Video fever

How do video games affect your child? Jimmy: Jimmy's face shows almost no emotion as he manipulates the controls. Kill or be killed is his stimulus, and his reward is random reinforcement and frustration just strong enough to produce Jimmy's problem: he is addicted. Emilie: "Look, Mom's got her soap operas. What's so different between them and Donkey Kong? I only spend ten or so dollars a week on games. And so what? I work for my own money." Video games gross between $2 and $5 billion annually -- three times more than pro football, basketball, and baseball combined. Video games can be tremendously entertaining, constructively educational, or actually addictive -- depending on the player's reaction to them. Charles Beamer explains how the games work and helps parents analyze the benefits and hazards of the technological wizardry of the newest national pastime. - Back cover.