Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Last month, the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong urged parents to play video games with their children to build better relationships. Usually, parents only watch or tell their kids to stop playing. However, the study found that playing together creates a much stronger bond.
The survey included 2,271 youngsters and teenagers aged six to 18 and 1,283 parents. The results showed that families who play games together scored 20 per cent higher in areas such as trust, communication and emotional connection.
Most of the parents agreed that video games are generally good for their kids. However, they were not sure whether games helped their children’s personal growth and confidence.
“Instead of being an observer, or telling kids they should not play, parents should become participants and play with their children so they can know what they are playing and who they play with,” Phoebe See Man-yan said. She is the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong’s coordinating secretary.
The survey looked at popular games shared by parents and children. The top spot went to the Super Mario series by Nintendo. Second was Roblox, an online game where players interact with one another as blocky, humanlike avatars.
Minecraft, a game where players can build tools, items and structures in virtual worlds, came third. Nintendo’s Pokemon series ranked fourth.
