parents of differently-wired kids
Resources mentioned
- A Parent’s Guide to Video Games: The Essential Guide to Understanding How Video Games Impact Your Child’s Physical, Social, and Psychological Well-Being by Dr. Rachel Kowert
- A Conversation with Asher About Managing and Tracking Screen Time (Tilt Parenting podcast)
- Asher Talks About Whether or Not Parents Should Ban Certain Video Games (Tilt Parenting podcast)
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