Video games. Some may love them; some may hate them. Kids all around the world love these things, but some of them can’t play the games they want. 63% play casual games, 39% play action, 39% play shooter, and 37% play racing games. But even though video games are bad in some ways, everyone should be able to enjoy them. Parents should act by knowing the game themselves before saying no with no good reason behind it.
It’s true that video games do have negative effects. As said in a study by Gamequitters.com, “Is Gaming Taking Over Your Life?” they can cause suicidal thoughts. This shows why video games are bad because they can cause intrusive thoughts about suicide. The next reason is that they cause aggressive thoughts. As an author said in a Kids’ Health article, “Are Video Games Bad For Me?,” “It’s hard to get enough active play and exercise if you’re always inside playing video games. And without enough exercise, kids can become overweight.” Overdoing video games also could affect other important parts of your future, like friendships and how well a kid does in school. This demonstrates why parents restrict games: aggressive thoughts lead to violence. One more reason why parents are restricting games is because of the outcome of too much violence. A study by Dimitri A. Christakis says, “Those who watch a lot of simulated violence, such as that in video games, can become immune to it, more inclined to act violently themselves, and are less likely to behave empathetically.” This further proves why parents restrict video games: because empathetic behavior is a huge part of growing up, as you’ll need to show mercy on people.
However, let’s not focus only on the bad things about video games. In reality, video games give out more positive things. For instance, video games can make kids feel comfortable with technology. It also helps develop skills in problem-solving. A study by The Indeed Editorial Team says, “These games can assist you with developing and improving physical skills, like hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and motor skills. They can also help with mental skills, like analytical skills and creative thinking.” We especially need this growing up because not all of the answers will be in front of us. You might have to work your way around the problem to find the solution. One more reason why video games are for everyone is that there are a wide variety of games.
I remember when I was young, I loved games from Sonic to Mario. I would be given restrictions to a whole bunch of games, even ones with no bad or rude things in them. My mom would say it was for reasons such as, “This game has fighting in it,” “This game has cursing in it,” or “This game has a single gun in it.” I also had a friend named Taj, and his mom wouldn’t allow him to play a social game called Rec Room. Her reason was, “You don’t need to be talking to those random people in the game.” I understood her point. You have interactions with a random person, cursing, and lots of weird things. The problem was with how easily this could’ve been avoided. He just had to not talk to people and turn his TV volume, as I do.
In conclusion, video games have their ups and downs. They may have bad outcomes for some people, but they aren’t as bad as people think. Instead of just saying no, parents should allow their children to play the games they want.
