Effects of Computer Games towards Children

Over the recent decades access to computer and computer and internet

has made a significant increase in civilization especially towards the younger

generation. Since all the games available in the market is not of same type, each

game will have its own effects on the player especially children’s. This essay will

examine both the possible and negative effects of children playing computer games

for long hours, in addition to discussing few possible solutions to reduce the negative

effects. Some of these after outcome are hand-eye coordination and becoming more

aggressive.

The good outcome of children playing computer games is that it is able to

help to the coordination of both hand and eye. The current market have been selling

games that are either difficult or requires the player to mash buttons all over the

controller. This will help the children increase their fast thinking and memory along

with their hand movement. Now games mostly contains quick time events to make

the players react faster and push the correct controls. This can also help them in the

future to think faster and handle other objects more precise.

Children may get overly addicted to playing computer games and only pay

full attention to it ignoring the other responsibility they had. Children will spend most

of their times playing computer games rather than going out and enjoying real sports

or activities. This is also the cause of health problem towards the children such as

obesity if they keep skipping exercising due to only staying at home playing games.

This perhaps is the worst effect on children. Studies have shown children that plays

too much of computer games will affect their social life online and offline as they tend

to get overly aggressive. Concerned family and teachers are trying their best to

convince children not to spend too much time on computer games. Children’s

academic results have decrease immensely after computer games became popular.

This is due to spending majority of their time playing computer games, the more

amount of time spend on playing computer games affects the academic results of

the child as mentioned by Anderson & Dill (2000). Studies conducted in Minnesota’s

University stated that computer games fanatic tend to have an argument with their

lecturers and even their course mate. They also scores lower grades than others

who often plays computer games. On that topic, fanatics also will consistently skip

classes and homework for the sake of computer games, some of them even

admitted that their grades have drop immensely after spending too much time on

computer games.

Another harmful effect is children gamer will be given rewards for being

violent in a game for example killing the main boss in a video game and that be

rewarded gold online. A study have shown that playing computer games increases

their destructive behaviour due to violent acts repeated all over the game. Most of

the computer games consists of violent content and this causes the players to act

and feel more violence in the real world. The researches have established that

gamers who had a lot of experience playing violent games have reacted

aggressively when encountered difficulties or confrontation.

To put it briefly, playing computer games have multiple effects on children in

both decent and harmful way. Children benefit from playing computer games in

increasing reflexes and coordination of the body while cost of them is exercising and

educations with attitude of aggression and violence. Family and teachers are

encouraged to take this matter seriously and help children to divide their time

responsibility.