The effect of video games on children

1. The effect of video games on children
by: Sandro Ljubojevic – July 22. 2020

2. #videogames #children #computers #consoles #psychology
We hear it all the time… “Video games cause violence and addiction”, “Video games are a waste of time”, but is that really
the case? What are the possible benefits of playing video games at a young age? In this topic we are going to examine
some of the positive, as well as some of the negative aspects to playing video games, alongside with how understanding
video games may help you understand your children better.
Video games have been around since the 50’s, and have drastically evolved over the decades. Most people would even
call modern games “life simulators” with the addition of fantasy, action, adventure and thrill. It didn’t take long for video
games to evolve separate genres just like the movies did, so the general public has a much wider selection of products
according to their preferences. Some enjoy riding fast cars and racing, some like to build and govern cities and nations.
Others like to shoot guns and save the innocent from bad guys, while some like to explore the ruins of Ancient Egypt or
even explore other galaxies. Modern games have it all. For those who enjoy playing with others and/or meeting new
people while playing online, multiplayer gaming has been around for quite some time as well.
People’s opinion on video games has varied from time to time. Parents have always been concerned with how much time
their kids spend looking at the screen, as well the nature of the content their children are exposed to. It is known to
everyone that games have an enormous influence and it has also been said that the famous “Call of duty” franchise
attracted many young people into joining the US army. Whether this was a good thing or not is of course debatable, but
seeing how games can motivate and inspire people to take action is astonishing, and the games do help direct more and
more people into other areas such as sports, history, and design. It is a sad, yet common trend nowadays to blame games
for some of the misfortunate events such as mass shootings that take place in schools and other public areas where
young people attack and harm others using rifles and pistols which they find at home. Video games were never intended
to replace the love and guidance which may be lacking in someone’s heart, so neither were they created to generate hate
and destructiveness if it isn’t already inside.

3. Positive aspects of video games

4. 1. Critical thinking
Whether the objective is to escape a room or to find the way out of a forest, players do need to engage in critical problem
solving every once in a while in each video game. Sometimes the players are required to solve puzzles, develop new
strategies or understand the physics behind a movement in order to get to the next level or to complete a mission. Many
of the acquired skills can be useful to the children as not only can they apply the learned schemes in school and everyday
life, but can learn to come up with new solutions to problems and think ahead.
Most of the things children learn at their earliest stages is through playing, and so they see video games not as obligations
or home work, but rather enjoyment. The intellectual tasks get hidden behind a story and a mission. Even the simplest
arcade games require the players to find out for themselves where it is their character needs to go and how. The games
reward players with points, golden coins, better items or some other form of reward, having the players motivated to play
on and solve harder tasks.
2. Decision-making
Games function in real-time and some of them are fast-paced, so they require the player to make quick decisions in a
short period of time. This helps them with decision-making skills which are valuable in real life. They can be easily applied
as they are a cognitive ability of spotting and reacting to change. This goes hand to hand with coordination and accuracy.
The kids that play video games tend to understand hand-eye coordination better, and they begin to learn how the
movement of their limbs affects the space and visual references around them. Another important effect of video games
for decision-making is that the player’s situational awareness is improved, as well as sharpen visuospatial skills. Such skills
come to hand once the child engages in sports or other activities where it must keep track of it’s surroundings and the
changes that actively happen.

5. 3. Creativity
Even though children are creative simply by being children, their ability to imagine new worlds, creatures and ideas only
gets a boost with the help of videogames. While playing, they encounter the imagination of various artists and writers
who also dreamed of turning their ideas into something while they were little. In many games, it is not just the scenery
which is creative, but so too must the players actions be. Some games such as strategies allow players to organize their
sport teams, armies, squads or gangs to attack or defend in unique ways. Many games let the players build and construct
houses, buildings, neighborhoods and cities as they desire. With as little limits as possible, the children have the ability to
turn any idea into a digital reality and to see the fruits of their intellectual labor right at hand.

6. 4. Teamwork
With online gaming on the constant rise, kids and other players have gotten to understand the importance of working
together in order to achieve the common goal. In many combat games, players must organize between themselves how
they’re going to take over an enemy base or defend their own, and in many games players can help or heal their injured
companion. Through multiplayer games the players enjoy problem-solving and victories together, and it often brings kids
from school closer as they remain in contact and in activity even when they’re not together in class or out in the street.
When the majority of class plays a popular game together, those who don’t sometimes end up left aside during
conversations or group activities.
5. Character
It should not come as a surprise, many people of the previous century looked up to their movie heroes with hopes of
becoming like them some day. It was the role model learning type that played the key role in how the movies shaped
people’s characters. They would always depict the main guy as a righteous hero who always knows how to act, how to
behave and how to save the day. Video games pretty much do the same thing, with one exception… They do not always
show to the player that that’s the way they should be, rather, they allow the player to chose on his own. Role playing
games such as the “Assassins creed” franchise commonly let the player free-roam the map and do as they desire, but
since a good portion of the game’s story is presented in the form of a movie scene, the players get a mixed feeling that
they are the character while they play, but that they truly discover him or her in the scenes where they react to certain
things, where they have charm or not and where they show bravery or not. That way the player controls the character,
but the character slowly shapes the player in the direction where the story’s narrative changes the game’s character. Most
often the character begins his adventures as a young, but naïve and ignorant hero who easily makes mistakes in a hurry,
but as the game progresses, becomes wiser and more patient, solving problems at a lower risk and taking his time to plan,
while not getting angry for every obstacle or problem. Role playing games can have a great influence over not just kids,
but teenagers and adults, as they can show the player the right way, while still not taking away his freedom of choice.

7. 6. Fighting fear
Scary monsters, ghosts, skeletons and dark are some of the things that even scare a lot of adults, let alone children, but
what could possibly be the way to fight such fears? Maybe facing them. Although we cannot find zombies, mummies and
vampires in our backyards, we may easily find and face them In a video game. There are lots of horror games out there
much scarier than any horror movie, as they require the players to actively face and defeat the evil forces, or at least get
away from them alive…

8. 7. Education
You may ask yourselves how is it that a 5 year old is talking to you about cars, giraffes, pirates and aliens, but children are
quick to learn, and they learn that which they can see or interact with best. Kids may not only expand their creativity, but
general knowledge of the world, from how things work and how they were made, to where something is or was located.
A good example of that is the fact that modern games easily contain accurate reconstructions of ancient cities, as well as
modern cities such as, most famously, the city of New York. If your child played games such as Prototype, any Spider-Man
game, True Crime : New York, Alone in the dark and other games with their stories located in this city, be sure your child
would at least find it’s way to Times Square. Thanks to video games, kids and older players have a chance to explore
medieval Florence, Ancient Greece and Egypt, the Victorian era London or some other place and time. They learn about
geography, history, art, architecture, physics, and more, all while playing.
8. The “controlled chaos”
If you are like me and you believe in Freud’s “Death drive” theory, then you understand that the human nature isn’t all
sunshine and rainbows. It’s not to say that every person has the urge to be aggressive, but to express themselves in less
appropriate manner on rare occasions. Some feel the need to sit in a car and hit the gas, others get the need to shot out
of the gun, some maybe even feel the need to fight. If we were to suppress these needs, as rare as they might be, we
would create inner conflict and we would accumulate negative thoughts and energy little by little. For that reason it is
good that we have video games, as we can trick our mind into believing that we have let all the negativity out. This
doesn’t go just for adults, but children also. If you do notice your child is playing games of more violent nature, do not
urge the child to play something else, rather think of it as a possible symptom or even it’s natural treatment, as the child
feels comfortable playing such games in the moment. Take time to talk about the specific game and why it enjoys playing
it before jumping straight to conclusions, as the child may only play the game out of curiosity, and not frustration.

9. The dangers of video games

10. 1. Daydreaming and introversion
If a child neglects his or hers real life, it may get dragged into the depths of the digital world, or worse yet, its own
imaginary world. Daydreaming is one of many coping mechanisms that people use to avoid the problem of everyday life
and if a child begins this practice at an early age, it could get harder and harder to reach out to it and communicate. The
child might also develop asocial behavior and may find it difficult to socialize and find friends. As great as video games are
in certain aspects, their infinity makes for an ideal escaping place to many individuals. As they grow up, they fall into
depression, obesity, laziness and pessimism. They never explore the real beauties of life, instead, they hide in their
favorite games or in their thoughts. If you notice your child is becoming more quiet and closed than usual, perhaps you
should pay more attention to it and listen to it when it has something to say. Otherwise it might grow up into an insecure
adult who keeps everything to him self, even the love which it might want to give and receive.
2. Health issues
There should be a daily limit to how long a child can play games. Aside from all the psychological effects of playing video
games, looking at the phone, TV, computer screen or VR takes a told on the child’s health. Poor eye sight could develop,
as well as bad posture and back problems. Children, like adults, need physical activity, rest, nature and good sleep to stay
healthy, so it is important to find enough time during the day for all of those.
3. Academic issues
After learning through playing video games, standard way of learning just isn’t fun enough for the children, so they chose
not do study or do homework. It may be necessary to completely restrict video games until the grades go up.

11. Conclusion
We may like them or not, but video games are now an essential
element of every childhood and like anything they have their good and
bad sides. Can we put all the blame of bad child behavior on video
games> Personally, I would think so. If a child had a loving family and a
stable home, then video games can be of no harm. Since video games
are around for more that the age of a typical parent these days, there
are really no reasons for parents not to play video games together with
their children. They may begin to have a better view of their child’s
psyche and character and may work on shaping it from start. It may
also be an excellent way of bonding with the kids, as they will have
more topics to talk about and one more activity to perform together.
Not all video games are the same, and nor are children, which is why
it’s important to keep an eye out to what the children are playing and
at what age. All games have warnings and age limits on their covers,
and if you can’t see it on the cover, then search the game on the
internet. It may sometimes be okay to let the child play a game which
requires older age, but parents can not let the children buy all games
blindly. Do you agree with this post? What is your opinion on the
influence and the effect of video games on children and teenagers? Let
me know in the comment section bellow!