Effects of Video Games on Children

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Effects of Video Games on Children

Did You Know?
The Mario franchise is one of the best-selling video games ever, having sold more than 210 million
units worldwide and the character Mario has appeared in more than 200 games.
Today, about two-thirds of US population plays video games. These games were first introduced in
the 1970s and have now become an invariable source of fun, learning, and entertainment for
children and adults alike. You will find Nintendo, PlayStation, or Wii U in almost every home, with
multiple video game genres categorized under action, adventure, role-play, sports, general
entertainment, adult, and educational games.
Since the time video games were devised, extensive research has been conducted to study the
effects of these games on kids. The results of these studies have shown that there are both good and
bad effects, depending on whether children play age-appropriate games and the time they spend in
playing. Let us look at the possible advantages and disadvantages of gaming and see how video
games affect children.
Desirable Effects
Playing video games helps in the development of perceptual and cognitive abilities and motor
skills.
While playing video games, children acquire problem-solving skills, learn teamwork, and become
more alert. It also helps improve their short-term memory. Playing video games requires them to
make faster, accurate decisions, thus developing their decision-making skills.
Interactive video games compel a child to practice more and more in order to be the best.
Playing, devising gaming strategies, and winning gives children a sense of achievement and boosts
their confidence.
A study conducted by the University of Rochester states that, "Gamers perform better in tests
that involve focus, speed, multi-tasking, vision, and accuracy than others or non-gamers." So playing
video games can teach your children to concentrate, plan, come up with different strategies to reach
the goal, perform multiple tasks at the same time and learn how to handle complex situations.
This virtual environment is the future of education as it offers an interactive way for students to
learn and succeed in this competitive world.
Negative Effects
Video games have negative effects on the physical health of children. Sitting for hours before the
video game consoles can increase the risk of obesity, sleep disturbances, headaches, dry eyes, carpal
tunnel syndrome, muscular diseases, as well as skeletal and postural disorders in kids. Other health
effects include agitation, increased heart rate, and high blood pressure.

Various research studies conducted by B. D. Bartholow, D. A. Gentile, B. J. Bushman, and M. A.
Sestir have shown a relation between aggressive behavior and playing video games that have
violence in them. They say that indulging in games that have a lot of shooting and killing is said to
increase anger in children, leading to aggressive behavior.
These video games hook children as playing and winning boosts their morale. The University of
Calgary conducted an online survey on children aged 9-15 years who play mature and violent video
games and concluded that it has a direct relation with tendencies like bullying, becoming abusive,
beating, or clobbering siblings or peers.
There is a direct correlation between children who spend a lot of time playing games and those
ignoring their studies, resulting in poor academic performance, cutting school, and dropping out of
school.
Numerous deaths have been reported from around the world because of obsessively playing
video games for hours, days, weeks, or months. In 2005, a 28-year-old man from South Korea,
collapsed and died of cardiac arrest because of playing World of Warcraft and StarCraft games for
50 straight hours. In October 2007, a teenager from Ohio (USA) shot his parents for taking away his
copy of the game Halo 3. A Korean couple, in 2009, spent hours playing video games, neglecting
their 3-month old baby, who died from malnutrition and dehydration. A 16-year-old from South
Philadelphia (USA) killed his mother in the year 2010 for confiscating his PSP.
What Parents Can Do
? To decrease the negative effects of gaming on children, parental control is essential. Parents
should keep a close eye on the type of games their children play.
? When buying games for kids, parents should check the age limit mentioned on the cover by the
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). They should also avoid buying games that have too
much violence in them.
Abbreviation
Suitable for
EC - Early Childhood
ages 3 and above
E - Everyone
ages 6 and above
T - Teens
ages 13 and above
M - Mature
ages 17 and above

AO - Adults Only
ages 18 and above
RP - Rating Pending
Awaiting response from the ESRB
? The most important thing that parents must observe is the amount of time their children spend in
front of video game consoles. They should not allow their kids to spend more than two hours per day
in gaming.
? To track and monitor your kids' video gaming habits, place all gaming devices in a more visible
area of the house and children less than 2 years should be kept away from playing video or mobile
games.
? Encourage your children to play outdoors or enroll them to different youth clubs that have outdoor
activities, which in turn will help them communicate face to face and socialize with people
comfortably. Encourage them to take up hobbies, like reading, gardening, and camping.
? Last but not the least, talk to your kids about how video games should be enjoyed and how much
use is good use. Also make them aware of the negative effects these games can have.
Video games are definitely fun and entertaining. However, too much indulgence can lead to
addiction and have physical as well as psychological effects on one's health.

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