28.1.2019
- “Children of Virtual Reality” is the first documentary film that brings together facts about the world of video games, expert advice, and experiences of children and parents
- The documentary is available at no charge in MAXtv videoteque, and from today, on RTLplay
- The “Let's Play It Safe” campaign aims to raise the level of information and safety of children, young people and their parents in playing video games
The first video game “Tic-tac-toe” was created in 1952, the first Magnavox Odyssey console game was released twenty years later, and today the video game industry is one of the most important branches of economy with annual revenues of $137 billion, hundreds of thousands of employees and 2.3 billion players around the world. While some argue that video games are good because they develop reflexes, provide interactive entertainment and can help people relax, others are afraid of addiction and excessive stimulation. The truth is, of course, somewhere in between. This is the topic of the first domestic documentary film about video gaming told through the experience of one family and it brings a complete overview of the video game world, as well as the specific advantages and disadvantages of gaming.
The documentary “Children of Virtual Reality”' is shown in MAXtv videoteque and from today on RTLplay, and is realized within the “Let’s Play It Safe” campaign, which aims to raise the level of information of young people and their parents about all the benefits and risks that are part of the world of video games. The “Let's Play It Safe” campaign has been launched by Hrvatski Telekom together with its partners the Communications and Media Culture Association and Hrabri telefon.
The documentary is an innovative format of the impact video games have on a family where gamers and parents together go through all the challenges of the video games. The documentary brings the story through the perspective of three boys, Luka, Filip, and Jošua, and their mothers. The problem of spending time in front of a computer and gaming security is explained by Vice President of Communication and Media Culture Association Igor Kanižaj and Ivan Rado, a.k.a. Malaysian Tapir, one of the most famous Croatian YouTubers.
“We have created a new format wanting to make it interesting to both parents and children because it is necessary to educate them both. With the “Let's Play It Safe” campaign we want to start a debate on how to play video games so that we do not talk about solving things by prohibiting, but we emphasize the need to prevent potential dangers through education of parents and children. We are extremely happy with the positive reactions of the public. The Generation Next web site alone generated in less than a month almost 1500 downloads of the digital guide “The world of video games” which proves that we are heading in the right direction,” said Nina Išek Međugorac, Director of Corporate Communications of Hrvatski Telekom.
The documentary is part of the “Let’s Play It Safe” campaign, which started with the presentation of the first digital guide which brings a full overview of the positive aspects, as well as the risks of playing video games with concrete advice for parents on how to approach their children and protect them from the dangers of the virtual world.