Although children experiencing positive engagement may also show a reluctance to stop, it differs distinctly from addictive engagement, where the unwillingness arises from a place of dependency rather than growth. A child with positive engagement might react by saying “Just five more minutes!” or “Can I finish this part first?” Their request comes from a place of genuine enthusiasm and investment in what they are doing.
While they may feel disappointed, their responses typically remain respectful and regulated. They can usually transition to the next activity after a brief period of adjustment, especially if given a heads-up that the activity will end soon. Conversely, a child in destructive engagement often reacts in a drastically different way when their activity is interrupted. Trying to get the child to stop is like throwing gasoline on fire – they might respond with immediate aggression or intense emotional outbursts.
Their reaction is not about the activity itself, but in the anxiety of losing their coping mechanism. It is similar to how someone might react when losing access to something they have become dependent on, like a medication that manages their condition. This perceived loss of control can induce a sense of panic or vulnerability, triggering a heightened emotional response. The aggression often appears suddenly and intensely, like a defensive reaction, rather than the measured reluctance we see in positive engagement.
This difference becomes clearer when we look at what happens after the transition. Children who were positively engaged can usually talk about what they were doing with enthusiasm and often look forward to returning to it later. They might say, “Tomorrow, I’m going to add a tower to my castle!” Their connection to the activity remains positive and future oriented. Children in destructive engagement, however, often struggle to regulate their emotions even after the activity ends. They might remain angry, withdrawn or anxious.
Game-Based Learning: A Tool for Preventing Addiction
In today’s world, the conversation around video games is often dominated by concerns about addiction. The role of games in learning and their potential to cause addiction in children is a major concern for many parents. However, not all engagement with video games cause addiction. Positive engagement builds habits that drive progress and enhance outcomes, leading many to believe that it is the result of superior genetics.
Neutral engagement leads to stagnation or foster habits that don’t significantly influence a child’s development, and negative engagement creates unhealthy habits that eventually lead to addiction. Like an investment, engagement is like the interest rates for your child’s intellectual development, where the benefits grow and compound over time. Numerous research support this, emphasizing that the quality of a child’s engagement significantly influences their growth, performance and development.
How Eduwerkx Supports Resilience and Growth in Children
There is also a growing body of research supporting the idea that well-designed learning games have a unique potential to help prevent addiction by making the learning process both manageable and rewarding. These games can help develop resilience, focus, foster healthier cognitive engagement and even improve mental health. Rather than promoting addiction, well-designed educational games can be powerful tools to help strengthen a child’s resistance to addictive behaviors.
Still worried about your child stagnating or forming unhealthy habits? Don’t worry! At Eduwerkx, we have developed an innovative, patent-pending approach to designing educational games that not only enhance skills development but also encourage the formation of positive habits. Interested to know how your child could be sabotaging themselves with “rotten oranges”? Like and follow for more in part 7.
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