According to studies, play is critical in child and youth development. Games contribute to the emotional, social, physical and cognitive well-being of the youth and the children and offer homework assistance in some subjects. It is important that play time is protected by school systems, families and even communities to ensure optimal development and balance. In the world we are living in the play time has greatly reduced because of the pressured lifestyles we are living, this leaves students with less or no play time. Reduced play time interferes with the development of students, who might not be able to fully reap the benefits which come with play.
Reasons Online Gaming is Beneficial:
- Stimulates the Brain
Online games stimulate the brain in different ways, including developing multi-tasking skills. The mind is exposed to skills of formulating strategies which are crucial to winning the games. Puzzle games have been identified by studies as effective for stimulation of the brain by improving mental alertness and the long term effect includes minimizing the risk of memory loss.
- Develop Imagination and Creativity
Online gaming enables the ability of a scholar to think in a creative yet innovative manner. These games allow for the scholars to imagine beyond what they can see and they see the obvious things in a different light.
- Social Development
Games which require more than one person to play, create a platform where players interact with each other. They connect through voice chats and other connecting platforms and the best part is that they interact with individuals who have something in common. Gaming online is like a playground, you meet play competitively and develop lasting connections and friendships.
- Very Engaging
Games have a high percentage of engaging the mind of the scholars. Some call it an addiction while some wonder how players can be so hooked to the extent of looking like zombies. It is engaging because the player is in control of the game and how it moves on, so their concentration is a hundred percent in the game.
- Cognitive Skills
The players get to be leveled up the game so the player never gets bored of doing the same thing over and over. Completing one level and moving to another leads to a sense of accomplishment. Constantly finding solutions to problems leads to improvement of quick response to situations.
- Technical Know-How Improvement
Online gaming demands that students know how to use the internet and digital devices such as computers, tablets, and iPads. Apart from being curious to learn new skills scholars are exposed to new techniques of playing every time and with every new game they play.
While parents are so concerned that their children are not spending much time on books and college papers, maybe online gaming is the solution to studies. The teachers and the society at large are concerned about children disengaging from the world just to spend more time on devices. However, the most effective way to engage students actively in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) is through online gaming. Educators are constantly coming up with video games which students learn by attaining their goals.
Many games can actually help students with different aspects of school. I think it’s rather amazing.
There are many ways to learn and help that learning process. Video games can certainly work and improve some aspects of learning.
Kind of depends on what students are learning, because some courses might eat up time that you might not even have recreational time to play games. But generally, I think games are a good way to de-stress oneself, especially after a busy day.
But oftentimes, it’s a distraction. Sometimes I just want to procrastinate on an assignment (too difficult, too much, etc.), so I might play a game for 15 to 30 minutes. It can sometimes jog my memory, especially if I can think about my assignment while playing a game, so I guess that’s kind of a benefit to gaming. I tend to avoid games that are too distracting though (especially competitive games), so I might play a game that I could pace myself easily like games with a story, especially RPGs and MMORPGs, and maybe even sandbox games.