Essay On Positive And Negative Effects Of Video Games

1282 Words3 Pages

Video Games and Their Negative and Positive Effects
Dianna L. Domek
Liberty University Abstract
Video games are here to stay. However, we must be aware of the consequences it may have on our loved ones. Video addiction is real. One may not believe this but the evidence is out there to support this concept. No one likes to be told that they have an addiction to anything, let alone video games. A couple of symptoms of video game addiction are: playing video games rather than spending time with family or friends, playing video games instead of playing with toys, or playing video games for a long periods of time. The negative effects of this addiction are: attention problems such as hyperactivity, ADD or ADHD, a decline in verbal memory performance,
I have seen some of these effects in my personal life. It is a recent biological condition that is becoming increasingly all the rage and thus increasingly a problem. The younger generation, teenagers, and adults have become increasingly addicted to video games and as a result of this, many have been deficient in significant priorities, such as daily personal care, doing school work or even socializing with others.
“Video game addiction is characterized by the following signs:
Aggression toward video games (getting stuck in a realm where you think that the games are real or have a real impact on life)
• Playing video games rather than socializing with friends or family members
• Playing video games instead of playing outside or playing with toys
• Playing video games for a prolonged period of time; throwing tantrums if not allowed to play video games
• Playing video games for more than 6 hours per week
• Spending the majority of leisure time playing video
• Good Sportsmanship and Fair Play – video games can teach children these values.
• Team Work – online games make it possible for the child to learn to corporate with other players.
• Coping Mechanism – video games offer a way for an individual to cope with physical or emotional pain.
• Happiness – this is one of the greatest benefits of playing video games (Cenzon, 2012).
Conclusion
After reading all the information that is available on this subject, it makes one stop and think if video games are worth having around one’s child. Addiction to video games is very real and leads to an increase in emotional disorder and behavior disorder syndromes, attention disorders such as ADHD, and physical aggression behavior; it also can help with hand and eye coordination, improved learning ability, and can be used to reduce stress. However, this information has made me realize that there is good and bad in almost anything one does today. It just depends on how much time one does the activity and what one does. Yes, violence in games is bad for children to watch or participate in but video games are here so we must deal with it.

Open Document