Educating in the World of Video Games with Nintendo and Stefania Andreoli

Video games are a very widespread medium, especially among younger segments of the population. However, when we talk about young people and very young people, we often find ourselves facing the age-old question of when these can be a healthy pastime and when they can become a problem.

To address the issue, Nintendo Italia sought the collaboration of Stefania Andreoli, a renowned psychotherapist and author of several books dedicated to parents and educators, as well as a series of over 25 titles for children and youngsters. Dr. Andreoli specified that the video game medium, if used correctly, represents a crucial stage and a very useful tool for a child's development, but that it is obviously necessary to learn what this "correct way" consists of.

Stefania Andreoli: Children and Video Games

“Video games intervene well before children's development and are programmed to accompany children, even at primary school age, towards skills such as problem-solving, behavioral strategies, and the planning of actions to be carried out from an emotional point of view - explains Dr. Andreoli - From an emotional point of view, it can be a double-edged sword, but it is certain that video games provide satisfaction and bring a sense of gratification and joy. Educating children about digital means not lagging behind young people, who are digital natives, and maintaining credibility: adults cannot know less than their children. Knowing the advantages, risks, and dangers of digital allows adults to act in a more surgical, informed, and effective way." Obviously, it will be necessary to set boundaries, for example, on the time to dedicate to the medium: "Our child will presumably want to play longer; it's a game of parts and perfectly normal. Overcoming a moment of impasse and rebuilding peace after a conflict, like a video game, is in itself an exercise in problem-solving and strategy.”.

Nintendo Switch 2 and Parental Controls

Nintendo Italia, always attentive and committed to building a healthy and safe gaming environment for young people, wishes to highlight how the new console Nintendo Switch 2 provides an efficient Parental Controls feature that allows adults to effectively control and manage a minor's use of it.

As explained by the Infographic we have included, the Nintendo Switch 2 Parental Controls allow you to limit the available time, the number of accesses, and the time slots during which the child can use the console, optionally enabling the suspend software function if these limits are exceeded. It can also limit or totally block online purchases and select the accounts with which it is possible to interact via voice chat, in order to avoid contact with unknown individuals. The service also provides periodic reports through which the parent can examine the actual use of the console.

You can find more information about the Nintendo Switch 2 Parental Controls on the official website.