Blogpost # 4: Not Just Bad Effects

Staying all night in front of computer, searching for games that can catch your interest, thinking of what games can motivate you to use your skills. Reading again from what I had written on the first sentence, identify the effects of video games to the players. There are bad and good effects in my statement, right? Well, for me, everything in this world, has its own pros and cons, good and bad effects, benefits and harms, or advantages and disadvantages.

As a teenager, I am fond of playing Chess because it can help me to think on how to checkmate my opponent. I also love playing word games that can expand my vocabulary words such as Text Twist and Scrabble. But my mother observed me that I spent more times sitting on the swivel chair and facing the computer than facing my books. She also noticed that everytime she will call me and order me to buy some stuffs in the store, I always say "Just wait" or "Later", that is why she called me lazy.

For parents, video games are just a time-waster and bad influence in terms of education because it corrupts the brain of the children. Violent video games are easily blamed by the media because of its bad effects and reason why the the children act violently or commit extreme anti-social behavior. But it was refuted by the scientists, psychologists and experts, as they stated, playing video games can boost the mind and can make us smart.

The statement above was  supported in the article entitled "Positive Effects of Video Games" written by Manali Oak in the site "Buzzle: Intelligent Life on the Web". It presented in this article what are the good consequences we can get from playing video games.

Manali started his article on how the video games are blame because of the actions of the children who were playing. They were become lazy, lack of social skills and cause of obesity. In America, video games were popular but as they observed, the longer the children played, the more the not-so-good effects will come out. However it can be beneficial. 

Video games involve problem solving, planning, estimation and analysis of the moves or actions of both you and your opponent. This affects the player positively by developing in him or her problem-solving skills, analytical and estimation skills and quick decision-making. Playing video games can enhance the interpersonal skill of the player. It demands the player to interact on the games that can show some excitement. Playing video games, based on study, can be more beneficial than watching the television.

The author stated that video games can also helped in managing you time or "time management". Some games required to be finished in a certain time so the player must consume his time wisely. According to Bavelier, "Action game players make more correct decisions per unit time. If you are a surgeon or you are in the middle of a battlefield, that can all the differences." Another effect of it is that, children can have the sense of participation and achievement. Of course games are played with an interaction, the player needs to cooperate and to participate to finish the game and reach the goal.

One more good effect that contributed by playing video games is improving the hand-eye coordination. When we are playing, our eyes are on monitor watching what is going to do and our hands are on keys to perform the moves. So the two parts of our body are moving simultaneously and it can developed our alertness. In addition of good effects, the children may teach their parents on how to play the certain game. The children developed the teaching skills. Once I remembered, when I introduced the game "Candy Crush" to my mother, she was amazed by it and asked me on how to play that. I really enjoy it, its like a bonding activity with my mother.

Manali also informed us that video games can channelized our emotions in a positive way. When we are angry, frustrated, or mad, we can vent it in video games instead of venting it out in a person. 

Even though video games are just a virtual world, we can also have some friends from it, from the online games. We do not see them but we developed a relationship with the others through these games. Another effect of it is the team spirits. Some games required partnership or team play that can improve the teamwork, cooperation, and leadership skill of the child.  

According to Nottingham Trent University Professor Mark Griffiths says that video games can help to ease the painful treatment of cancer. Another conducted study in 2004 of Butch Rosser to the surgeon of Laparoscopy, the surgeon who played video games are faster and more accurate in doing such job than those who are not.

The author concluded in his article that we must not just look on the consequences of the video games to us. We must realize that there is also good effects of it. We must realize on how video games can have a big impact on the child's development.

As I researched for another articles discussing about the effects of games, I found a site named "Pediatrics for Parents" with an article entitled "The Effects of Video Games on Children: What Parents Need to Know" written by Douglas A. Gentile, Ph.D..

In this article, he introduced first that development of computer games was so fast. It may turned to many
things. Computers become teachers also of the children because we are using it in the classrooms. Years past, computer games also entered our home. We spend more time in it that is why the parents, educators, and physicians questioned the impact of video games in children. Playing video games is not limited in adolescent boys but for girls also. They spend 5.5 hours per week in playing games. Recently, game consoles are producing some games intended for pre-schoolers which may increase the time spend by them in playing. Based on the study, playing and spending time in computer games is increasing while the hobby of watching television of the children has remained stable on 24 hours per week.

The author stated that video games are natural teacher. Children are highly motivated and actively engaged in playing games which can develop the virtue of interactive nature. Computer games also impart to children on how they can prevent or self-caring for asthma, and diabetes, and successful on sharing the attitude, skills and behaviors which is designed by the programmers. In study, the college students were allowed to play golf video game, as a result, they observed that they have the control in striking and hitting it.

In addition to those articles above, I want to include how does video game helped the children in solving puzzles and logic. When kids play games such as The Incredible Machine, Angry Birds or Cut The Rope, they train their brain to come up with creative ways to solve puzzles and other problems in short bursts. It also widens our concentration. A study conducted by the Appalachia Educational Laboratory reveal that children with attention-deficit disorder who played Dance Dance Revolution improve their reading scores by helping them concentrate.

Based on studies, video games introduce the kids to technologies and online world. It makes the children adapt and make  more comfortable with the concepts of computing. It also makes learning fun. Children attract on how the game was made, the characters, the rules and the storyline. It also improves our decision-making speed. People who played action-based video and computer games made decisions 25% faster than others without sacrificing accuracy, according to a study from the University of Rochester.

If you are not fond of playing video games because of the bad effects that you can get from it, why not observed some good sides of it. Bad and Good are always together. Do not just look for what consequences what we can acquire but also look for the good effects of what we can obtain from it. The researchers and I are not saying that you just need to play games to be intelligent, to have time management, to learn reading and writing. What I want to say is video games can also help us in terms of education and in our life.