Ah, pull up a chair, fellow gamers. Do you recall the time you were engrossed in a boss battle, just when your character was about to deliver the final blow, only to have your parent pull the plug on the console? It felt like the equivalent of being shot out of the sky in mid-flight, didn’t it? Well, as a gamer that’s been through the grind and witnessed a thousand arguments around gaming, I’ve decided to level up and take on the real-life boss battle of countering the classic parental cry, “video games are a waste of time and they make you dumber.” Not quite the truth, my friends, and I’m here to back that up with some concrete stats and facts.
Now, if you’re feeling like a rogue in a dungeon crawl without a torch, you’ll find this guide invaluable. We’re going to navigate through the darkness together, breaking down and debunking all the myths about video games that could put a Guild Wars raid to shame.
In our expedition, we’re going to touch upon:
- The cognitive benefits of gaming, where I’ll argue that far from being a time-waster, video games can actually improve concentration, often acting like a power-up potion for our brains.
- Video games as experience simulators, helping you explore new worlds, gain experience, and train your problem-solving skills – sort of like real-life skill trees.
- The lessons in time management that you unknowingly master as you race against the countdown timers in your favorite games.
- The potential of educational video games, which are akin to cheat codes for enhancing learning, especially for primary school kids.
- How games nurture a competitive spirit, making you strive for those leaderboard positions not just in gaming but in real life as well.
- And finally, the rejuvenating aspect of gaming, because just as you need to stop at an Inn to restore your HP and mana in an RPG, we humans need breaks to recharge our minds.
And just like a good co-op game, your parents might not be your enemies but potential allies who just need a little more understanding of this gaming universe we love. So, buckle up, equip your best gear, and ready your spells because we’re about to launch into the ultimate quest of convincing them.
Are games really that bad for kids?
Many parents forbid their children to play video games, giving a lot of different explanations, but in most cases, there are two main arguments, “It’s a waste of time” and “You would become dumber.” And both of them are so not true and don’t correspond to reality.
First of all, if all games were harmful and had a bad influence on children, there would be a lot of research papers on this topic. But the studies show that the situation is actually vice versa. Playing games makes your brain work, and pretty often, when teachers have to explain some difficult topics to school children, they use the method of games to do it.
On the other hand, if something helps you to relax, to regain strength, and to switch your brain into another mode, any activity can’t be a waste of time in such a case. Sometimes your mom or dad might think that if you don’t study all the time, then you will get only bad marks and will fail all your exams.
And don’t forget about a very popular opinion that playing computer games can make a child violent. In general, this article will not be enough to enumerate the myths about video games. As a parent, it is vital to understand that first of all, you must give your child freedom of choice, and that’s a perfect way to teach them to be responsible. If you think that due to the fact that your kids are crazy about video games, they will start to fall behind in class, you are not right. Children will progress in doing everything quickly and efficiently in order to cope with the tasks faster. Read this article and learn how games can help students cope with their studies. And what would be really nice of you is to help your child to choose the video game. In such cases, gameluster.com can be helpful, as you can find an article there regarding writing reviews. Thanks to it, you will know what you should pay attention to in a game.
Here are some qualities playing video games can improve.
Concentration
For sure, you have heard of ADHD. What you haven’t heard is that the percentage of people with ADHD is gradually increasing. And in some ways, playing video games can help people to manage their attention deficit. For example, there are some tasks in games where you have to hit some targets with a small ball or try to catch some objects on the screen using the mouse only. It can be a difficult task that requires a lot of concentration. Video games can provide your child with the required “training” of concentration; they can quickly develop this valuable skill and will be able to use it at school, in college, and even at work. Almost all tasks you are going to have in your future life will be based on your ability to concentrate and fulfill tedious tasks.
Getting experience
One of the main differences between teenagers and adults when making decisions and conclusions is the basis they are made on. Grown-ups are almost always more experienced than children, and that is why they sometimes try to make children do what they don’t want to do. Plus, mothers can be overprotective about their children and don’t let them receive experience in real life. So, video games can be a way out. They all are very different, with different tasks; there is such a diversity of games right now, with different plots and strategies, that any child can find something exciting and that they have never experienced before. Anticipation, analysis skills, and building of logical connections all help children not only win the game and also get the required experience.
Time management
Not only children but adults have problems with time management. Pretty often, people are late and don’t consider it to be a problem. Games, where in most cases, you have an exact period of time to fulfill the task, can help children to get the required skill and make them more organized. Sometimes teachers agree that playing games can have something in common with the learning process. You are given a task, for example, to write an essay, you have a deadline, and you have to do everything to fulfill it. That’s when they understand that if they fail to do something, they will have to deal with consequences. They will have to use some boosters or extra moves, and in real life, they will have to ask for help with special services. The most important thing is to learn how to choose a good service. There are a lot of web pages with reviews where you can find an article by some reliable expert and choose the service as stated in his review. Pretty often, students that are fond of video games, thanks to their received experience, cope better with difficult tasks, as they always have plan B and know what to do if their main plan doesn’t work.
Educational video games
There are a lot of special educational games for primary school children. In them, you need to solve simple math tasks in order to pass to another level or to receive some prize. Thanks to them; your child can learn the main rules and laws of math, physics, and biology. Twenty minutes per day with your child will be enough for you to notice the progress. Don’t think that you waste your time; you invest in the future of your child and guarantee yourself that you will have fewer problems during their studying.
Competitive spirit
The world we live in requires being competitive if you want to achieve something. In order to do that, you have to be wise; being smart means being successful, and being successful means achieving a lot in your life. Only leaders understand that they are trying their best in everything they start, including video games. Video games can develop the wish and necessity to reach a certain level and win a prize or to be at the top of the ranking. These qualities are indispensable at school; it helps a child, in a good way, never be satisfied with their achievement, not to stop and be able to set new goals when they’ve succeeded in the previous ones. So if you see your son or a daughter spending some time and trying to pass a difficult level in a video game, it’s better to encourage them because, most probably, when it is about the scholarship, your child will be willing to compete and do whatever it takes to be the first one.
The way to relax
You can’t work efficiently without breaks. Our brain requires small pauses in order to do some other activity or just to relax and have a nap. Video games are also considered to be a great way to relax and help to deal with constant stress during studies. Grown-ups can have a coffee break; children can spend some time playing on PlayStation; and not only children actually. In some big companies, they have game rooms where they can relax and forget about their work for some time. Positive emotions will give them the strength to continue studying and working hard.
As with any controversial question, playing video games will always arouse arguments and debates. There will be those who protect games and those who are totally against them. But the most important thing to remember is that it’s up to you to decide about the effect. If it benefits you or your children, let them play, and you can even do it together because doing something together can help create a solid emotional bond between you and your child.