Video games have been a form of entertainment for individuals of all ages and it has been around for quite some time now. It is considered by gamers to be a way to escape from the real world and immerse oneself into the exciting virtual world with a press of a button, but it has been the center for criticisms by those who believe that video games have a bad impact on the well-being of those who play it.
To begin with, it has been argued by those who want to find a reason for the problem of mass shootings which have been happening on a large scale that playing video games is associated with physical aggression. Video games that involve killing one another such as shooting games are believed to lead those who play it to attempt real-life violence. While some people believe video games are the root cause of physical aggression, I believe the contrary. One argument against the connection is that the number of aggressors is very low compared to the number of players who play those games. I played video games throughout my childhood and not once in my life as a youngster did I ever felt like exhibiting extreme or even mild physical aggression. Such an idea never crossed my mind or anyone I know of who also plays such games, at least from what they told me or from what I observed by myself. A study conducted by Joseph Hilgard of Illinois State University and colleagues where they altered the mechanics of the game and tested 275 participants concluded that there is no sign that playing different levels of violent games result in aggressive behavior. The video game industry provided a platform for global entertainment that even it is now considered as a sport, commonly known as an e-sport and hence we should ask ourselves how something considered harmful by some is getting such global recognition. The answer is simple and it is supported by research that videogames and physical aggression are not mutually exhaustive.
The way I see it is that video games decrease violence among youth. What I mean is youth are kept at home and away from the streets where the real harm of bad people exists. Video games give the opportunity to channel your emotions onto characters in your TV rather than on people around you and in turn, minimizes the chances of physical violence to happen. Not to forget, those so-called too intense videogames are not intended for kids but rather older people. There are age labels on every game produced that dictate which game is appropriate for each age group. If a game that is meant to be played by an adult lands on the hands of a kid then the guardian of the kid is to be blamed and not the game itself. Underage players have a wide variety of game genres that fits their mindset, such as NBA, FIFA, and Madden and it is up to the parents to provide them those games.
When discussing what other harms video games might cause, health is coming second. Now this aspect comes in two parts, the physical health, and the mental or psychological health. It is believed by critics that video games promote an unhealthy lifestyle. According to the department of human kinetics and health education at the University of Ibadan Nigeria, videogames can cause damage in the user’s eyesight since the components of the eye are not designed for long exposure to a screen. A lifestyle where the user is confined to stay in one place the whole day resulting in unhealthy consumption of food and obesity. I agree with this argument to a certain extent. It is true that videogames can become an addiction if handled irresponsibly i.e. not monitoring the playtime. In fact, the World Health Organization considers it as a disorder in its 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases. Plenty of research has shown that there is a relationship between the user’s health and playing video games. To name one a study was done by experts in Kerman University of Medical Sciences on 564 adolescents. It aimed to investigate the effects of addiction to computer games on the physical and mental health of students. They found out that there is a direct relationship between videogames and physical disorders such as anxiety and sleep disorders. The physical health of the person is also affected because there are players who are inclined to spend most of their day sitting and playing video games. This promotes bad eating habits such as eating fast food and junk that bring no benefit to the body. Such a living style combined with a lack of exercise will definitely lead to health complications like obesity, high blood pressure, and heart issues. If such a problem starts happening to kids at a young age, then it will carry on with them as they age unless proper measure has been taken beforehand. From the findings of the study done by the University of Ibadan, it is said that to minimize the playtime of video games users need to try out various other activities, set new objectives and levels of achievements that are more valuable than video game scores. I do believe that the usage of videogames can be monitored to prevent addiction from happening in the first place. In my personal experience with playing video games, I have never had an addiction. The reason is that I didn’t let video games consume me. I played with moderation and always have time to take care of myself. There are millions of people who do the same thing too. We should not blame the game but rather the person who plays it. It is upon the individual to know where to draw the line and acknowledge that time must be given to every aspect of our lives. When it comes to kids, parents should
monitor their kids at all times. They should be the ones advising the kids to always keep track of their physical well-being as well as the food they consume. I don’t need to speak for an older player as there is no one to judge them except themselves.
In conclusion, the debate whether videogames are healthy will always be a hot topic, but if there is one thing that everyone can agree on is that if videogames are played in moderation and if parents look after their child when they play videogames, for instance, monitor their gameplay then issues such as lack of sleep, obesity, lack physical training and even poor performance in school will be minimized if not gone. I see myself as an example of a person who followed the correct guidelines when playing video games and not once have I ever experienced the problems mentioned above.
Work Cited:
“Study Finds No Evidence That More Violent, Difficult Video Games Spur Aggression.” Association for Psychological Science – APS, August 5, 2019. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/publications/observer/obsonline/video-game-mechanics-aggression.html.
Ayenigbara, Israel Oluwasegun. “Gaming Disorder and Effects of Gaming on Health: An Overview.” Journal of Addiction Medicine and Therapeutic Science, October 10, 2017. https://www.peertechz.com/articles/doi10.17352-2455-3484.000025-jamts.php.
“Gaming Disorder.” World Health Organization. World Health Organization, September 14, 2018. https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/gaming-disorder.
Penttila, Nicky. “Do Violent Video Games Lead to Violence?” Dana Foundation. Dana Foundation, October 30, 2019. https://dana.org/article/do-violent-video-games-lead-to-violence/.
“Survey Archives.” ESRB Ratings, n.d. https://www.esrb.org/tag/survey/.