Video games are becoming very popular nowadays especially among children. Some people says that has positive effect and can be looked as an educational tool. On contrast, other believes it has negative effect on children. Personally, I feel that while video games provide positive effect to some extent, its adverse effect always outweigh the positive effect.
Looking at its positive side, video games can be used as both educational and entertaining tool. People mostly play video games in their spare time to relax and enjoy. Although video games are primarily used for entertainment purpose, it improves our concentration, critical thinking and imagination power, all of which are useful skill 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 – short term reward. New targets and frequent rewards keep them playing. Many children now spend hours of their day to upgrade to the new level of the game avoiding their academic tasks. They want to beat their friend in games than academic world. Additionally, the rise of obesity is also linked to sedentary life style 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.