The following is part of a series of pieces written by the students of MVHS English teacher, Kim Hardy. Assigned to write letters to the editor, students submitted their completed assignments to The Progress for publication. These will be published in upcoming editions.
By BOSTON STILSON
Video games are often seen as a waste of time, taking from opportunities in people’s lives by becoming their lives, leaving no room for anything else. But there is an alternate side to the problem that should be talked about more.
Though video games may negatively affect the player, it may not be the game itself causing this, but instead how they are being used. Because video games are being made the way they are, addiction can and has become relatively common amongst a large population worldwide.
But there is a solution to this epidemic. However, the solution to this problem will only manifest itself through change.
Many people spend hours upon hours staring at a screen, mindlessly playing games with no purpose. This alone is the biggest reason why so many negative repercussions are linked with video games. If there is no intent on learning or improving from something, then it will not happen. Now, if the player tries to play for a purpose, the consequences can change from possible drawbacks to benefits.
My solution would be to have video games promote growth, and keep screen time limited to two hours a day. This keeps the player from getting addicted by allowing them to do other, more active things once their time is done.
While it may be relatively easy to say, acting upon how you play video games can be a completely different story, having to put more effort into something most people do as a fun pastime.
Dr. Rachel Kowert is a research psychologist who has dedicated her career to studying the psychological effects of video games on people, specifically children. Dr. Kowert shares in her article “Unspoken Benefits of Video Game Play’’ that “video games can, and do, have a proven range of positive impacts on those who play them.”
With this, Dr. Kowert also dives into the concept of unintentional learning. She delves into some of the accidental benefits of playing video games, stating, “Research has found video game play can promote the acquisition of a variety of skills and abilities including creative thinking, problem-solving, adaptability and resourcefulness, and leadership skills.”
Thus, while video games may have negative effects, it is likely because of how they are used. While things like laziness could form these bad habits, benefits like increased focus or reaction time could also come from these hours spent online.
But even just looking at the evidence, there is more than what is often discussed. I want to put an end to video game addiction and promote growth in fundamental life skills through these video games by playing them with the sole intention of gaining something from them.
