Not All Screens Are the Same: TV versus Video Games
- Jessica Snowden Patel
- Sep 26
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 1
We live in a house with four kids, six strong opinions, and a lot of screens. Some of our kids can take it or leave it, one would happily stay online 24/7, and another seemed almost instantly hooked the first time they played Fortnite. Screens have absolutely been the thief of creativity in our house — pulling our kids away from forts, Lego builds, drawing, or spinning stories out loud. But they’ve also been the glue of connection — like cousins building Minecraft worlds together across the country, family Mario Kart tournaments, or watching every Star Wars and Marvel movie in release order (because chronological order just doesn’t feel right).
And honestly? We as parents aren’t immune either. I’ve fallen into the same dopamine loops when scrolling at night. I may tell myself “just one more video” and suddenly it’s way past bedtime. The truth is, this isn’t just about kids. Tech today is designed to hook all of us.
Why Screens Feel So Hard to Quit
Games and shows today aren’t the same as when we were kids.
Old-school cartoons had natural breaks — you yelled for your sibling to sprint back from the kitchen before the commercial ended, or you highlighted the TV Guide and hoped the VCR didn’t betray you.
Today, everything auto-plays instantly. No breaks, no waiting, just the next episode or the next round.
New shows run at higher refresh rates (smoother, faster animations). Old cartoons looked jerky and gave your brain a rest; new ones are designed to keep your eyes locked.
Video games rarely have true endings anymore. Endless creative modes, immersive graphics, and variable rewards mean kids are playing in a loop Atari never could have dreamed of.
And that’s where the dopamine loop comes in. Every time a child wins a round, levels up, or gets a surprise prize, their brain releases dopamine — the “feel good” chemical. But when there’s no natural stopping point, the loop never closes.
That’s why transitions feel like a meltdown waiting to happen. Their brains aren’t choosing to make it hard — they’re wired to keep going.
Not All Games Are Equal
Some games are designed to keep kids hooked. Others build in natural breaks.
X Variable rewards (mystery prizes, loot boxes, spins) → Highly addictive. Roblox, Fortnite skins, Clash Royale.
X Endless play (no natural breaks) → Harder to stop. Minecraft creative mode, Candy Crush.
✓ Clear goals (beat a level, finish a puzzle, complete a story) → More manageable. Zelda, Spider-Man, Mario Odyssey.
✓ Offline, structured play → Easier to balance, sometimes bonding. Mario Kart, Just Dance, classic Nintendo.
Quick reflexes in Fortnite or Spider-Man don’t transfer to the lacrosse field. These skills mostly stay in-game — and the adrenaline rush that helps in play can overstimulate kids outside of it.
Video Games vs. TV
Parents often ask: “Is TV better than video games?” The answer: it depends.
Games are interactive. They build visual-spatial awareness and quick reactions, but those skills don’t always translate to real life. They’re more addictive because of the reward loops.
TV is passive. Kids can zone out, which isn’t always a bad thing if they need downtime. It’s easier to stop because there’s less immediate reinforcement.
Family context matters. We’ve bonded over Stranger Things with one child, Amazing Race with another, and shared Star Wars marathons together. Those memories matter.
Old-school TV gave natural breaks (commercials, reruns, waiting until Saturday morning). Now, auto-play means endless access, and higher refresh rates make newer shows faster and more stimulating.
Educational Apps and Learning
Not all screen time is the same. Some of it has real learning value:
One of our kids learned to read early thanks to Word World and Phonics Farm.
But it didn’t work the same for their siblings — which matches research that shows educational content helps some kids more than others.
Apps like Endless Learning, Duck Duck Moose, Lexia, Math Tango, and Duolingo can sneak in great practice.
Closed captions (aka closed captors as my kids mispronounce them) are a simple literacy booster — and now I can’t watch TV without them. Bonus: the kids get extra reading practice every time we binge.
Screens and Neurodivergence
Screens don’t affect all kids the same way. Everyone is different, but here are some common patterns:
ADHD → Dopamine loops hit harder, making it tough to stop. At least three humans with ADHD live in our house, so we feel this daily.
Autism → Screens can feel calming and predictable, but transitions away can be especially tough.
PDA → Screens can reduce burnout and offer refuge from demands — but taking them away can feel like losing their only safe space.
Learning differences → Kids may rely on tech tools (like audiobooks, voice-to-text, or math apps) that blur the line between “screen time” and academic support.
Screens can be the thief of creativity — pulling kids away from art, Lego builds, and fort-making. But they can also be the glue of connection — letting kids play Minecraft with cousins across the country, or bond with siblings in Mario Kart. For neurodivergent kids especially, screens are not just entertainment; they’re often a tool for regulation, connection, and sometimes survival in a world that feels overwhelming.
Helping Kids Transition (Without Battles)
We wouldn’t like having our phone yanked away mid-text, so kids deserve the same respect.
Practical tools that help (on good days):
Visual timers → Kids can see the time ticking down.
Advance warnings → “Five minutes left — save your game.”
Respect → Let them finish a level or scene. Courtesy goes a long way.
We’ve even had our kids suggest their own screen-time rules. It wasn’t smooth (six humans = six strong opinions), and we’re still tweaking it. But giving them a voice works better than handing down rules from above.
Big Picture: What Parents Can Ask
Screens aren’t going anywhere. The question isn’t “if,” it’s “how.” Some guiding questions for parents:
What’s my child like after screens — calm, dysregulated, creative, withdrawn?
Is this game/show/app reinforcing skills we want (reading, problem-solving, social connection) or pulling them into loops?
Does my child struggle with transitions more in some apps/games than others?
What else is being balanced in their day — movement, play, reading, downtime?
How does my child’s profile (ADHD, autism, PDA, anxiety, learning differences) change what they need from screens?
And the questions we aren’t tackling here — like social media safety, online strangers, or screen addiction at older ages — those deserve their own deep dives.