Over the years technology has been a huge factor in the way that children are being raised now. Children are growing up with gaming devices, televisions, tablets, and other various forms of technology. This is not the case in the past. In the past most children went out and played with the neighborhood kids and played baseball, rode bikes, or went for a walk. They would go out and enjoy the outdoors. Kids still do this today, but with the ever changing technology that has become so advanced, kids are drawn into the technology and staying inside. One huge form of technology that has become so popular is video games. Instead of playing baseball or basketball with your friends in real life, you are playing against them online using professional players on a television screen.

Now during times such as the pandemic, we are forever grateful for technology such as video games. It allows children and teens to have something to do as well as be social with friends and the public. But before the pandemic most older individuals looked at video games as a waste of time and a reason that children were becoming lazy and not productive. In some cases this may be true but in most cases this is not true. Video games can be very beneficial for kids growing up. Some of the positives of playing video games are, improved coordination, improved problem solving skills, enhanced memory, improved brain speed, and improved social skills. All of these are important when looking at what a child should be trying to do when growing up at a young age. Now there are some negatives that come along with these as well. All these positives have to come with negatives or everyone would be 100% behind allowing their kids to play video games and there are people who are very much against them. Some of these negatives include, reduction of motivation, poor mental health, relationship issues, and social disconnection. Now with these negatives comes counter arguments. This happens with any pros and cons discussion. When looking at the reduction of motivation, I feel that the motivation is still present, it is just pointed towards a different outlook that most people would not understand. When playing video games your motivation is presented through goals and achievements in the video game. When making this counter argument most people who do not play video games would say that this is a waste of time and you could be doing more important things. Having the feeling of self achievement when reaching a goal or achievement not only in video games but in life means a lot to the younger generation. Though to a parent it being pointed at a video game is not presented as an accomplishment. Now with the argument of poor mental health, video games are an outlet to most of the younger generation. When the younger generation is presented with hard times such as depression or stress, video games allow the youth to escape to the real world. Relationship issues can occur with playing video games. You will be putting more time into the video game and less time into spending time with family. At the same time you are able to build relationships with friends and people all around the world. With it being so easy to communicate with random people that you do not know, children need to be educated on what is okay on the internet and what is not. Talking to random people about personal information obviously is not okay. But connecting and making long-term friends with people in another state is very beneficial. It gives kids something to look forward to.

There is also a big problem that people look at when trying to determine weather or not video games are beneficial or harmful. This factor is violence caused because of video games. The question has been around for awhile and that is, Do violent video games cause violence in kids? With this discussion there is a somewhat simple solution. Parents when allowing to let their children play video games at a young age should always look into the ratings of the video games that they buy for their kids. These rating will allow parents to know what graphic content may be in the video games presented to your kid. Obviously we do not want 10 year old boys and girls playing GTA or other violent shooting games. This is mainly on the parents to know what they are buying for their children. Some games are very beneficial for children at young age and some are very harmful for children. Its on the parents to make sure they are not only old enough but ready for the game that they are going to be playing.

Citations:

Eugenio, Sheila. “8 Cognitive Benefits of Playing Video Games for Kids.” Engadget, 10 Mar. 2020, http://www.engadget.com/2017-02-09-8-cognitive-benefits-of-playing-video-games-for-kids.html.

Lal, Kabir. “10 Negative Effects of Video Games.” Healthy Gamer, 1 Oct. 2020, http://www.healthygamer.gg/10-negative-effects-of-video-games/.