Whether time spent on electronic devices influences the social development and behavior of young people has been the subject of much speculation and research. Some studies have linked excessive gaming to academic problems and aggressive and antisocial behavior, while others have found the experience beneficial for relationship building, critical thinking and academic success. Common-sense parenting and paying attention to children's play activities, while limiting the time the child spends playing, will help the child's proper development and maturity. Decide what's acceptable, check the ratings, and choose games that require the player to strategize. According to Los Angeles psychotherapist Robert Butterworth, Ph.D., you should “evaluate shows and games not just in terms of their violence or obscenity, but in terms of the mental effort they require. The kids have to slay dragons and play with action figures of cowboys and Indians,” he says. “They need to be in a fantasy where they're conquering heroes; suppressing this may have long-term effects that may not be positive (“Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games”).” The effects of video games are complex and would be better understood as multiple dimensions rather than a simplistic “good-bad” dichotomy ( Prot, McDonald, Anderson and Gentile