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Raising Teens: Are video games getting a bad rap?

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Posted: September 12, 2012
Updated: September 13, 2012

Tags: Parenting, High School

Are boys who play video games more aggressive? It's hard to tease out the exact answer to this common question, says Dr. Joel Dillon, a licensed psychologist with Orenstein Solutions in Cary.

"The research is inconclusive on long-term effects on children and increasing aggression," he said.

But some research has found that the content of the game and how aggression is used could matter, he said. Parents should note whether players are fighting in the game to save somebody, for instance, or to just rack up a body count.

Dillon says parents should pay attention to a game's rating and be sure to monitor their child's play. Even better, he says, play with them.

For more information on video games, watch my interview with Dillon, who specializes in adolescents, among other areas, at Orenstein Solutions. He'll offer more tips next week.

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