Today, the Internet offers a variety of online games for everyone. There are harmless cartoon-like games for young generation as well as aggressive and violent examples. Whether it is a small kid or an adult man, every person will find anything to his taste.
Students are also active players in online games. There is nothing surprising in the fact that they may spend the whole day or night playing online. However, such passion for online games may result for them both positively and negatively. Let’s see what pros and cons for students online games have and if it is worth playing them.
Positive impact of online games
It may be astonishing for somebody to hear that online games may have a positive impact on college students. That depends mostly on the type of games students prefer to play. There are games that only encourage development and improve cognitive operations. Playing them students get a number of benefits even not realizing actually that it happens.
- Motivation
It is not surprising to hear the words of a mother: “First, do your homework, then, you can play on the computer!”. Though it concerns school children usually, the situation with college students does not differ greatly. There might not be a mum saying that, but a desire to play results in the necessity to cope with assignments faster. Consequently, games motivate students to complete their task quicker. - Enables activity of the brain
One of the greatest benefits regarding online games is connected with the brain development. In comparison with gambling, there are online games like strategies, adventures, puzzles that stimulate brain activity and allow gaining very important for life skills without putting much effort. They are:- Hand and eye coordination, improved motor skills;
Such games like simulations, for example, require great visual-spatial ability and hand and eye coordination to achieve the desired goal. Constant practices improve these skills greatly. - Memory;
Some games require storing some information, memorizing maps, rules, routes and it develops memory. - Math and reading skills;
A necessity to read the rules, messages, explanations teach students to be attentive and grasp the content immediately. Some games require excellent quantitative analysis to be able to win, so it is useful for improving math skills. - Quick thinking and decision making;
To be able to win a game it is not only important to make a right decision but also do that quickly to speed up your competitors. As a result, players learn to make right decisions 25% faster, be accurate, test different hypotheses to find a right solution. - Concentration;
You can become a winner only when you concentrate on the gameplay. Children concentrate on the hints and game texts so they start recognizing written texts in studying better too.
- Hand and eye coordination, improved motor skills;
- Improving problem-solving skills
Most of the modern online games have a strategy that must be recognized by the player to win a game. Making one or another step players solve puzzles, look for wayouts, try different approaches to continue their progress. Such various strategies develop students’ problem-solving skills. - Experimenting with aspects of individual identity
In games, every person can try on a variety of roles. You can be a negative character or a hero who saves the world. Such possibilities help to open new features of your character and realize in what direction you would like to develop. - Bringing up perseverance, accuracy, and logic
To become a winner you should try to go through one or another level for several times until you learn all the secrets and hints for its successful completion. Such numerous repetitions bring up perseverance and accuracy in attempts. If you do not act logically and accurately, your efforts will never bring about desirable results. - Development of teamwork and cooperation skills
Many modern online games can be played in pairs, groups, teams. Connected via the Internet players can communicate with each other to act together and achieve desirable results. These games teach to work in teams and be important team players.
Negative consequences of playing online games
Of course, many people do not desire to admit that playing online games may bring about some positive effect as negative consequences seem to them more apparent and serious. It goes without saying that spending too much time playing online will make a negative impact on a student and usually it can result in:
- Lack of time for more important activities like studying or outdoor games
When students dedicate much time to games they so ply do not have time for other activities. Even college assignments lose priority if an important battle is planned in the evening. That results in poor grades and academic problems. Moreover, such students do not go for a walk and exhaust their organisms sitting in front of the screen.
- Addiction
One of the most serious problems connected with online games is an addiction. People become obsessed with the virtual world, lose a sense of reality and spend all their time on playing. Most often it concerns gambling, online casinos but simulations and other games may be dangerous too. If a person can be easily influenced, the probability of him to get addicted is much higher.
Addiction is a serious psychological problem that requires treatment so it must be timely detected. - Aggressive behavior
Many students are so influenced by games they play online that they transfer their virtual characters into reality. They get used to solving problems as their nasty heroes and this aggressive behavior becomes a customary thing for them. Such bursts of aggressiveness should be eliminated immediately or they might grow into a habit. - Isolation from society
The online world is an opportunity to get away from real problems and students facing many troubles in studying find this sense of freedom in games. They become so involved in playing that lose a sense of reality and become isolated from society. That results in the absence of friends, inability to solve real problems, communicate and be a member of the society. - Detrimental influence on health
Sitting in front of the computer, tablet or mobile screen is incredibly detrimental to students’ health. First of all, there is a negative influence on eye-sight that is in a constant tension. Sometimes it is necessary to wear headphones all the time, so ears are under pressure as well. Secondly, it is the body position. A sitting or lying position influences negatively your back, neck and if you do not change it regularly, it may result in health troubles.
Conclusion
Online games are incredibly popular among students who seek new emotions in the virtual reality. They take a big amount of their time as it is a perfect way to get rid of stresses, exhausting assignments, and annoying roommates. However, despite the big number of benefits brought about by online games, it is important to schedule your time of playing or negative consequences will outweigh all the benefits greatly.
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