A popular hobby among teenagers in particular, video gaming might be addictive, but it can also be a skill. Why do parents despise it when their kids play? What are the consequences of not keeping track of time and getting lost in the game? What is the right number of hours someone should be playing for?
Like most things, video games satisfy some of the psychological needs individuals require. Some of them are listed below:
It gives the gamer control of everything that takes place in their world. Research on why teens love video games have resulted in one common response: they enjoy being able to solve problems the best possible way with the given resources. Controlling your life in the real world is hard because there are many barriers that we come across, but teenagers are given entire freedom in video games. Teenagers, including myself, enjoy the freedom of deciding what their priorities are that comes with gaming.
Gamers love the challenges video games have to offer.. It can be compared to the anticipation of reading a fantasy novel to a bookworm, or the competitiveness that sports players love. It satisfies the need for competency in a person’s life.
Teenagers enjoy the socializing that comes with gaming. Friends from anywhere in the world can log onto the same server and do the same thing at the same time. Additionally, setting up takes just a couple of minutes. This gives opportunity for new friendships to be forged in a game. Like always, teenagers have loved social media and gaming because of the anonymity that they can use to their advantage, and say what they want to without overthinking it and losing confidence in themselves.
Gamers are able to relate to characters within the game. They enjoy the teamwork and the competition of gaming with friends. But they also enjoy relating to the characters in the games like the hero, the villain and the king/queen. Again, it can be compared to how bookworms relate to characters in the book. Both result in a feeling of finding a friend like you. Both allow teenagers to empathize with the individuals within their plots.
Why do parents hate gaming and discourage it amongst their kids?
Parents grew up at a time where technology was developing very quickly. 40 years ago no one had computers and the production of a smart phone was near impossible. But today, schools like UWC can’t survive without the possession of a computer by every single student and staff member. Most people wouldn’t believe you if you told them you didn’t have a phone. The rapid technological advancement has only recently occurred, in quite a short period of time. We are the first generation to have, on an average, 10 devices per household. Older generations, our grandparents and parents are still learning about technology, yet typing efficiently and quickly navigating our devices is second-nature to our generation. But based on the minimal knowledge the world knows about gaming, it’s addictive, bad for your eyes, violent, and negatively affects your personality. This is an accusation that has been made without much research. Everyone who plays video games do not end up as blind, unsocial people with hardly any useful skills. These effects of gaming typically occur to people who game too much to the point of addiction. It’s the extreme end of the spectrum which occurs to a small percentage of all gamers.
Playing video games for the right amount of time can actually benefit you in many ways as well. There is a distinct difference between gaming and just being on a screen. Research around the world shows that students who spend a lot of time on social media often have lower reading, math, and science scores than students who play video games who score high in math and science, the two most well paying sectors in the world. Gaming requires a lot of problem-solving and quick thinking, skills relevant for these logical subjects and life. Video gaming improves hand eye coordination skills in teens and, of course, keeps them happy because they enjoy it.
Gaming is a beautiful hobby which can increase your IQ and increase your scores, but like any other good thing, too much of it is bad. Moderation is always important. The American academy of pediatrics suggests 1 to 2 hours a day for children 3 to 10 and 30 to 60 minutes for a teenager is healthy.
But it also depends on how many tests you have in the following weeks. Focus kids!
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