Benefits of Gaming: The Handheld Debate

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“There are plenty of skills I’ve learned from playing video games. It’s more interactive then watching TV, because there are problems to solve as you’re using your brain.” This quote was said by the famous US athlete Shaun White. (Quote 1) Video games started in the late sixties and early seventies. (History 1) Later down the road, companies such as Sony and Nintendo came out with bigger and better consoles. “Sixty-three percent of parents believe that games are a positive part of their children’s lives.” (GCP 1) While video games can promote violence and cause adolescents to be lazy, video games are beneficial to adolescents because they help reduce stress and anxiety, they provide a fun way to learn, and they make exercise more appealing.
First, video games are beneficial to adolescents because they help reduce stress and anxiety. Video games help reduce stress by giving everyday people an escape from reality. In an online reality call “Chore Wars,” the missions you have to complete are revolved around cleaning tasks you would see every day. (Real 1) For instance, by escaping reality, even for a short amount of time, you can release stress by killing bad guys in “World of Warcraft” or focus on different angles to get everyday tasks completed. Video games can also help reduce anxiety through taking a different approach to problems people face during their lifetimes. Alternative realities can help people when they get sick or hurt by helping them stay optimistic and set real goals for themselves to achieve. (Real 2) Reality worlds can also help a person build a support barrier by inviting them to play a game instead of asking for help outright. (Real 3) Since the creation of games many different genres have shown up, including fa...

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...The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond: The Story behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World. Roseville, CA: Prima Pub., 2001. Print.
McGonigal, Jane. Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World. New York: Penguin, 2011. Print.
News, ABC. "The Benefits of Video Games." ABC News. ABC News Network, 26 Dec. 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2014.
Rigby, Scott, and Richard M. Ryan. Glued to Games: How Video Games Draw Us in and Hold Us Spellbound. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011. Print.
Wilson, Lee. "Video Games Are Useful Educational Tools." Media Violence. Ed. David M. Haugen and Susan Musser. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Getting It Wrong: Slaying Myths about Video Games." Technology and Learning (15 Sept. 2007). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.

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