The PlayStation Portable, or PSP, is a handheld game console manufactured by Sony. Is it worth it to please your child with the purchase of an electronic toy or is it a waste of money that can be fraught with dangers to the health and development of the child?
More than just a toy
Sony unveiled its first PSP to the public in 2004 and has since become a dream come true for millions of children around the world. However, many parents question the wisdom of buying a PSP: why waste money on mindless games?
Of course, games are the main function of the PSP, but by no means the only one. In fact, this console is more than just a game console, and it can please not only a child gamer, but also adults who are far from computer games. So, this gadget makes it possible to watch videos, listen to your favorite MP3 music, download and view photos, and even go online. All this makes the console almost indispensable on the road: in order to pass the time on the road, you no longer need to carry a heavy laptop with you.
But the list of PSP features does not end there: there are many additional accessories that you can add to your gadget if you want. So, a tiny webcam will turn a game console into a camera with quite tolerable image quality, and a USB TV-module connected to it - into a mobile TV that you can take with you everywhere. You can attach to the console and portable speakers, and even a GPS navigator. Not to mention the fact that it can be interesting for an adult to play games too.
Is it dangerous?
Often, parents are wary of computer games, because they believe that they can negatively affect the development of the child, distract from studies, and interfere with successful socialization.
It is interesting that, contrary to popular belief, there are positive aspects to the hobby for computer games. First of all, scientists note that the use of a computer mouse or joystick contributes to the development of fine motor skills, which is especially important in preschool and primary school age. In addition, little gamers demonstrate the best reaction speed, especially visual: during the game, the child has to closely monitor what is happening on the display and, if something happens, react with lightning speed. Thanks to this, new useful connections are established in the child's brain, the visual analyzer is trained and developed.
Computer games become dangerous if the child begins to abuse them, which can cause the development of real addiction. Gambling addiction, although not yet included in the list of mental disorders according to the international classification of diseases, is a serious problem. A child who has developed this kind of addiction becomes aggressive, he has problems communicating with his peers, school performance decreases, and many hours of games have a negative effect on the health of a gamer.
In order to avoid negative consequences, psychologists recommend limiting the time that the child spends on computer games. So, a first grader should spend no more than 10 minutes in the virtual world, children 8-11 years old - 20 minutes, adolescents should limit themselves to 30 minutes. In addition, it is worth protecting children from games in which scenes of cruelty and violence are present. For this, the PSP has a parental control function.
