Video Games (outweigh)

Some people regard video games as harmless fun, or even as a useful educational tool. Others, however, believe that videos games are having an adverse effect on the people who play them.

In your opinion, do the drawbacks of video games outweigh the benefits?

Many people, and children in particular, enjoy playing computer games. While I accept that

these games can sometimes have a positive effect on the user, I believe that they are more

likely to have a harmful impact.

On the one hand, video games can be both entertaining and educational. Users, or gamers,

are transported into virtual worlds which are often more exciting and engaging than reallife

pastimes. From an educational perspective, these games encourage imagination and

creativity, as well as concentration, logical thinking and problem solving, all of which are

useful skills outside the gaming context. Furthermore, it has been shown that computer

simulation games can improve users’ motor skills and help to prepare them for real-world

tasks, such as flying a plane.

However, I would argue that these benefits are outweighed by the drawbacks. Gaming can

be highly addictive because users are constantly given scores, new targets and frequent

rewards to keep them playing. Many children now spend hours each day trying to progress

through the levels of a game or to get a higher score than their friends. This type of

addiction can have effects ranging from lack of sleep to problems at school, when

homework is sacrificed for a few more hours on the computer or console. The rise in

obesity in recent years has also been linked in part to the sedentary lifestyle and lack of

exercise that often accompany gaming addiction.

In conclusion, it seems to me that the potential dangers of video games are more significant

than the possible benefits.