TPP 068: Video Games and Your Child's Physical, Social, and Psychological Well-Being

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What concerns do parents have about video games for differently‑wired kids?

Rachel Kowert 0:00
It's hard because games also with differently wired kids could especially be very socially reinforcing. So it's not just about playing a game and having fun. It's about playing the game with their friends. It's about this is their social time. This is the time they're connecting with other people. And so it's it's not quite the same as let's put your book down and go eat dinner.
Debbie Reber 0:25
Welcome to the Tilt Parenting Podcast, a podcast featuring interviews and conversations aimed at inspiring, informing, and supporting parents raising differently wired kids. I'm your host, Debbie Rieber, and today's guest is Dr. Rachel Cowert, an independent research consultant and author of the book A Parent's Guide to Video Games: The Essential Guide to Understanding How Video Games Impact Your Child's Physical, So, and Psychical Well-being. Mm. I know that video games are a big part of many of our differently wired kids' lives, 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.
Debbie Reber 1:07
Rachel earned her PhD in psychology from the University of York and centered her research on video games. And as a gamer and mother herself, she definitely knows her stuff. 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 gaming for kids, and answer questions posed by many of you in the Tilt Parenting Facebook page. We covered a lot in what turned out to be a very lively conversation about gaming. So whether your child is into Minecraft, Clash of Clans, Slime Ranch or Heyday, or any other online games, I guarantee you'll take away some nuggets from today's episode.
Debbie Reber 1:50
Before we get started, I wanted to quickly invite you to join over 600 other parents and take part in our free virtual differently wired 7-day challenge. Every day for 7 days, you'll get a short video delivered to your inbox featuring a practical shift you can make in your world to help you have a more positive and optimistic experience in parenting your unique kiddo. You'll also be invited to join a private Facebook group with other parents who've participated in the challenge. We've heard from parents that the challenge has made an immediate difference in their day-to-day life, which is fantastic because that's exactly why we created it. Sign up and get started right away at tiltparenting.com/slash sevenday.
Debbie Reber 2:32
And now I'll get on with the show. Hey Rachel, welcome to the Tilt Parenting Podcast. Hi, Debbie. Thanks for having me.

How did Dr. Rachel Kowert become a video‑game researcher?

Debbie Reber 2:44
I shared on the Facebook page that I was having a video game expert on the show. And, you know, does anyone have any questions for me? And I do this sometimes when I'm bringing on a guest that I think the audience would be particularly interested in, but I usually get like one or two questions. And I checked back in last night and I had a ton of questions. So we're we're gonna see what we can get through today, but I'm really excited to be bringing this conversation because so many differently wired kids are really into gaming. and video games and I think there's a lot of misinformation out there and a lot of concerns and questions. So I'm excited for you to kind of straighten things out for us. All right.
Debbie Reber 3:27
Let's do it. Let's do it. So just as a way to get started, you are someone who's dedicated your career to studying video games and gamers who love them. So can you just tell us a little bit about yourself? I'm so curious to know how you got into this and why this is the area
Rachel Kowert 3:47
Yeah, well I'm a research psychologist. That's kind of the title I would adopt, I suppose. And a gamer and a parent based in Austin, Texas. I have a PhD in psychology from the University of York and a master's in counseling psychology from Santa Clara University. And my interest really grew out of my masters program because with the masters in counseling psychology, you're required to do a clinical internship.

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