Archive notice: This article was originally published on November 13, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Microsoft introduces a new feature for the Xbox 360. With the Family Timer, parents are to be able to limit their children’s playing time to the minute in future. The safety tool developed as part of a cooperation with the Parent Teacher Association was recently presented in the USA. The Family Timer, which will be available for download via Xbox Live from December, is intended to help parents keep their children from excessive media consumption.
“Only limiting audiovisual media consumption is too little”, comments Helmut Lukesch, media psychologist at the University of Regensburg, on the announcement of Microsoft’s control mechanism. What is important is not only limiting the time, but also that parents offer their children other leisure activities. “What is decisive is that the children are dealt with correctly from a psychological perspective”, the psychologist points out in conversation with pressetext.
“The long-term effect of video games is now regarded as clearly scientifically proven”, Lukesch states. “A wealth of studies on this topic have clearly demonstrated effects such as the arousal effect and the reduction of compassion”, he further adds. In addition, there is the fact that skepticism toward such technical solutions is relatively high, especially in the European region. However, the psychologist sees such efforts as quite sensible with regard to the Internet, where access to certain content can be prevented by filtering information.
In Lukesch’s opinion, however, it is also increasingly the task of manufacturers to inform their customers correctly and comprehensively about their products. “Many manufacturers try to spread smoke screens in order to cover up the actual effects of their socially harmful products”, he reports. This can, of course, also be understood when one considers that the high development costs are also supposed to be recouped.
Further links:
- Microsoft
