Video Games: Are they really THAT BAD?
By David
Video games are the public enemy of almost all parents, teachers, and
many others. But is it really the “Great Satan”? In my opinion video
games are not as bad as people think, it can actually help you; either with
your learning or for pure entertainment. It is a great activity and I believe
that it can become a game which can be participated by children and
adults alike.
Video games can bring many advantages, but let’s start with an
obvious one; its leisure capabilities. Video games, no matter what kind,
can bring some sort of happiness and excitement to the people that play it.
A study at Middlesex University allowed 300 to people play World of
Warcraft for two hours and instead of going berserk from tiredness and
violence; they became only a little tired and more relaxed as a matter of
fact. This study shows that video games really have the capability to
allow someone to relax, instead of driving them crazy. From personal
experience, video games helps me release anger and pressure
accumulated over the week, all that pressure quickly drops to zero after
an hour playing CS. And I can assure you this helps thousands of other
students and people around the world release anger and stress. Many
people believe video games cause people to become violent. But video
games don’t always cause people to be violent. For example, if two
people in the class are hooligans, it doesn’t mean everyone in the whole
class are hooligans. It’s the same with video games, only a few people
that play are violent, yet people think all those that play have a tendency
towards violence.
Second of all, an idea that many people don’t approve of. That is
video games and education. Video games can assist learning in many
ways, but it is often seen as the enemy of education. Many video games
are based on historical or political events. For example, Call of Duty 2 is
based on World War 2, while Black Hawk Down is based on a real crash
and event. They can help you learn history and much other useful
information. Most importantly many video games increase problem
solving, strategic thinking, and logical skills. Playing video games is not
as easy as many people think. In many games you have to plan your next
move and what you are going to do next. Video games used along side
education are happening, but is criticized or looked down upon. An
example of video games used along side learning is that Mr. Eggen used
Third World Farmer to show us how hard earning money from farming is,
which has increased my understanding of farmers in the third world.
Zehnder, a researcher, video games are being used in classes at some
universities, where professors use online games like "World of Warcraft"
to help students develop business skills. For example, many gadgets in
the games are sometimes worth a dollar in real money, these gadgets can
then be traded with other players.
Furthermore, video games can help cure and prevent many diseases.
Experts say that there are a number of video games which require critical
thinking, agility, good coordination which could exercise the eyes and the
brain. That would be effective and useful in keeping many illnesses at bay.
These progressive illnesses would include Alzheimer's disease and
memory loss. Computer games are also being used to treat those with a
range of people with learning and language disabilities. Teachers have
found that games that provide an enjoyable, unique and exciting way for
children to conquer their disabilities. Games have also been tested at
some universities in an attempt to understand how video games can help
children recognise and repeat language patterns. This is very important,
since millions of children and adults have been disabilities with language
learning which are related to language development difficulty. According
to Jason Petrina, the Editor of Article Click:
“Video games designed for language disability treatment actually force a child's brain
to concentrate on the desired language patterns, so that they can understand and
process the individual differences.”
Last but not least are video games’ least known advantages. It can
increase your circle of friends and you can join gaming groups, gaining
friends worldwide. Furthermore in Korea two gamers have developed a
relationship over an online game and have even gone as far as getting
married. This proves gaming is a great social activity, from friends to
wives. In addition to friends it can train your teamwork skills, just like
any other sport; teamwork is very important in all places. Video games
can increase your visual acuity and generate more attention span. You can
get faster reflexes from games, too.
All in all, video games are more than just addictive forms of
entertainment, video games are very helpful in many ways; education,
entertainment, and social skills. It is often misunderstood by parents and
teachers as a waste of time and your eyesight. So I in the future I hope
that video games can have a brighter future and can am used in different
ways too.