Significance of Video Games on Physical Health, Intellectual Abilities, Career Development and Entertainment

Since their invention, video games have been viewed as virtual worlds in which an individual can live in the life of someone else and using that someone else to accomplish some tasks. For instance, video games allow an individual to play as a wealthy and retired criminal but are free to do whatever their heart desires, say shooting everyone on sight, planning a huge bank robbery with say a crew of a bunch of friends, among other criminal activities. For other instances, video games can place an individual on an armed team where they get to fight other real individuals in an online, modern warfare environment. Though most of the gamers consider it as fun, such video games have for years been on the first to blame list whenever an individual, especially kids, do any violent action. As a prime example, December 14, 2012, Sandy Shooting by the young gunman Adam Lanzan which led to the shooting of 20 elementary school students plus six adult staff members have been blamed heavily on Call of Duty, a famous video game among American children. The belief was that Adam Lanzan was obsessed with Call of Duty and as thus might have motivated him to do the scary action, which supposedly led to the banning of the game. Moreover, video games have been blamed for promoting time wastage and have been considered useless in the sense that they do not directly benefit an individual outside the game. Individuals who tend to accuse savagery and absence of certain social contact on computer games are essentially part of a more seasoned era who don't utilize or comprehend the advantageous part of computer games. Video games can now be used for exercise, education, and training for many types of jobs. Video games are essential when it comes to entertainment, education, exercise and training for employment opportunities.

Research shows that video games offer several benefits when it comes to physical health For instance, the video game known as Grand Theft Auto, as Gunter (1998) explains, can educate the gamer about dieting. The game demonstrates to the gamer the significance of having a balanced diet as well as its effects on human body. Moreover, a review on Eating PS2, a video game, indicates that from the game the gamer gets to learn how to eat responsibly. In the game, the gamer controls a character named C.J. Where the gamer has the choice of what to feed the character when hungry. If fed which with too much junk food, C.J. becomes fat and consequently affects the gamer performance as they swim, cycle or run through the game. Conversely, feeding C.J. with too much or too little food will make the character scrawny thus unable to through good punches. The game is also mechanically beneficial in the essence that it acknowledges the gamer on the value of carrying out regular cardio activities such as swimming, running and riding bikes, also practiced while bettering C.J.s health. Together with other similar video games, the Grand Theft Auto games are undeniably beneficial for the young audience who still do not understand the significance of having a good diet and good exercise. Furthermore, the lessons from such games also act as a simple reminder to the older people who are supposedly already aware of the facts about good diet and good exercises (Gunter 1998, p. 79). Therefore, it can be perceived that games contribute significantly to physical health and hence activities that people should consider rather than viewing them as violent.

According to various studies, video games are significantly educational and teach the gamers some new aspects that they can apply in life. For instance, most researchers believe that video games contribute significantly in producing better surgeons. According to Netzley (2005, p.123), a report from a laparoscopic study of specialists indicates that gamers who tend to play video games for not less than three hours a week make 32% fewer errors during practice procedures compared their non-gaming counterparts. Besides, video games are also believed to be helpful in overcoming dyslexia in an individual. As studies reveal, the key component of dyslexia is the attention difficulties and which according to the studies can be improved by improving reading comprehension from sessions of games heavy on action as the games, according to the researchers, (Franceschini et.al 2013, p.463), has constantly changing environments that demands intense focus. The educative aspect of video games is also realized in their ability to enhance development in careers since most of the games reward and encourage leadership traits. Games structure peoples minds when it comes to developing strategies on how to handle particular tasks such that the gamers can display a correlating motivation in their real world careers on motivation. Games include the aspect of risk taking and hence the gamers are viewed to engage in high-risk ventures when compared to those who do not engage in games (Beck & Wade, 2004, pg. 45). In other words, gaming assists in enhancing intellectual abilities and abilities relevant to ones career.

Still on intellectual ability, according to Griffiths (2002, p.47), video games have great positive potential in addition to their entertainment value, and there has been a considerable success when games are designed to address a specific problem or to teach a certain skill. According to Griffiths, various pieces of research have consistently reported that playing computer games reduces individuals reaction times while improving hand-to-eye coordination as well as raising the gamers self-esteem. Also, video games have been considered significant educational research tools. Despite consuming childrens and adolescents attention, video games have also contributed significantly to the rise of edutainment media, thanks to their capability in engaging children in learning experiences. Though just a few of them, video games are responsible for the building of important skills such as spatial visualization ability which research evidence show that are improved by playing video games. More importantly, video games have been used for the past two decades by researchers in conducting studies regarding the impact of games in the academic achievements of people. For instance, the Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree, Bot Colony and the Carmen Sandiego series are among the sample video games believed to be educative for the children and the adolescents (Gibson, 2007 p. 113). Therefore, gaming assists in the development of intellectual abilities which assist people in various ways.

Video games are also vital in the development of skills among special groups. As Griffiths (2002, pg. 48) reports, video games have been applied comprehensively in programs that help develop social skills among children and adolescents diagnosed with severe retardation or those with severe developmental challenges such as autism. Among the therapeutic benefits from video games, according to Griffiths include language skills and basic math and reading skills. The other educative benefit of video games is that it offers brain-wave biofeedback which may help children with attention deficit disorders thus enhancing their learning ability (Griffith, 2002, pg. 48). Biofeedback is educationally beneficial since it teaches the patients on how to control normally involuntary body functions such as heart rate through the provision of real-time monitors of such responses. Computer display also aids an attention-deficit patient to learn how to modulate brain waves associated with focusing.

Video games have now been proved useful in training for many types of jobs as most researchers now believe that the games prepare young people for the future job market. Bogost (2008, pg.118) explains that there soon will be a situation where gamers would be given priority in the job market from their experience in playing the video games. As studies suggest, the world is headed in a situation where the employers would consider such words as You play World of Warcraft? Youre hired! Warcraft, for instance, allows the gamers to band together in guild sharing knowledge and human resources in a quest, such as slaying monster. Running a large guild demands that the master can recruit new members to settle disputes, orchestrate group strategies, and create apprenticeship programs, all of which are necessary duties and qualities in the actual workplace (Beck & Wade, 2004, pg. 171). According to Beck and Wade (2004, pg. 171), individuals with extensive gaming experience make better team members putting a high value on competence and have a greater potential of being superior executives. The authors argue that through consistent gaming, the gamers get to learn and understand that is repeated failure is the road to success, a quality that the authors believe is important for the workplace qualities. Star War Galaxies, for example, allows the gamers to choose from the alternatives various careers for instance pharmaceutical manufacturing which demands that the gamers decide to price and brand their products, the amount to spend on advertisements, and how to control competitors or form a cartel, all of which are significant skills in the workplace environment (Beck and Wade 2004, p.172).

In the current schools, the system is obsessed with reading and writing which they used in to prepare children for jobs that according to some researchers would soon be outsourced overseas. As David Gibson (2007, p.67) asserts, the only job that would be left would be for those who are capable of doing innovative and creative work which according to the author can be well accomplished better by the video games that teach professional-level languages, better than the traditional education. Many researchers through their recommendation have been urging the governments and various relevant authorities to take advantage of video game features to assist students and workers in attaining global competitive skills. Undeniably, video games can increase the speed of acquiring expertise, improving the gamers ability to apply learning as well as improving decision making, all of which are important for the future conceptual economy. Furthermore, reports indicate that gamers are already running political campaigns, negotiating treaties, and creating environmentally sensitive communities, thanks to the rise in video games.

However, it is undeniable that video games contribute to the development of violence among teenagers. As Griffiths reveals, most reported effects of video games, particularly in the popular press, appear to center upon the alleged negative consequences, (Griffiths 2002, p.47). Griffiths notes that his research shows that video games cause addiction, increased aggressiveness as well as other various medical and psychosocial effects that might be dangerous not only to the young gamers but also to the society as a whole.

Be that as it may, the benefits of video games outweigh the disadvantages. Various studies show the many positive benefits of video games in the literature. The most common positive benefits of video games, according to various pieces of research dating as early as the 1980s, include raising gamers self-esteem, improved hand-eye coordination, and reduced reaction times. In addition to more curiosity, fun, and nature of the challenge, video games also appear to add to the gamers educational potential. Since they make the young gamers physical, video games can be used for exercise purposes. While some of the video games promote the entire body level of interaction, even those that require simple handheld controller leads to physical activity. By playing such s...