Sweaty hands maneuver sticky joysticks, hammer away at keyboards and eyes stay glued to bright monitors. Hours pass by before they get tired, hungry or thirsty. Nature's call is held back and mothers voices are hushed down. Video game mania has caught the younger generation like a fish in a barrel. Youngsters play vividly imaginative games, jumping roofs and beating the bad guys all day long, and yet do not step outside to walk on the same ground that they have been imagining through their games.

The rise of computer games has seen a generation riddled with health problems like obesity, sleeping disorders, visual impairment and back problems from a young age. These youngsters get little physical activity, lesser sleep and are exposed to high levels of mental activity and sometimes stress. The problems ripple over each other to become more serious in the long run.

It is up to parents to instill in their children a fondness for traditional games. Going out into the sunlight and running, jumping and rolling around. In their formative years, it is important for children to get plenty of exercise so that their musculature is better developed. Sedentary habits from a very young age can lead to a host of problems on growing older.

There is also the problem that computer games are extremely addictive and can lead to dropping grades, lack of social ability and a general indifference to everyday activity. Many parents complain that their children don't do anything but play computer games, not even spend time with the family. It happens often that a child puts off his/her meal until they are done playing the game by which the food has gone cold and meal time is long over.

Traditional games like football, baseball, basketball and most other sports are very good for young children. While video games are not all bad, children fail to moderate the time they spend on these games. Parents try to restrict the children, but most of them are unable to deny their children for a long time. The best bet is to make them love the outdoors more than their indoor fantasy worlds.

Try to slowly introduce the concept of physically based games to the children. If they will not step away from their consoles then use the motion sensor based games to introduce them to sports. A gradual interest will build up after which they may prefer the real thing to something virtual. Coax them slowly into reducing video game time. Do not ban it outright, but insist firmly upon substitute practices that will slowly push the children towards better games.

These games like anything else can be harmful if indulged in too feverishly. It is important to understand that these games are amazing fun for your children, and to explain to them that there are other games that can be fun as well. Being overly strict will most likely result in rebellious behavior that causes more problems than it solves.