One day, his mother forced a 9-year-old boy to stop playing video games. They had argued for a moment. Mom said that computer games will definitely be useless and that it is about senseless violence. Mom fears that her son’s life will be distracted by the fact that the child would spend most of his time in front of the screen, not having time to interact with the outside world and learn about something useful. The child could only close his mouth, look at the screen and wonder when his mother will stop talking.
The occasion described above occurs commonly even in our family. Parents tend to limit their children’s playtime as much as possible. In his mind, there will be no knowledge to be learned from video games except violence, brutality, sex, guns, and all the bad things. However, most children are powerless towards their parents. In most cases, children will lose in that battle, they simply obey what their mother orders and stop playing, although in their heart the desire to continue playing is agonizing.
If we try to look from outside the box, and put aside the myth that parents are always right, we will see that despite all the wailing about bulging eyes and mindless violence, video games are a good thing to have been. integrated into family life. Furthermore, its popularity is increasing rapidly faster than any other form of entertainment. So who is right in this endless debate? Children or parents?
Steven Johnson, author of the book Everything Bad is Good for You, has said that what could be important about video games is their form and not their content. Parents often overlook the fact that through their interaction with the digital world, children will become more aware of the world. They will learn to explore the world and become even more curious about it. Let’s forget the fact that kids can learn to drive a car carelessly, they will actually learn about economics from The Sims, learn about Command Conquer strategy, and learn about teamwork and strong coordination when playing Counter Strike in the game. multiplayer mode. Even in games like Flight or Train Simulator, children will learn how to fly a Boeing, Airbus or about the use of signal traffic systems in real railway technology. Furthermore, research by a scientist at the University of Oxford has claimed that playing the video game “Tetris” after a major concussion could reduce the symptoms of PTSD, although much remains to be done to translate this experimental scientific result into a potential treatment.
Today, the astonishing success of the Nintendo Wii has brought a new paradigm of video games: mental training for the mind, visual training for the eyes, and physical training for the body. We can play golf like Tiger Woods did, play tennis with Roger Federer in his own living room; even learn how to quit smoking by following the Allen Carr method. With the help of the mainstream, the games now move to a much more social scene, not only are they played online, but now friends are gathering in the lounges. be there to dance, sing karaoke, play contests, or pretend to be in rock bands.
Unfortunately, the story does not end there. The games still have some drawbacks and could cost people physically. The stiff joints and knotty fingers that result from too long a session with a joypad, or the muscular strains that plague enthusiastic Wii users are some of the counterweights that follow the mental benefits generated by video games. That is why self-control and time control is very necessary while playing. The most important thing is to relax during games, as most people tend to get carried away when they play. They get frustrated when they lose and get addicted when they win. Remember, games are only entertainment tools; they have nothing to do with your pride and your real life. Becoming a smart gamer is really an option.
In the near future, as the world becomes more uncertain and the economic recession continues, people will be more willing than ever to escape to another world, such as video games. There is nothing wrong with it, but once again, it takes self-control not to become an addicted gamer who only thinks about his game instead of his real life. When time passes, no answer will be satisfactory enough to answer our question at the beginning. Who is right? Children or parents? The easiest way to answer is: both parties are right and both should use their arguments to control each other.