Negative Effects of Video Games on Children
Although video games have certain advantages, studies have shown some negative effects of video games on children. Various research studies have shown a relation between aggressive behavior and playing video games that have violence in them. Indulging in games that have a lot of shooting and killing is said to increase the emotion of anger in children, leading to aggressive behavior in real life. Further, as their act of violence is rewarded in the world of gaming, they may become motivated to repeat it in real life. Video games hook the children to their consoles as repetitive playing and winning boosts their morale. They start feeling that shooting and killing are normal and do not even feel guilty about beating or clobbering siblings or peers.
There is also said to be a direct correlation between poor academic performance and playing video games. Studies have shown that some children spend a lot of time playing video games, thus ignoring their studies, resulting in poor scores at school.
Video games also have negative effects on the physical health of children. Sitting for hours before the video game consoles can increase the risk of obesity, carpal tunnel syndrome, muscular diseases and as well as skeletal and postural disorders in kids. Other more severe health effects of video games include increased heart rate and high blood pressure.
To decrease the negative effects of gaming on children, parental control is very essential. Parents should keep a close eye on the sort of games their children play. When buying games for kids, parents should check the age limit mentioned on the cover. They should also avoid buying games that have too much violence in them. The most important thing that parents must observe is the amount of time their children spend in front of the video game consoles. They should not allow their kids to spend more than two hours in gaming.
Video games are definitely fun and entertaining and are also good for relieving tension. However too much indulgence can lead to addiction to video games which can have physical as well as psychological effects on children.
