If you answered “yes,” then you probably already know how challenging it is to find quality games that don’t promote stereotypical interests such as fashion and make up. On the other hand, if your daughter is interested in violent games featuring guns, warriors and knife-wielding car thieves, or ones that focus on male dominated sports such as football, boxing and baseball, then you’re probably broke by now.
So, either way you’ve got issues.
Despite the limited amount of video games tailored specifically to girls, child psychologists recommend parents not discourage their daughter’s interest in gaming. Rather, they recommend getting involved in the process. For example, if your daughter is very interested in video games, experts suggest looking for creative games that engage her problem-solving and strategic skills. It’s also helpful to look for video games that involve interaction with others and encourage cooperative play.
In addition, experts say parents should stray from video games that contain gender stereotypes and focus on finding games that appeal to their daughter’s hobbies. Other ways to support your daughter’s interest in video gaming include making sure she has equal access to the computer and video game console at your home (this is especially important if you have video game obsessed sons in your household). Another suggestion is to have your daughter invite other girls over to play games. If not enough of her friends are interested, then make time to play video games with your daughter yourself. You could also enroll your daughter in a girls-only computer camp or computer class so she has the chance to interact with other girls who share her interest in video games.
Finally, studies show that children’s ideas of what it means to be male and female can be negatively influenced by video games. For example, most video games promote gender stereotypes found in the media (e.g. females are portrayed as victims, while males are the aggressors), which is absorbed by young children. To avoid this happening to your daughter limit the amount of time she spends playing video games. Also, don’t set up a computer or video game console in your child’s room. Rather, experts suggest you place your child’s video game console in a high-traffic area in your home so you can closely monitor what she is playing.
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