Band 7+: Some think that it is more important for children to engage in outdoor activities instead of playing video games. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is believed that children should spend more time outdoors than playing screen-based games. While accepting this belief, I argue that playing video games also comes with its advantages.

On the one hand, a key reason for prioritizing outdoor activities is that it is fundamental for healthy friendship bonds.That is to say, when juveniles engage outdoors, they socialize with their peers in real life. For example, some collaborative games such as hide-and-seek, basketball and volleyball are cornerstones to foster unity. If it were not for these outdoor exercises, children would not have found their own place in the community they live in and would have alienated themselves into a passive lifestyle. Given that, parents should ensure their children participate outdoors.

However, another idea against this is that outdoor pursuits often depend on weather conditions. In other words, when it rains or it is cold outside, children are not permitted to go outside, or if not, they could be susceptible to seasonal diseases, including, but not limited to, the common cold and flu. Their susceptibility to diseases is way more expected since their immune system is not as resilient as that of adults. In the meantime, time dedicated to virtual games might be personalized, transcending weather dependency. On top of that, these online games can be a component for a critical thinking reservoir. For example, there are some strategy-based games such as Fortnite and Minecraft which not only test children’s immediate reaction to tackle some existing problems, but also enhance their forward-thinking mindset, planning the next steps. If it were not for these computer-powered games, children would have no direct access to environments in which they have the opportunity to develop critical thinking abilities. Therefore, parents should not be strict about their children spending some quality time playing video games.

In conclusion, even though being outdoors is distinctive with creating healthy bonds, I am of the opinion that video games could be equally useful due to the development of critical thinking skills.