Benefits
The benefits for people who use them include:
1 – Learning and improving physical and mental abilities
In some studies, it has been proven that if you play games every day, we can improve our visual attention, be more efficient in changing tasks, be faster in tasks in which we have to perform visual search or distinguish objects for their shape/color.
2 – Has therapeutic utilities
Video games can be used in people who have both physical and mental problems. Like, for example, in people who have mobility problems in their hands, or who have difficulty relating; like in people with autism.
3 – Use as a learning environment
Video games can be a learning medium for the people who use it because it is a different and more ludic context. Thus, they are a good motivational tool for children and young people, as well as for children who have learning difficulties or who are even at risk.
4- Reinforces positive values
Games on consoles and computers also promote values such as solidarity, friendship, cohesion and a sense of belonging. It is important that parents take advantage of this type of benefit to improve family relationships.
5- Use as leisure and entertainment
We need to distract ourselves in order not to feel stressed in our daily time or just to fight daily boredom. For this reason, video games are a great means of entertainment because of the abundance of realities they present.
6- Develop empathy
Since there are many group games, players have to make decisions and know that they can have consequences, both positive and negative, on other players in the game. Thus, it is a means of facilitating the development of empathy.
7- Increase feelings of competence and self-esteem
Using video games also creates a sense of self-esteem and competition in the game after the game. As you overcome different challenges and levels, you feel better with yourself and are able to face the next challenges.
8 – Promote teamwork
In team games, players will also develop group work skills because sometimes they have to be united to overcome some challenges.
Disadvantages of using video games
In addition to the benefits listed above, we also identify possible disadvantages and negative effects on people who use it:
9 – They can create an addiction
It’s common to hear that there are people who are addicted to video games, however, and despite the research done about it, to this day you can’t prove that playing video games can create an addiction.
- Increases the player’s aggressiveness and is violent
Some games are very aggressive and violent. Sometimes this content is not limited to physical aggression, but also includes ideologies. There is a wide range of research in this area, which cannot reach a clear conclusion about whether video games create or increase the aggressiveness of their players.
12 – Present a disproportionate image of women’s bodies
In many games, sex and sensuality are an important part of the plot or story. It is usually represented by women as sexual objects and with disproportionate bodies to real ones.
13 – It can affect the lives of players
If you do not have control over its use, it can negatively affect our lives; thereby affecting our school performance, our family and our daily lives.