A lot of studies have been conducted, and are still being conducted about the effects of video games on the development of children. Games are available in all manner of shapes and forms, with some known to be educative, entertaining and relaxing, while others have been blamed for the poor development and lack of good cognitive capabilities in children.
One thing that stands out clear, however, is the fact that video games can be both beneficial and detrimental to the development of a child and a lot of caution and moderation should be ensured so that the child can benefit from the games.
The positive effects of video games on children
Before you start condemning kids for playing video games and start forcing them to play word games such as scrabble using word unscrambler, here is a look at some of the positive effects of video games on children.
Learning to work in a team
Most of the current video games require a partner or a team and this gives the kids an opportunity to learn to work with others with a common goal in mind. It helps them to develop certain skills they may need for team assignments and even leadership roles in the future.
Improves their decision-making capabilities
Videos games are played in real time, and with most of the games, they are fast-paced, and they require the player to act fast and make very quick decisions. This aspect of the games is very important in helping the children sculpt very good decision-making skills, which will without a doubt come handy later in life. Consider fields such as sports and medicine where split-second decisions are sometimes necessary. Through video games, children can start working on such skill at tender ages.
Maintaining accuracy under pressure
Quick decisions will not be helpful if they will be wrong, and this is never an aspect of the video games. Yes, you will be required to make very quick decisions, but if they are wrong, you will most certainly lose the game. As such, video games teach children to make a decision fast, and those decisions should be accurate. It allows the children to start learning how to calculate independent parameters fast and come up with decisions that will help them win. This is the very reason why doctors, lawyers, and performance athletes are usually encouraged to play video games so that they can enhance their short-term decision-making skills.
Better cognitive functioning
With repeated practice, the brain learns to develop structures and create new neurotransmitters and pathways to better enhance its performance. This has always been evident among artists and musicians who become better with every practice session they have. The same applies in video games too. With the intense concentration that some of the games usually require, the brain finds it easy to solve problems faster, and this will enhance the child’s ability to solve problems later on in life.
Proper coordination between the hands and eyes
Proper development of motor skills are vital for every child, and playing video games is one of the ways through which children can develop and enhance such skills. While playing video games, the child will have to coordinate movement in their hands and the visual reference they are seeing on the screen in front of them. This hand-eye coordination is not just vital in most sports but in virtually all aspects of life.
The bad of video games for kids
There are also considerable reasons why video games may be discouraged amongst kids, and mind games such as scrabble or using word unscrambler may be encouraged. Here is a look at some of the negative effects of video games on kids-:
Health concerns
Too much video games can make the children adopt a sedentary lifestyle, and this may bring about a wide range of health concerns. Kids are active and should be playing all day long unless they are sleeping. But video game has a way of disrupting this natural order, and this is why most kids who love playing video games have weak muscles and joints and are always at higher risks of suffering from obesity.
Academic issues
It is a fact that most kids would rather play video games than sit down and do homework after school. This is the same trend on the weekends when they think of nothing but watch movies and stick to their play station. The result will be a poor performance at school – a trend which if not stopped in good time, then the child’s ability to succeed in academics will be in serious jeopardy.
Wrong Exposures
Not all video games in the market are ideal for kids, and out of curiosity, the kids may find themselves looking into video games that will expose them to the wrong things and values in life. For example, certain video games are violent in nature, some involve criminals while others may have very strong languages. Kids shouldn’t be exposed to such. It will make them have very wrong moral standings which may, later on, affect them in the future.
Aggressive behaviors
Some video games have violent contents and very strong suggestions for instant gratifications. Such may make the kids be very impatient and extremely aggressive – values which may not make them get the most out of life. When things will not go for them as they had planned or anticipated, or when they meet restrictions, they may attempt to have their way, no matter the consequences. Such are very troublesome behaviors that children shouldn’t be exposed to.
Poor social life
Playing video games makes children get withdrawn from the outside world. This is because most of the times they are just indoors, either alone or with very few friends. The result is that they will be socially disconnected and they will miss out on the benefits of playing out with their peers outdoors. Not that being an introvert is a bad thing, but sometimes not having good social circles may not be a good thing.
