Across the world, one would find children’s hands glued to a console, a keyboard or a joystick playing the latest of a seemingly limitless array of video games. This trend had started decades ago when the first consoles came out. More colorful counterparts have long eliminated the black and white dots and shapes they once enjoyed. Without looking like it would stop any time soon, video games have taken much of the time of the youth of the past and present generation.
Often seeing it a distraction to their children’s education, most parents go against video games. Limited attention and memory skills are, according to studies, two of the effects of playing video games. If it is indeed bad for them, then why do kids love video games so much?
Curiosity and imagination are the start of kids’ love for video games. They find that in video games, they can discover things that they would otherwise not be allowed to. Worlds that would be otherwise limited when set in the real world can be made using their minds. So the sense of creativity in most kids is awakened by video games. As heroes or villains, they are able to play a character in role-playing video games. “Halo odst for sale”, “Cheap resident evil 5”, and “Used final fantasy 13”; are just a few of the phrases that will get kids today excited.
But for more repetitive games there is a sense of being able to get better at something over a period of time. This allows them a sense of accomplishment that would otherwise be difficult to do if they would try it in reality. If the reason why kids love video games lies on mastering a skill that they cannot use in the real world, they lose on precious chances to learn actual skills like socialization.
Some video games have solved this problem. Some provide functions that allow kids to form camaraderie with other players of the game. This is another reason why kids love video games; this allows them an icebreaker or serves as a common denominator to make friends. Who likes sports or who likes video games are not the main factions between kids nowadays. The video game that they play is the divisor.
The video games that they enjoy to play by groups or as individuals determine their set of friends. This allows them a little understanding of how it is to belong to a group of like-minded people.
But some kids love video games because it is a means of escaping harsher realities. They are able to stretch their personality and fit into a character. Then, perhaps, they can be their true selves.
Interests and dreams also determine what kind of video game they play. It is likely that parents refuse to see what they see. But perhaps in the future, it would help them be the best they could be.