Benefits of Video Games During Children Development

Abstract The popularity of playing video games has been increasing in the lives of today’s forthcoming generation. In this essay, the author observes the claims that support video game effects, but also addresses the arguments criticizing video games. The author recognizes these attacks, but offers a new point of view towards the practice of video games during child development years. The author begins with a brief record of video game development in the past several decades and how these video games have become more complex, leading children who play them to develop a more complex mind, with elevated abilities. These benefits include: increased dexterity and cognitive ability, improvement in perception, reasoning, and learning skills, increased visual and attention capacity, encourages system thinking and motivation, a good source of social interaction, promotes pro-social behavior, and teaches children how to successfully work in a team setting. The opposing views are then presented, supporting data is provided, and the author addresses why these arguments should not be given a great deal of concern. The author recognizes that some of these concerns may be an issue, but easily avoidable with appropriate parental monitoring. The author closes with indentifying that parents should not solely depend on video games for children development and that other modes of entertainment are equally imperative. The author expresses the importance of incorporating video game play in a child’s development, but stresses the significance of parental surveillance in order to promote these benefits. Introduction and Presentation of Issue In the past few decades, computer and console gaming have proven to be more than just a fad. A recent national survey, conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, discovered that “97% of teens ages 12-17 play computer, web, portable, or console games.” Video games have become one of the most popular sources of entertainment for

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