Ask Monarch

Dear Monarch,

My son has been diagnosed with Asperger’s and AD/HD. At home, all he wants to do is either watch TV or play video games. It is a major struggle to get him to do anything else. I’m worried that all this time spent on computer and in front of the TV is not good for him. He would be on computer 24/7 if we let him. How much is too much?

This is a question we are asked and an issue we are faced with often at The Monarch School and its Diagnostic Clinic. It is a question that is topical and timely for all children and adults, but it is especially relevant for excessive screen-watchers or gamers with functional brain differences such as those seen in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and/or AD/HD. The lure of screen-based imagery, with its vibrant colors, attractive emotional content, and often predictable action, is sometimes a perfect match for the sensory preferences and learning style of people with these kinds of neurological differences. Unfortunately, screen-based (in)activities often consume time and energy that would be more productively spent in more directly pro-social or skill-building pastimes, and may lead to negative outcomes for some. Although exact amounts of screen time may vary with individual cases, we recommend for our students no more than an hour (total) spent each day in screen time, including television watching, leisure computer use, gaming, and use of handheld screen devices combined.

It is easy to see the connection between our experiences and our brain functioning. This is the very basis of education – we practice skills to develop them, and our brains change to accommodate this new learning. Not all kinds of practice are supportive of positive brain development, however. Some kinds of practice place developing brains at risk for forming connections that support negative states of mind and behaviors. Research has consistently shown, for example, that playing aggressive video games can lead to increased aggressive responses in real time for some children and adolescents, particularly those who are already vulnerable to using aggressive responses for coping (e.g., Kronenberger et. al., 2005). In an aggressive video gaming scenario, the player is practicing aggressive responding to challenges from the environment, which can lead to aggressive responses in real-time becoming more “automatic” over time. Clearly, this is not the kind of change in brain functioning that we want as a trend within our society.

Video games and passive screen-based activities (e.g., watching videos) place our children and adolescents (and we adults as well) at a disadvantage in the realm of positive brain changes. Engagement in these activities often precludes positive, active, real-time practice in relationship development, for example. Even if there is a gaming or viewing partner involved, the primary focus of attention is on the screen and not on improving interpersonal communication and reciprocity. Game-based “social” interaction is artificial and stilted, allowing for little generalization to reality, and can place internet-using multi-players at risk for inappropriate contact with and comments from persons of unknown intent. In these ways, screens take many people away from opportunities for positive practice in other key areas, and can expose them to language, ideas, and aspects of morality that do not fit family ideals and do not promote a sense of community.

Kronenberger, W.G., Mathews, V.P., Dunn, D.W., Wang, Y., Wood, E.A., Giauque, A.L., Larsen, J.J., Rembusch, M.E., Lowe, M.J., & Li, T. (2005). Media violence exposure and executive functioning in aggressive and control adolescents. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 61, 725-737.

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