Video games have attracted children for decades. This, however, has reached new heights with the introduction of mobile gaming devices and smartphone applications.
Because of mobility, gaming has found its way into the home, the apartment, and bus stop. It’s impossible to find a youngster in the United States who isn’t playing a game on their smartphone.
Despite the unfavorable press that video games receive, they have several benefits. The issue is to find the proper mix of high-quality content and reasonable limits. After all, video games can help rather than hinder your child’s development.
Education Studies have indicated that video games can assist pupils in learning more successfully, and teachers report greater exam scores when video games are used in the classroom. Students can also learn via games and apply what they’ve learned in the real world. Both medical and military training programs use simulation-style games to teach tools and strategy.
Lifetime Skills
Many video games teach youngsters qualities like delegation, teamwork, and prioritization. Internet-enabled games that allow youngsters to play with their real-life pals frequently demand collaboration and task division to complete a level.
Enhancement of Brain Function
Video games have been demonstrated to improve our problem-solving and thinking skills. They help us make split-second decisions, process information more quickly and multitask more efficiently. Furthermore, games can aid in developing hand-eye coordination and aural understanding.
Motion-controlled games like the Nintendo Wii were previously supposed to answer parental concerns about video games contributing to obesity. On the other hand, video games have not affected children’s overall activity levels.
On the other hand, smartphone games provide some optimism by encouraging kids to get out of the house. Pokemon Go is one example, but Geocaching and other real-life treasure hunt activities can also be fun for your kids. For example, The Walk blends storytelling and fitness to motivate consumers.
Workplace Skills
According to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), children must play more video games to compete in today’s labor environment. In a 2010 study, the FAS found that games helped students gain higher-order thinking skills, including problem-solving and interpretative analysis. For additional information, see here.
Violence in video games is a disadvantage.
While every other study concludes that playing violent video games has negative societal implications, the brain scan findings are concerning.
Simply put, youngsters who play violent video games have poorer levels of self-control and higher levels of emotional reactivity in their brains.
While the discussion continues, keep in mind how violent video games affect your children. Trust your intuition if you discover a problem.
Assist your children in choosing games that you consider appropriate. Many video game ratings provide important information on the game’s content, such as the amount of violence, profanity, and topics.
People are affected by addiction, which is a disease.
In England, the National Health Service began treating video game addiction this year after the World Health Organization included “gaming disease” in its International Classification of Disease.
What about video gaming makes them so addicting? As we play, dopamine is released into our systems, causing us to feel happy and directing our brain to “do it again.”
In actuality, video games are designed to be addicting. John Hopson is a behavioral and brain sciences professor, a games researcher at Microsoft Game Studios, and a writer on game design.
In his book “Behavioral Game Design,” he explains how game designers can monitor behavior by using simple stimuli and incentives at key times and locations.
Game addiction is more common in children with low impulse control or struggles to fit in. This could be because video games give a simple way to fill the void created when forming real-life relationships is tough.
Substitution in Society
Please keep track of how much time your kids spend playing video games and whether it is substituting for or affecting other elements of their lives.
After school, kids who play internet-connected games can “hang out” with their buddies without ever leaving the house. This type of virtual gathering, on the other hand, cannot replace genuine face-to-face interaction.
Digital hangouts rob children of their opportunity to learn social skills and move their bodies from one house to another, to say nothing of the dangers of online predators and cyberbullying.
What part do we play in video games?
Our children may benefit from video games, but parents must be present to help them set limits. If you’re afraid that your youngster is growing overly obsessed with video games, then talk about it. Attempt to be nonjudgmental and compassionate. Try to agree on a reasonable amount of time for video games in your household.
If you require assistance, contact your pediatrician. They may be able to offer useful advice or maybe connect you to a therapist who works with tweens and teenagers.
While video games have their place, they should not take up more time than children require for exercise, socialization, learning, and sleep. In our increasingly connected world, we could all use more practice unplugging.