Gaming is an art that used to be frowned upon many years ago, but today it’s become part of our everyday lives thanks to advancements in technology. You can now take your games with you on the go thanks to hybrid consoles and handheld devices like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation Vita. It’s not just consoles in peoples living rooms that have elevated the gaming industry, smartphones have also played their part. Games can be bought or downloaded free from the iOS and android store. This article will look at the positive and negative impacts video games have on college students.
Positive impact video games have on college students
#1. Video games help ease depression and anxiety in students
Pressure to do well from parents and assignment deadlines can bring about depression to students. This can lead to some turning to things like drugs and alcohol to be able to cope. This can further affect their academic performances however, there is a solution that comes in the form of video games.
Games can help students deal with depression if used correctly according to many experts. A professional essay writer Joan Young from AdvancedWriters – essay services said, “People who play video games are more emotionally positive, energetic and confident because gaming minimizes the risk of depression as well as deals with arthritis”.
Gaming for some students is therapeutic because it gives them a chance to interact with their friends and have fun at the same time. This makes them feel less lonely which is one of the major contributors to depression. When your fingers are active and pressing buttons through gaming, arthritis is kept under control which helps you get assignments done faster without feeling any pain.
#2. Video games improve brain activity
The human brain is a very powerful organ and at the center of the decisions, we make in our everyday lives. Making sure it is in tip-top condition is important and this is where gaming can help. When a student plays video games, they will notice an improvement in their memory, motor skills, and organization.
This is because gaming is known to trigger responses in areas of the brain that are responsible for the activities mentioned above. Playing games also improve one’s decision-making skills and increases their reaction time to questions asked in class compared to someone who isn’t a gamer.
#3. Video games can improve a student’s life skills
Even though gaming does have a bad reputation in some quarters for reasons which will be highlighted below, it is a great way for someone to improve their life skills. It helps lonely students make friends and form bonds with people they share common interests.
Many popular games like Fortnite for example have a very large community one can be a part of and interact with others who will improve their life skills. Apart from this, video games help students become more focused, critically analyze things and concentrate on the tasks handed to them. This is because some puzzle-based games require you to analyze clues given to you to solve the problem.
#3. Video games can improve a student’s vision
This is one of the most unexpected and least talked about benefits of gaming which is to improve vision. Gamers are known to accurately tell the differences between different shades of gray compared to non-gamers. Gaming also improves a student’s ability to visually detect the direction in which an object is moving even on a screen filled with clutter.
Gamers are known to be 80% accurate in this scenario while non-gamers are 30% accurate. It is worth noting that sitting very close to the TV while gaming is not a good idea and can damage your vision. As long as you sit at a safe distance while playing games, your vision will not be affected negatively but you’ll notice it getting sharper.
Negative impact video games have on college students
#1. Promotes violence
One of the biggest criticisms of the video industry is how it glorifies violence sometimes. When playing violent video games, students need to control themselves and not act out the things they see. There have been cases in the USA, especially where students have gone on shooting sprees because they wanted to act out what they saw in video games like Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty. If you feel you can’t control yourself or are being affected by the violence in games, seek help or play games of a different genre.
#2. Video games can be addictive
Just like the point above, self-control is also very important here if one doesn’t want to become addicted to video games. While games are known to improve a student’s decision-making process, being addicted to them affects one’s attendance record and grades. Assignment deadlines can sometimes be missed because a student stayed up late playing their favorite game. If you feel yourself getting addicted to games, try to go outdoors often, socialize with friends and family or seek help before it’s too late.
#3. Students can become obese
Studies that have been conducted over the years have undiscovered that video games make students overweight with every hour they spend playing. Since one is not mobile and staying in one place, it can also lead to muscle pain and sleep deprivation which massively contribute to obesity. To combat this, one has to ensure there’s a balance between gaming and getting some physical exercise.
#4. Video games can isolate someone from reality or real-world problems
Some students use video games to escape their real-life problems instead of confronting them. This is not a good idea because one can become detached from reality and bring the walls down on relationships they have with their family and friends if not careful. Even though one can stay connected with family and friends via games that allow internet connection, nothing beats face-to-face interaction with loved ones.
Despite some of the negatives why video games should not be used in education that have been highlighted above, playing video games is a wonderful way to kill time as long as one doesn’t overdo it. Video games can teach students a variety of things like dealing with depression, improve their vision, enhance their social skills as well as improve their thinking skills.
