Video games – the modern entertainment. From a small pixilated software, to a 1billion Dollar blockbuster, video games are part of our daily lives, and it’s unlikely that it will change any time soon. Videos games makes us excited, but at the same time frustrated.

Starting from the early 2000s, video games are frowned upon by parents as time-wasters, and worse, some education experts think that these games corrupt the brain.  Violent video games are easily blamed by the media and some experts as the reason why some young people become violent or commit extreme anti-social behavior.  But it was proven many times that video games can actually have many benefits – the main one is making kids smart.  Video games may actually teach kids high-level thinking skills that they will need in the future.

So what are the negatives?

Most of the bad effects of video games are blamed on the violence they contain.  Children who play more violent video games are more likely to have increased aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and decreased prosocial helping. In many games, kids are rewarded for being more violent.  The act of violence is done repeatedly.  The child is in control of the violence and experiences the violence in his own eyes. Games like Grand Theft Auto, it encourages the player to be violent for the sake of the entertainment. Without violence, you can’t complete the mission. If you can’t complain the mission, you can’t complete the game.

But it’s not only violence that affects the gamer. It’s the actual thought of losing that makes a regular gamer frustrated. Video games became so competitive these days that fun has completely disappeared. ‘’You’re so bad, quit the game you scrub’’ mentality has plagued the gaming community. Games like Call of Duty and Battlefield, the juggernauts of first-person shooter genre, became so competitive in their gameplay, that the players are ready to cheat, and using game tactics known as ‘’camping’’, just to win a match. League of Legends is the prime example of competitive gaming. In the game, you control a character, known as a Champion. Your goal is to do destroy the other players base, as the same time, they are trying to destroy yours. The whole game is team oriented, if you’re playing solo, you will definitely lose, and you can only imagine the rage you will receive from your teammates.

Video games are time consuming too, because of the intensity and experience that you are receiving from the game, it may become an addiction.

Video games may also have bad effects on some peoples health, including obesity, video-induced seizures, damaged eye-sight, mental problems. It also may include a change in their lifestyle, like not going to the shower more often , less eating or drinking water, and if you’re playing online, you may learn couple new fancy words from the gamers language. Not to mention, the gamer might be isolated from the society and would have no idea what is going on in the real world.

As you can see, videos games has a lot negative aspect in them. In it’s human nature to see the negative side and declare that video games is a bad influence to you and the society. But here’s the thing, all those negatives, they are coming not from video games, but from you.

Because it’s in human nature to see the negatives first, people don’t realise what video games can actually do for you. Video games is like alcohol, it’s nice at the beginning, but when it’s too much, damage will be done. So it’s your own responsibility how you’re approaching videos games.

So what are the positives?

Arma – one of the most realistic shooters that hit the gaming market. Some gamers think that’s it more of a military simulator than a video game. Arma has a large hardcore gaming community and encourages every player to use real-life military tactics not only to reach the objective, but also to survive. One shot, and you’re dead for the rest of the game. It’s a perfect way to improve your multitasking, quick thinking, and give you a better situational awareness. And most importantly, teamwork.

Young gamers for example have force themselves to read to get instructions, follow storylines of games, and get information from the game texts.  Also, using math skills is important to win in many games that involves quantitative analysis. Not only that, non-english speaking gamers learn English much faster and better by just playing video games.

Video games are becoming more of an art form than a programmed software for our own enjoyment. Video games can make a person to be creative. A study by the Michigan State University's Children and Technology Project found out that gamers are more visually and intellectually creative comparing to people that don’t people play video games, regardless of gender, race or type of video game played. 

Gamers are not necessarily drawn to video games because of their

violence. The attraction lies in their being rewarded by awesome

displays of explosions, fireworks, and even blood splattering. Also,

violent games have the most emotional appeal for kids. But these

factors are only secondary to what kids actually enjoy in these

games - the opportunity to develop and master skills and have the

freedom to make choices in the game universe. Games like World of

Warcraft and Runescape, are perfect examples of that, as you invest

a lot of time in your character, and learn new skills like resource

management, planning, tactical and stragetic awereness.

Almost any video game can increase your self-confidence and self-esteem as you master the game.   In many games, the levels of difficulty are adjustable.  As a beginner, you begin at the easy level and by constant practicing and slowly building skills, you become confident in handling more difficult challenges.  Since the cost of failure is lower, you don’t normally fear making mistakes.  You take more risks and explore more. You can transfer this attitude to real life and achieve great things that you thought are not achievable.

Video games became a sport. It became a big public attraction for

everyone to watch. Whether you watch it online, or real-life,

competitive video games generate big crowds. The bigger the

crowd, the bigger the video game franchise is becoming. In the US,

video games such us League of Legends and Starcraft 2 were

declared as a national sport, with their own professional teams and

players, making a living and like any other US citizen paying taxes.

It proves that if you’re really good enough, you might make video

games as your permanent job. And it’s nothing bad in that.

Not to mention, playing video games is safer than doing drugs,

alcohol and street racing in the real world.

Good or bad, videos games makes us angry, happy, competitive,

excited, passionate. Video games are here to stay for generations,

and it’s our decision how we will accept them. Just don’t stay all

night playing.