Surprising Benefits of Gaming

In the 21st century, technology is the dominating model of information flow and entertainment, as more and more people begin assimilating it into their lives. One of the greatest concerns with technology use is its influence on children, especially through video and computer games. Contrary to the general belief that computer games serve no positive purpose, they help children develop skills that may ultimately outweigh the negatives of gaming.

Although many are concerned with the possibility of increased aggression in the daily life of gamers as a result of violence within the virtual world, studies have shown that such consequences are insignificant, if present at all. Dmitri Williams, professor at University of Illinois, performed behavioral studies, comparing individuals before and after a continuous period of gaming. He found little correlation between violence in real life and gaming. Even the little effects observed during the experiment are more prevalent in older individuals, such as those above 30 years old, rather than in children, whom adults worry about the most as victims of negative influence.

Experts further affirm that the time invested into gaming does not necessary become a waste. Games are an excellent place to develop teamwork skills. With teams come responsibilities, which many children learn to take on as they recognize the immediate consequences of their choices and actions in games. In a broader sense, children are also given the opportunity to learn resource management and strategic problem-solving skills, all of which are valuable in life. Especially because of the size of gaming communities online, children also have the opportunity to interact with different people, widening their perspectives in the world.

Concerns of academic effort being affected by gaming are equally erroneous. The time spent on academic work is only affected at a minuscule scale by gaming, as gaming largely displaces time spent on other activities than academic work. In contrast, the more concerning problem is the time devoted to academic work in general; for example, on average, boys spend only eight minutes reading per day.

Moreover, games have become an activity that enhances real life social relationships rather than deter them. Research has shown that children who play games spend on average more time with friends than do those who don’t play computer games. Video games can also be used as an opportunity for interactions between parents and children. Such activities have been shown to benefit girls especially, decreasing the probability of depression.

Ultimately, the greatest concern for gaming is addiction, defined as extreme physical or mental dependency on a certain activity. It is recognized that one may develop stronger attachments to games as more time is devoted to this activity. However, American health organizations have officially announced that addictions to games are not sicknesses, and that limited playing can reserve such addictions relatively easily.

Like most things in the world, gaming has both a positive and a negative side. So parents, don’t be so quick to dismiss gaming as unhealthy (but don’t let your kids go overboard with them, either)!