The Advantages of Gaming - Essay Example

Is Gaming Educational? Ever since I can remember, as a child, video games were always considered solely to be a form of entertainment. I was only allowed to play video games for a few hours over the weekend – I was not allowed to play vide games during the weekdays. Of course what my parents did not know was that those games were actually helping me in some important aspects like critical thinking and problem solving. While many people argued against the gaming industry and the cons of excessive gaming, I for one believe that gaming can be educational for kids and young adults. Its helps to open the minds of players and enables to envision a self which they even might end up being as they grow up. Today the advantages of gaming are widely recognized and the gamification approach is being employed at various educational institutions to promote learning. Modern gaming experience is rich and contains many cues for personal development and deeper learning (MacKay, n.pag.). Emerging concepts of gaming do not view it as merely a form of entertainment but a unique way of developing individuals. Many experts have now replicated the gaming methodology into their pedagogic styles. Undoubtedly, gaming promotes learning, development, problem solving, strategic, and critical thinking skills (“The Benefits of Video Games”, n.pag.). Despite what some may say, I believe that the gaming industry is helpful for all people (children and teens especially) as it helps them learn to solve problems and think critically. The benefits of gaming extend to a diverse set of groups of individuals including students, children, as well as adults (Olsun, n.pag.). Apart from having social pros, gaming also promotes the development of one’s thinking skills. This thinking includes interpretative skills, analytical skills, critical thinking skills, and strategic thinking. All these skills are crucial to enabling an individual to solve higher order problems. Gaming provides an individual with an environment where the cognitive abilities of the person are at a test. The player or the gamer has to devise the best strategy to get out of the situation. So the gaming environment provides the vital context under which a gamer faces the encounter with problems. To get out of the problem, the player uses his or her thinking skills thereby enabling him or her to solve problems. Hence, gaming allows one to develop problem solving skills by placing an individual in an environment that stimulates thinking and use of one’s cognitive abilities. Gaming stimulates a person’s brain in ways that enhance the cognition of the individual. In a study which tested the brain activity of adults who played Super Mario 64 game showed that the size of their gray matter had increased after they played the game (Guarini, n.pag.). The process behind is not surprising. A person involved in gaming triggers neurotransmitters within the brain that help to transmit information more quickly so as to make decisions. For greater efficiency there is a need for quicker transmission of information which is aided by steroids and other neurotransmitters that stimulate the brain and lead to increased activity. Gray matter has been an important indicator of intelligence in medical science. Thus, playing games can improve one’s brain cognition and help a person solve problems faster, make better and quicker decisions, and so on. The article by Steinberg (n.pag.) reflects the learning aspect of games as it is associated with smarts among gamers. Steinberg points out that games are becoming more and more interactive than before. There is an increased focus towards gaming experience and interaction design which has worked for the gamers’ side. The interactive feature of games allows gamers to gain a hands-on experience as they interact with the characters and an environment within the game. This in turn has enabled students to learn better and pass their tests with better marks. Now universities and many educational institutions are focusing on introducing teaching methods that revolve around virtuality and interactive simulation that places a person in the relevant context. This is of particular interest to Human Resource managers as well as they go on to design effective training programs for their employees. With advent of new technologies, the world is becoming increasingly digitized where everything occurs in the virtual space. Employing this method can help train employees through simulations that give the required experience but with lower risks and better results. However, the downsides of gaming also stem from its virtual nature which is said to be a causative factor for ignorance towards symptoms of medical illnesses (Reilly, n.pag.). The issue that many people point out is that gaming situates a person deeply in a virtual environment. This causes the gamer to become too involved into the game thus losing touch with the reality outside the game. The arguments forwarded by Reilly against the gaming industry consider the health implications of being too involved into games. According to Reilly (n.pag.), the lines blur between what is human and what is machine. Gamers are increasingly becoming situated within the constructs of the game thus being in the false impression that the fictitious gaming environment is real and something serious. Of course this also affects the health of people who involve themselves too much with games that they tend to ignore their health. Excessive gaming leads to adverse effects on the health where developing symptoms for diseases may be ignored as well. Ignoring symptoms is not a good idea since the illness can escalate. The most important concerns regarding the gaming industry have been its negative effects on human health. Not only this but many people also argue that gaming is actually inhibiting the cognitive capabilities of an individual. This argument proposes that gaming has reduced people’s ability to respond to environmental cues. As such, it makes a person less responsive and exhausts him or her. This is related with impatience and aggressiveness as well as slight cognitive malfunctioning. Schaffhauser (n.pag.) has touched upon the argument of gaming that pertains to wastage of time or better education. While games do help children as well as adults to learn some problem solving skills, they also have their destructive impacts on people’s health (Edge Online, n.pag.). Wastage of time is another disadvantage that people have associated with gaming over the years. The interactive nature of gaming enables players, both young and adults, to understand the context of the game including the plot. These elements make a player understand the historical setting and culture if the game has a similar theme. So the theme of the game unarguably does help promote greater understanding of history and culture. Many art-themed games can help children develop an interest in arts. Also, the introduction of interactive and engaging games has allowed forums to develop within games. In many games there are chat boxes that help different gamers to communicate and talk to each other. Also platforms like Xbox Live and Steam have allowed groups of gamers to play in a team thereby promoting friendships. The emergence of innovative technologies and improvements in the gaming entertainment business, intellectual property has reached new heights. Many graphic artists, interaction designers, animators, and game designers have started a career in this industry. Additionally, many people from animation, Film, and TV industry are using the platform to build successful careers in the business. Works Cited ABC News Blogs,. The Benefits Of Video Games. N.p., 2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. Edge Online,. Parental Guidance: Why Gaming With Kids Is Bad For Your Health - Edge Online. N.p., 2014. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. Guarini, Drew. 9 Ways Video Games Can Actually Be Good For You. The Huffington Post. N.p., 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. MacKay, R F. Playing To Learn: Panelists At Stanford Discussion Say Using Games As An Educational Tool Provides Opportunities For Deeper Learning. Stanford University. N.p., 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. Olson, Cheryl. 8 Reasons Video Games Can Improve Your Child. Parents Magazine. N.p., 2014. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. Reilly, Rachel. Are Video Games Bad For Your Health?. Mail Online. N.p., 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. Schaffhauser, Dian. Will Gaming Save Education, Or Just Waste Time? -- THE Journal.Thejournal.com. N.p., 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. Steinberg, Scott. How Video Games Can Make You Smarter. CNN. N.p., 2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. Read More