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Keep an eye on kids while they play e-games: UAE police to parents

Cops have also advised parents to get to know their children's friends on e-games.

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Violent video games may have serious psychological effects of children, the Abu Dhabi Police have warned parents.

"Electronic games may cause teenagers to adopt aggressive behaviours, commit crimes and potentially develop into an addiction. It could also lead to isolation and separation from reality in the child's brain. Children often try to imitate what they see and violence may become a way to pass their time, which can cause them to verbally and physically bully other children," said the police.

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Officials urged parents and guardians to monitor their children's activity on smart devices in order to ensure that the content they are accessing is safe and age-appropriate.

Scientific studies and expert recommendations indicate that children may not necessarily distinguish between reality and fiction."Kids may not act violently right after the end of the game, but these aggressive images may affect their subconscious mind and show up when trying to resolve a problem."

Cops have also advised parents to get to know their children's friends on e-games and set a suitable time for their children to play games and activate parental controls. "Parents should monitor their children and intervene in their choice of games and e-applications. Children and adolescents should be protected when using smart and electronic devices and e-games, especially during this long summer holidays," said police officials.

"Parents should also motivate their children to practice other activities - reading, drawing, colouring, puzzles and educational games - and encourage them to do home sports and other recreational activities," said police.

Earlier in May, the Abu Dhabi Police had urged parents to be careful when buying online games for their kids. Police warned that scammers may steal credit card details from gaming websites. The police said such purchases or gaming subscriptions should be done only on trusted websites. "Fraudsters use unauthorised sites to obtain credit card information and hack accounts that may lead to automatic monthly charges," said the police.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com