Many parents disapprove of computer games, considering them a waste of time and the reason for the aggressive behavior of their children. But some scientists and psychologists say that a good computer game does more good than harm and contributes to the development of children.
University of Wisconsin psychologist C. Sean Green believes that such games change the physical structure of the brain in the same way as learning to read or playing the piano. Just as exercise builds muscle, a powerful concentration of dopamine strengthens and creates new neural circuits that affect the structure and structure of the brain.
Let’s see, where is the truth – harm or benefit?
Let’s take a closer look at the positive and negative aspects of video games – their advantages and disadvantages (harm), according to researchers and experts.
What are the benefits of computer games?
When your child plays, it gives his brain a real workout. The skills required to win involve abstract and high-level thinking. These skills are not even taught in school.
The main benefits of such games include the development of the following mental abilities: hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, spatial skills and logic. Also, in many games, quick thinking, brief analysis and decision making are formed. Players learn to make managerial decisions and effectively manage limited resources.
Some experts believe that today’s fighter pilots have the best abilities only because the pilots of this generation are trained on the example of computer games. Such games are called flight simulators which try to simulate the reality of flying in an airplane. All controls are there, including airspeed, wing angle, altimeter, etc. The virtual flight is displayed and updated in real time.
Playing on the computer makes learning something fun. So the best way to learn is to have fun at the same time. Having fun gives your child the motivation to keep going, which is the only way to master skills. Video games help in learning even such complex subjects as mathematics, foreign languages…
Game apps can make your child creative. The study found a link between gaming and increased creativity, regardless of gender or the type of video game played.
Virtual games can improve your child’s decision-making speed. According to a University of Rochester study, people who played computer games made decisions 25% faster than others.
Online play increases your child’s self-confidence and self-esteem. In many modern games, difficulty levels are adjustable. As a beginner, your child starts at an easy level, and with constant practice and skill development, he becomes confident with more difficult tasks.
Computer games have a special effect on vision.A study by scientists has shown that such games train the brain to recognize small details, follow movements and detect subtle changes, which can be useful for people with special vision problems. Another study conducted by specialists showed a significant improvement in peripheral vision after just a few training sessions with special games for children.
Another study showed that just one hour of play can improve selective visual attention, which is what scientists call the brain’s ability to focus while simultaneously ignoring less important information.
With all this in mind, it should be remembered that the type of game affects the brain in different ways, and one should not think that they all have the same effect – good or bad.
Computer games are harmful to health
The impact of any negative information, incl. game content is explained, first of all, by the violence that it contains and causes serious harm to health. Children who play violent online games have more aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, according to a scientific study. They also show cruelty in their daily lives, and this is already a great harm. Another proven fact is that those who watch a lot of simulated violence, such as in video games, end up being immune to it and more prone to violence themselves.
Modern games have been accused of gun violence. Indeed, there have been confirmed cases of teenage violent offenders spending a lot of time playing computer games.
Harm of computer games for children
Other studies have shown that the more a child plays computer video games, the more they cause harm, and the worse his performance in school. Teens who play for more than one hour become more inattentive than those who don’t. This negative effect can lead to problems both at school and at home.
Online gaming also causes harm to children’s health, including eye strain, headaches and poor posture. It has also been found that this dependence causes obesity in adolescents. Sitting in front of the screen for many hours harms the young body, preventing the child from exercising and contributing to more food intake.
While playing on the computer with someone else, your child may hear obscene language and observe aggressive behavior of other people, which will have a negative impact on the formation of the psyche and character of your child.
Children who spend too much time playing computer video games may exhibit impulsive behavior and have attention problems.
A study by the National Institute for Media and the Family in Minneapolis shows that online entertainment can be addictive in children, and video game addiction increases children’s levels of depression and anxiety.
The reward scheme is one of the reasons kids love digital games so much. The fact is that the human brain produces a substance called dopamine, which regulates the feeling of pleasure. When a child goes through a certain stage of the game and receives a reward, dopamine activity occurs – he feels joy, and during the game his brain will constantly release dopamine with occasional bursts. Over time, the brain gets used to this state, and begins to demand this dopamine in order to satisfy its needs. For this reason, the child will no longer be pleased or satisfied with anything other than a computer game.
Even if you try to forbid your child from playing, his mind will look for other forms of stimulation, such as watching YouTube or social networks, which will also be harmful to his health. Simple activities will seem completely unattractive, and he will not have the motivation to do something else, uninteresting, in his opinion. If you do not control your child, then most likely the gaming habit will get out of control.
Children addicted to these kinds of toys also exhibit social phobias and have poor school performance. Neuroimaging studies have shown that regular online gaming causes negative changes in the brain, making a person addicted. This further proves the fact that video games are harmful, addictive and can have the same effect on children’s brains as drugs and alcohol.
Some online games teach kids the wrong values. Aggressive behavior, cruelty, revenge and aggression are rewarded. If a child constantly plays with such toys, then irreversible changes in his character and behavior will occur, which will be very difficult or impossible to correct.
Isolation can cause serious damage to mental health. One study done on second graders in 2009 found that kids who were addicted to online entertainment tended to have lower social skills than those who didn’t. Social communication is an acquired skill, and if a child spends most of their time alone in their room, playing games and not interacting with other people in real life, this skill deteriorates. In addition, there, in the virtual world, children find a community that does not judge them by socioeconomic status or appearance. They become attached to this community and cease to be interested in real life and living people.
The harm of computer games is that they provide people with a “safe space” and an escape from reality, where they can escape when they do not feel prepared for life and life’s problems.
Conclusion about virtual games
The line separating the benefits and harms of computer games is thin and depends mainly on the type of game and the time spent playing this activity.
Also, it is important to understand that a child is more susceptible to negative influence and addiction than an adult.Therefore, it is very important for parents to strictly control or limit the child for this activity and pastime in virtual networks. More valuable and important will be your joint communication and attention paid to your child. And for young children, reading fairy tales is best suited, which will only benefit their development.
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