Video games have taken on a more profound role in our society. And a lot of people wonder what the impact of video games on children is and if there are any long-term health risks involved. Video games have continued to evolve with technological advancements and have become more advanced.
This has led to changes in how they are created, advertised, and, most importantly, played. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the topic of video game violence and its potential effect on children.
Below are some negative and positive impacts of video games on children
Positive Impacts
Let’s look at some of the positive impacts of video games on children:
Improved Cognitive Skills
Video games require players to use their brains to solve puzzles and complete tasks within the game world. This improves their mental function and helps them think critically about different situations in real life and understand how things work together.
Video Games Improve Hand-Eye Coordination
In addition to developing cognitive skills, video games also help develop physical coordination in children. This can lead to better reflexes and faster reaction times than usual.
For example, if you’re playing a first-person shooter like Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 or Battlefield 5 (both rated M), you’ll need fast reflexes and good aim if you want to survive long enough to get into the battle!
Improved Social Skills
Playing video games can help children improve their social skills. Video games often require teamwork and communication, which helps kids practice interacting with other people in a safe environment.
The more the game, the better they get at this type of interaction, making them better able to function socially in real life.
Teaches Problem-Solving Skills
Games also help kids enhance problem-solving skills by making them think strategically about how to beat levels or complete missions within the game. This teaches them how to apply these same strategies when faced with real-world problems that need solving.
Examples of such problems include finding creative solutions for complex problems or figuring out how to complete tasks efficiently.
Keeps Kids Active
Another benefit of engaging in video games is that they encourage physical activity, which can help kids stay healthy while having fun! Many popular titles reward players with points or other rewards
Video Games Can Improve Focus
Playing video games can help improve a child’s attention span and focus. For example, if your child is playing a game where he has to shoot zombies or other monsters, he will need to focus on the game and make split-second decisions to win the game.
This will help your child improve his ability to stay focused on something, even when distractions are present.
Negative Impacts
Let’s look at some of the negative impacts of video games on children:
Video Game Addiction
Children who spend too much time playing video games may develop what doctors call “Internet gaming disorder.” Symptoms of this condition include significant impairment in everyday life (such as missing work or school).
Other includes withdrawal symptoms when prevented from playing video games, and unsuccessful attempts to control or reduce gaming use.
Playing video games is very similar to playing other forms of gambling, such as slot machines or roulette. The happiness of winning a game can cause players to spend more time playing than initially intended.
This can lead to problems for parents when their children spend hours playing games instead of doing homework or chores around the house.
Aggressive Behavior
Violent video games often show characters killing or hurting other characters or animals, which may desensitize gamers to the effects of violence on others and make them more likely to act aggressively in real life.
Poor Grades
Studies show that engaging in violent video games may lead to poor school performance because players become less interested in school activities and may even abuse drugs or alcohol to escape their problems (for example, feeling depressed or anxious).
Obesity
Many of today’s video games require a lot of physical activity, but this activity is often passive. Kids who spend their day playing video games might not get enough physical activity and could become overweight or obese.
Sleep Problems
Playing games late at night can cause sleep problems for kids because it keeps them up past their bedtime. This makes them tired during the day when they need their sleep most. It also causes kids to get less sleep overall.
This is because if they’re playing games before bedtime instead of sleeping more hours at night than they would otherwise need if they weren’t playing.
Verdict
Video games engage all of the senses to stimulate the mind, body, and emotions through these various outlets. They can be visually stimulating or mentally demanding. They can be playfully competitive or thoughtful and calming.
They can be voraciously addictive or beneficial to a child’s developmental needs. The experiences they provide are as diverse as they are engaging, and we need to remember that parents should step in when necessary.
