Are violent video games bad for kids - Term Paper Example

Are Violent Video Games Bad For Kids? In the modern world characterized by high technological advancements, video games have become highly accessible for children. Playing video games has become part and parcel of childhood in the present society. However, some of these video games are violent making most parent and educators to frown at them. Violent video games have been accused of promoting aggressive behavior in children. The video games have also been perceived as time-wasters and brain corruptors.

Violent video games make children to lives full of fantasy causing them to lose touch with reality. However, some studies have also indicated positive side of video games on children. This paper explores the negative and positive influence of video games on children.Violent video games promote aggressive behavior among children. According to Coon and Mitterer, children who are addicted to violent video games are most likely to develop violent and anti-social behavior (263). Most violent video games are designed in such a way that the more violent a child is when playing, the more points he or she earns.

Active involvement of children in violent scenes shapes their behavior into aggressive individuals as they grow up. The interactive nature of the video games creates a perfect learning mode for children to master the art of violence.Video games adversely impact on performance at school. Video games are addictive in nature leave too little time for children to do their homework (Craton Para 15). For example, a child who takes three-quarters of his or her time playing video game will have no adequate reading time and hence likely to record poor academic performance in school.

Video games make children to live fantasy life and lose touch with reality. Children addicted to violent video games usually want to do the things they do see in the video games. However, the reality is that video games are packed with fictional scenes. For instance, children usually want to try shooting and or other queer behaviors rewarded in violent video games. However, video games also have some benefits to children who play them. Video games enhance critical thinking in children and enable them to integrate well in the society.

The games engage the brain in active and constant abstract thinking (Coon and Mitterer 263). They sharpen mental skills of children by fostering instruction following, logical problem solving, planning resource use, multitasking, quick and effective decision-making skills among others. The present world is technology driven and demands people to have basic knowledge on how to use various technologies. Video games enhance computer skills in children. Children who play video games become more accustomed to modern technology, which makes them to easily integrate into the high-tech era.

Video games also promote communal work. Video games usually contain many players, whom a child has to cooperate with in order to achieve specific goals of the games (Ewoldsen et al 2). Therefore, video games enhance children’s ability to accommodate the ideas of others in formulating strategies to accomplish particular objectives of the game.Despite the fact that many parents and experts have been accused of aggressive behavior, time-wasters, poor academic performance, and brain corruptors in children, the games are also beneficial in many ways to the children who play them.

However, much should be done to reduce violent scenes that are common with most video games in order to maximize the potential benefits of the games while keeping low the negative sides. Works CitedCoon, Dennis, and John O. Mitterer. Psychology: A Journey 5th Ed, 2014. Print.Craton, Jonathan. The Effect of Videogames on Student Achievement, April 26, 2011. Viewed April 20, 2014 Ewoldsen, David R. Cassie A. Eno, Bradley M. Okdie, John A. Velez, Rosanna E. Guadagno, and Jamie DeCoster. “Effect of Playing Violent Video Games Cooperatively or Competitively on Subsequent Cooperative Behavior,” CYBERPSYCHOLOGY, BEHAVIOR, AND SOCIAL NETWORKING, 15.5 (2012): 1-4.