Are Video Games Really That Bad? | Teen Ink

Are Video Games Really That Bad?

September 21, 2014
By glitzygurl PLATINUM, Menlo Park, California
glitzygurl PLATINUM, Menlo Park, California
27 articles 4 photos 3 comments

Parents always complain about their children spending too much time playing video games. There have been hundreds of tests and experiments done on this topic. The truth is that video games aren’t as terrible as everyone makes them out to be. They can improve hand eye coordination, and reaction times, as well as giving you a workout. They also improve skill level, and concentration. A lot of video games require problem solving and logic to play. They teach multitasking, and enhance accuracy and memory. Video games also trigger real life situations, and have an emotional appeal to children.


On the other side, some video games like Halo, and Grand Theft Auto, don’t always teach children good morals. These games promote violence and bad ethics. Children playing Grand Theft Auto, are more likely to drive unsafely on the road, making unsafe turns. From a very young age, children are influenced by people and things around them. It makes sense that playing a video game where everyone is on drugs will make you interested in drugs. However, some video games do teach children good things, like right from wrong.


Npd.com states that the US spent 15.39 billion dollars on video game content in 2013.
“One hour or less of video game play per day is associated with children and teenagers ages 10 to 15 being happier and more satisfied than those who do not play at all, a study published April 2014 in Pediatrics found.”


“Rather, James Ivory, an associate professor at Virginia Tech who analyzes the effects of video games, says that both studies support the idea that video-game play can be used to understand a teenager's family and environment. Teens who do not play video games at all may be socially isolated, Ivory says, and parents who allow teens to play violent adult games might be less focused on preventing risky behaviors.” (This expert was taken from an article published August 2014 by npr.org)


A study by nature.com claims that playing Super Mario Bros actually affects brain activity in a positive way.
Now I’m not saying I think children should spend all their time playing video games. I’m just saying that there is a plus side to them, and one hour a day won’t hurt.


The author's comments:

I just wanted to show that there's another side to everything, and it may not be as bad as everyone thinks it is. 


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