The Negative Effect of Video Games on Children. Technological advancements have provided the world with many useful tools and

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1 Name 1 The Negative Effect of Video Games on Children Technological advancements have provided the world with many useful tools and resources. Computers have been such resources that have in turn led to the growth of the video game industry. For approximately thirty years, video games have been accessible to a vast number of consumers. Their interactive nature has made them a unique form of leisure activity. Today s video games are highly graphic and require players to pay close attention. Although they are played by people of all ages, there has been a rising trend in the number of children who play them. This can be authenticated by the growing popularity of these video games. This trend has been accompanied by the principal concern of the effects these games are having on children. Children are now spending more time watching them. In addition, the games have also become more violent. Video games do provide a wide prospect for teaching and learning, but they do more harm than good to children. The negative effects caused by video games influence their physical, mental and social wellbeing. Time wastage is a gruesome result of playing video games. Playing video games hinders children from fully interacting with their social environment. Most of them are at an age when they should be developing competence in their communication skills, but because they spend an extensive amount of their time alone and engaging in such games, they find it difficult to interact with other people. Therefore, these games do not impart any values and it is no surprise that they do not teach children to build good relationships and develop their communication skills (Raise Smart Kid). Instead of having real friends, some children even consider their machines as friends. This sort of seclusion alienates children from real life situations and interactions, which are meant to guide their growth. Children may end up having problems interacting with their

2 Name 2 families, which might lead to a distorted development and future emotional disorders. Such children also have increased fear of being around many people and they rarely trust anyone. Academic performances for children who engage in constant playing of video games are more often than not very poor. This is because most children opt to play games instead of completing their assignments and conducting their studies. The verbal memory of children also suffers tremendously as a result of playing video games. Video games are indeed not doing much for these children who are meant to be tomorrow s intellectuals. Moreover, video games also promote idleness, which leads to reduced physical inactivity. The element of physical inactivity has been prominent in the rising growth of obesity rates among children. Video games are standing in the way of fostering exercise and healthy lifestyles. Children no longer participate in outdoor physical activities, which are vital in controlling their body weight. Apart from obesity, children are also developing other health conditions as a result of constantly playing video games. They are developing skin and muscle problems due to the repeated hitting of buttons and pushing of joysticks as they play these games (Gunter 110). Another unhealthy factor which is introduced by playing video games is insomnia, a sleeping disorder that develops due to poor sleep hygiene because children are always playing these games even when they are supposed to be asleep. Thus, the altered sleeping patterns result to insomnia, which can be very problematic. Hyperactivity and sight disorders are also attributed to playing video games. Violence has been the most pronounced effect of playing video games. Most of the video games that children play nowadays do not lack violent acts. Violence is portrayed in form of weapons, fights and verbal abuse (Raise Smart Kid). Most video games have violent ideas and

3 Name 3 require children to inflict pain on their antagonistic opponents in the games. Some games instruct children to shoot and destroy these opponents for them to win the game. Playing these violent games has been seen to elicit violent behaviors, aggressive thoughts and heightened physical arousal. Violence models children to think that using weapons, fighting and abusing others are a part of the society s acceptable behaviors. As a result, such children lose their sensitivity to violent behavior. Because of this, they do not bear any empathy for suffering people and this could elevate them to become violent individuals in the future. Under different circumstances, these children will find it justifiable to use violence to get what they want. Children who play aggressive games sometimes imitate behaviors from these games. They might inflict pain on themselves while doing so, especially if they choose to imitate heroic acts done by their favorite characters. Their friends also suffer the same fate of aggression because such children when they choose to interact with others will be aggressive and uncontrollable. The view behind this is that their internal controls, which are responsible for averting violent action have become inactive as a result of overplaying violent video games (Gunter 90). The excitement felt by children who play such games may cause increased blood pressure, which arouses them and they become more predisposed towards violent behaviors. Such accelerated adrenaline charges may also result in seizures, which can be fatal. Children who are mesmerized by particular characters in their video games develop a desire to become exactly like them. In an attempt to accomplish this, they often resort to inappropriate behaviors (Raise Smart Kid). It is not unusual to find young children roaming the streets dressed up as such video game characters. This dress up act is also accompanied by violent behavior. Most video games tend to have female characters that are usually portrayed as weak and worthless. In the world of video games, women hold less or no respect in comparison

4 Name 4 to their male characters. Children are even directed to kill or hurt them in the games. Young boys end up developing disrespect for women in the society. Women become reflective of what children watch in the video games. This may impair their relationships with the women in their lives and also interfere with future relationships, which they may intend to have. It is evident that video games have caused adverse effects on children. They are among the many growing problems hindering the proper growth and development of children. Not only do they foster the growth of an unhealthy population, but they also lead to a violent and morally deprived society. The ubiquitous wastage of time caused by constant playing of video games by children, completely devalues the essence of time and other important aspects of life. Not to mention the danger of developing muscular and skeletal conditions or even succumbing to seizures caused by playing these games. It is important to stress that these games have their rightful place in the society. However, restriction must be put in order to control and manage them. If not so, they will continue to cause more harm to children. Instead, young people should be encouraged to engage in positive physical activities, develop moralistic values, and cultivate good social skills. It is time that parents and other involved parties made a stand against violent video games and ensured that they managed the time children spend on them.

5 Name 5 Works Cited Gunter, Barrie. The Effect of Video Games on Children: The Myth Unmasked. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, Raise Smart Kid. The Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games. <