Stop playing video games for your ...life? o_0

Originally posted in December 1st 2012 in my old blog: http://amaprima.blogspot.co.id/2012/12/stop-playing-game-for-your-life.html

On early October, one of my favourite Pianist, Kevin, tweet about the positive effects on playing video games. Although he is almost a perfect picture of a Charming Prince (riding Black horse, carrying sword, a bow and arrows... #eeh...), for me, for this one matter, I must disagree with him. On his tweet, Kevin, encourages teenagers and kids (?Who knows, since twitter user can be by anyone, no age limitations) to play video games.

Kevin’s tweet is about positive effect that playing video games can improve your English or other Language Skills, Analythical Thinking, Strategic Planning, developing Visual Spasial skill, etc.

Well, to the best of my knowledge, it’s true that there are some cognitive and motoric skills can be improved by playing video games, but not necessarily then we encourage young kids and teenagers to play video games at all.

Among of its positive effect of playing video games, please note this that: playing Video Games DO NOT IMPROVE creativity. Why? Because in playing Video Games, the player only use provided options to finish or complete the quest or whatever the story is. In Creative Thinking, we will need to invent new method/ways/anything, whether it is purely out of the box ideas or inventions, or creating a new combination that hasn’t ever exist before.

Video games also conditioning children or all players to live with sendentary lifestyle. Don’t you notice that players tend not to stay in shape? And no to mention how tired your eyes because of 8-12 hours sticked on Screen? More than 12 hours? Every day? And don’t you know also that playing video games tend to conditioned players to increase their Agressivity Level? Many recent research proves this. You may check at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100920094620.htm This study find that Violent Video Games Increase Aggression Long After the Game Is Turned Off. You should also check http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/get-psyched/201201/do-violent-video-games-increase-aggression from Psychology Today, they give a quite reliable and valid data about aggression and playing video games.

People who play video games also tend to get addicted. Addicted to Video games will make people use most of their time engaged to the game. Have you ever heard people addicted to video games from getting low grades at school until they lost their job, and worst, died because of playing video games. Never heard of them? Here is the link you can browse for http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/diablo-iii-death-teenager-dies-1147472 The boy on that link died because of playing Diablo III nonstop without eating and sleeping for 40 hours.

Hmm… Parents, do you still recommend random video games for your children?

However, not all video games are bad for kids, there are also some games that is invented purely for educational purpose, sport games, puzzle games, etc.

Here’s the tip for parents and future parents :D Ceck out the ESRB (entertainment software rating board) for everygame that you choose to give to your children. And for those who ‘thinks’ that have been mature enough, think about again about this two word ‘SELF CONTROL”.

Happy playing… er… may be better if we start reading. Haha…