Author: Jacob B

Source Entry 1: Dear Parents, This is Why You SHOULD Let Kids Play Video Games! | Avery Eun | TEDxValenciaHighSchool – YouTube

This is a TEDx Talks video where Avery Eun talks about why video games can be good for kids. Avery Eun says it can be good because he talks about how it improves kid’s communication skills. Avery Eun himself plays video games and knows this information because he has witnessed it himself while playing video games.

These days, most games are played on servers that host thousands of players at the same time. This means that your kids can collaborate with their classmates to build virtual structures in games such as Minecraft or join forces with their peers to play Madden NFL 22 against other teams from around the world. It may also be possible for those who like games such as Monopoly, checkers or UNO to find competitors online. In fact, the internet can be an ideal place to find opponents who are willing to play by your modified UNO rules or who are willing to play variations of other games that you enjoy. For those who have social anxiety, autism or other developmental issues, it may be easier to spend time with others in a virtual world as opposed to the physical world. If you are a parent of a child who may struggle to make friends at school, it may be worthwhile to look into various online forums or information that may better cater to their social needs.

Source Entry 2:Are video games bad for kids’ mental health? The answer might surprise you : Shots – Health News : NPR

Yuki Noguchi is a mother of 2 boys, ages 12 and 13, and she believes that video games can make a negative impact on kids if not treated correctly. I say if not treated correctly because she thinks her kids, or any kids need a limit on video games. She says “Now, my two boys, ages 12 and 13, are growing up in a digital world in a way I did not. Their generation lives online, spending more hours in virtual spaces since the pandemic began.” This shows that the kids need to start limiting themselves on the video games. In the article it also says, “Children need some limits on their gaming, especially if it begins to crowd out other essential or healthy activities, many experts warn, like schoolwork and sleep in particular.” This can be very negative because kids can be so attached to there video games that it can affect there sleep which is part of there health and this can lead to affecting their schoolwork.

According to article, from The New York Times it states, “Some people play video games and live-stream it as a job, but there comes a point where so much is too much. If playing video games interferes with one’s sleep schedule or job/school work, then at that point you’d have to take a step back and recalibrate your time limits. Some people worry about the health issues that come with over-playing like damaged eyesight, lack of exercise, lack of vitamin D, even seizures. It makes sense why parents and Chinese government officials are concerned.” This is also why kids should be limited, and if not video games can affect a kid negatively.

I had a question that has always made me curious, and my question is, are video games acceptable for kids or are they just inappropriate for kids? Some may say that video games can ruin a kids mind and the actions of a child may reflect on the game they are playing, But there are some games that have good intentions for the children. For example, I play Grand Theft Auto 5 which is a mature game that children shouldn’t play. I play it because its just a cool video game in my opinion and I think nothing of it, but other younger children will start using the same bad profanity that is used in the games or think that the actions in the game is acceptable to do in real life. Beyond simply being a fun activity, playing video games can provide other benefits to kids as well. Many games encourage problem solving, working memory, and information processing skills. Others, such as action games, foster hand eye coordination, which can potentially translate to the real world, as well. Video games can also serve as creative outlets and allow kids to explore their identities and interests in a virtual space free from judgment or discrimination. Also, video games can foster social connections similar to social media, which has become increasingly important during the COVID pandemic. But then there’s the bad side of video games. One of parent’s biggest concerns with video games relates to violence and for a bad reasons Recent studies have shown that long-term exposure to violent video games can contribute to aggressive behaviors in children and adolescents. As with social media, video games can also open up avenues for cyberbullying, which can hugely impact the mental health of children and adolescents. Playing video games can also be quite addictive, which can lead to social isolation and poor physical health. In addition, playing video games contributes to higher amounts of daily screen time and, if played at night, can lead to significant sleep disturbances. This is a great question to ask because some people think video games are taking these kids childhood away, because they always want to play and not socialize or enjoy their surroundings, But then people also think it’s okay because the kids are socializing playing video games or playing educational games that they can learn from. I think that video games for children is also a half and half for me because there’s games like football or basketball that you can enjoy playing any age, but then it won’t be really appropriate for children playing online games with other adults. This is why I question, Is video games good for children or no?