Pros and cons of playing video games

It is not a rare sight to see kids sitting in front of the computer or even on your phone playing some kind of game. And while there can be a number of positives about these games there are also a few negatives that we need to be aware of in order to keep our child happy and safe. 

 

After recently writing up about the pros and cons of your child’s TV consumption, we thought it only fitting to do the same for video games. 

 

So here are five pros and five cons to help you make your decision about letting your youngster play them:

 

Pros

1. Depending on the game being played it can in fact help your child’s hand eye coordination.

 

2. Just like watching a limited amount of television, playing video games can help your youngster de-stress and during busy days, that is always welcomed.

 

3. Some games that require the use of maths or spelling can help your child with their academic studies.

 

4. It also involves a degree of involvement unlike the TV where kids often sit there mindlessly flicking through stations; certain games require your youngster to think strategically and make quick decisions.  

 

5. You can’t win all the time and obviously depending on the game being played and the number of players required, it can also teach friendly competition.

 

Cons

1. Time spent on video games is time taken away from doing homework, being outside or playing sports.

 

2. Some video games have a lot of violent material in it and often the player - in this case your child -becomes the shooter leaving them numb to violence.

 

3. In a number of games, even those aimed at children, there is often a degree of sexualisation that is shown throughout.

 

4. Playing them for too long can over-stimulate your child leaving them excitable, aggressive and unable to settle.

 

5. If allowed to play for long periods of time, some children can find it hard to differentiate between the video game and reality.