1. 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
2. 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
3. encouraged to take this matter seriously and help children to divide their time
responsibility.
