Are Video Games Beneficial?

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Are Video Games Beneficial?

Thomas Le
Montgomery College

Are Video Games Beneficial?

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Are Video Games Beneficial?

Over the years, video games have been debated about on whether or not they are
beneficial. Video games are often depicted as a hobby that does not actually benefit adolescences
and causes students performance in class to decrease since they would rather play then to do
their homework. However, video games can be beneficial to all ages as well as help teens with
their studies. When something is beneficial it means that the person involved gains something
that is helpful to them. Video games are beneficial because teens can gain cognitive skills,
reflexes, and alleviate stress when they play them.
Playing video games can result in a gain of many different kinds of cognitive skills. For
example, playing video games can help visual perception and they help the players become more
attentive. Most video games that are played have an objective that requires attention. According
to Karimpur & Hamburger (2015), they said that Recent findings also show that a combination
of an action video game with perceptual learning and dichoptic viewing improves visual acuity
as well as stereopsis (p. 1). Their research shows that depending on what video game an
individual plays, it can demand a higher level of thinking and this allows the brain to become
more open. Video games help increase attentiveness in an individual because most video games
have a cause and effect dynamic. The cause and effect relationship in games happen when the
player fails a required part in a game, after failing the player will block out anything that is not
helpful to beating the game. This relationship in most games results in increased attentiveness in
individuals that play video games because the unique demanding gameplay of each game helps
the individual maintain focus. Video games are beneficial because cognitive skills can be gained
from playing them.

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There have also been many people that do not agree that video games are not beneficial.
The most common stereotype that video games has is that playing video games affect eyesight
negatively since the bright light emitted from a computer screen or television screen causes a
harmful effects to eyesight. Many people believe that spending multiple hours in front of
television or monitor cause bad eye sight since human eyes tend to tire from prolonged focus on
something. Eyesight can correlate with cognitive skills since it affects the way something is
viewed and this changes how a person takes in information. For example, if someones visual
perception is good then they would see a specific painting in many ways, while it could be
different for someone else. Another belief that people tend to have is that playing video games
too much could cause an unhealthy addiction as well as becoming aggressive. Walsh, et al
(2008) stated that Video game addiction has led some children to fall out of school, alienate
themselves from everyone in their lives, and in extreme cases, commit suicide (p. 1). Almost
everything has a bad and a good side, video games is no different since even though they can
help improve cognitive skills they could also be a detriment to ones eyesight. Certain people
work differently and think differently than others, so playing video games may not be the best
option.
One thing that can be gain from playing video games is reflexes. In traditional sports,
practicing will increase reflexes and performance. On the other hand, for video games practicing
is the same as just playing the game and they will result in better reflexes because of the constant
gameplay. Most video games help adolescences improve reflexes, reaction time, and hand eye
coordination. Whether the video game is on a console and with a remote controller or a
computer and with a keyboard, it will most likely result in some kind of gain in reactions or
reflexes. Much like trial and error, when a level in a game is failed then the next attempt the

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player will always do something different from the first time. An example of this would be a
game called Flappy Bird, this game is about a bird flying through a series of pipes and the user
tapping on the screen causes the bird to fly. This game immensely increases an individuals
reflexes because the gameplay demands timing and reactionary movements to beat the game.
This trial and error method that is used in video games causes any gamer to obtain faster reflexes
and their hand eye coordination will become more responsive. Playing games on the computer
can also help typing skills and finger movements will be quicker when pressing the different
kinds of keys over and over again. This is another reason why playing video games is beneficial.
Some individuals believe that playing video games is not as beneficial as others make it
out to be, but having fast finger reflexes is extremely helpful. Opposing viewpoints see that there
are little benefits to gain when playing video games. Some would argue that a more productive
way to improve reflexes would be to play an instrument because playing an instrument could be
considered a skill and an asset. Playing an instrument is not for everyone and would be better for
someone to not play an instrument at all then to begin halfheartedly. People might believe that
increased reflexes are not important and it is not helpful towards anything. This statement is false
because there are many things that increased reflexes can benefit. An example of how reflexes
can help would be at a work environment where they require a proficient level of typing speed.
Learning to type faster and with more fingers would be a lot easier if an individual were to have
increased reflexes. Having quick or developed reflexes may come in handy in everyday life and
has no downside to having.
Lastly, video games are beneficial because you can obtain advantages that will be helpful
later on in life. Video games can alleviate stress for not only teens but adults as well because they
can be a gateway for them to get away from the reality. According to Franklin, Video games

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draw teenagers in a way we cant do with conferences and pamphlets (as cited in Streisand,
2008, p. 1). Many people that are stressed out usually do not want to talk to someone about it and
open up because they can tend to be personal or is not worth mentioning to someone else. Video
games present them with relief and a way to get the mind off of things that are stressful because
it allows players to express themselves while keeping to themselves. This is a beneficial way to
relieve stress because not everybody likes to talk about their problems, so video game provides
the other option of relieving stress without talking to someone. Another advantage that video
games provide is that they can be used as a form of therapy for combat soldiers or people with
specific needs. There are just some of the beneficial advantages that is obtainable through
playing video games.
Most people believe that playing sports is the only way to maintain healthiness and video
games has no physical benefits. People tend to believe that playing sports is the best way to be
healthy and have active exercise. There are games that introduce exercising, such as the game
console Wii. The Wii is a system created from Nintendo that allows people to stand up and play
the game through body movement rather than the typical controller to system games. Some risks
that video games may have is that they can result in obesity from the lack of physical exercise
and playing video games can sometimes be mentally exhausting. Some violent video games can
cause aggression towards family and peers. Since children are easily influenced, violent video
games could possibly teach children to reenact some things in real life. For example, if in a game
there is fighting then children or teenagers may be influenced to believe that hitting and fighting
is okay in the real world. These are some of the possible downsides of playing video games.
Even though playing video games may seem as a bad thing, there are actually many
benefits that video games have that make them a lot better than people think. The statement that

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video game can affect eyesight is not always true, depending on the individual and how close
they are to the screen plays a large role as well. Depending on the person, playing video games
does not always negatively affect the user but only when they are either too close or play without
sufficient lighting. Improving reflexes is just a handy benefit that comes with playing video
games. Video games can be played solely for the fun and increased reflexes will come naturally
as the game is played out. Lastly, sports are one way to stay healthy physically and mentally but
sports requires more dedication and time. Whereas for video games, the person playing does not
need to be as dedicated to play to receive the benefits and they can play whenever you want to
rather than a mandatory time. These are some of the reasons why video games are beneficial.
Even though playing video games has their highs and lows, playing video games would
actually be more beneficial because they help improve many skills that one normally cannot gain
from other things. Video games also have many helpful aspects that can be gained and
advantages that will help individuals become healthier. If parents were to learn about the helpful
aspects that video games has such as gaining cognitive skills, reflexes, and alleviating stress then
they can teach their kids about it as well. Information tends to spread faster among teenagers and
children since they have more friends than adults, so if parents were to teach their kids about the
benefits of playing games then this may spread throughout the country to fix the poor stigma that
video games has. Playing video games are beneficial because it can help someone gain things
that will be useful to them in the future.

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References
Bennett, N., Walsh, D., Walsh, E., & Gentile, D. (2008). Video Games Cause Aggressive and
Violent Behavior in Youths. In L. Almond (Ed.), Current Controversies. School Violence.
Detroit: Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from 11th Annual Media Wise Video Game Report Card,
www.mediafamily.org, 2006)

Streisand, B. (2008). Video Games Can Provide Health Benefits to the Sick. In D. M. Haugen
(Ed.), At Issue. Video Games. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

Karimpur, H., & Hamburger, K. (2015). The Future of Action Video Games in Psychological
Research and Application. Frontiers In Psychology