Positive Effects of Video Games on Learning

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Nowadays, video games are frequently accused of having detrimental effects on children and adolescents. The main arguments against video games are that they lead to addiction, that they provoke violence, and that they impair social development. Whether or not such claims are true has not been determined with certainty as scientific studies have produced contradictory results. Nevertheless, video games also have beneficial effects, which tend to be underrated, as they do not receive the same level of media coverage that adverse ones do, and are thus unknown to the general public. Some of the positive effects of playing video games on mental development include: stimulating analytical thinking, improving concentration, and encouraging planning and anticipation (“Video game controversies”). I have been playing video games since I was in kindergarten and I believe that they have been invaluable to my intellectual development. I owe about one third of my English vocabulary to video games. Strategy games such as Age of Empires and Age of Mythology have taught me planning and resource management, as well as a great deal about the history and culture of human civilizations. Shooters such as Counter-Strike and Unreal Tournament have taught me how to quickly make decisions while under stress, and have enhanced my hand-eye coordination and spatial orientation. Adventure and puzzle games such as Darksiders and Minesweeper have taught me problem solving and logical reasoning, in addition to improving my ability to concentrate and greatly increasing my perseverance. The concept of “edutainment”- the hybrid of education and entertainment has existed almost as long as video games have. Evidence of this is The Oregon Trail, a game about the colo... ... middle of paper ... ...n extensive vocabulary and it is grammatically accurate. As with all Wikipedia articles, its content is user-generated, but the quality of the writing suggests that the authors are well-educated. The article was created in 2003, but the numerous recent sources in the reference list imply that it has been regularly updated up until May 2014. Works Cited Brown, Harry. Videogames and Education. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2008. Web. Michael, David and Sande Chen. Serious Games: Games That Educate, Train, and Inform. Boston, MA: Thomson Course Technology, 2005. Web. Mileham, Rebecca. Powering Up: Are Computer Games Changing Our Lives?. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2008. Web. Rutter, Jason and Jo Bryce. Understanding Digital Games. London: Sage Publications, 2006. Web. “Video game controversies.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 1 May 2014. Web. 2 May 2014.

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