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Do Video Games Get a Bad Rap?

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I know first hand how addictive they can be. Back in my high school days, I remember spending hours and hours playing games such as Super Mario Brothers and Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out on my Nintendo. That was close to 30 years ago, and games have only gotten bigger and better.

Video games seem to polarize people. There are parents I know that absolutely refuse to buy their kids any, and there are parents that have no problem whatsoever with them. I lie somewhere in the middle while my wife thinks they’re a waste of time.

Last Christmas, my wife and I had no idea what to get my son. Outside of sports he only has two real interests – Nerf guns and the uber-popular Fortnite. He had been using an iPad Mini to play a few games with his friends, but when I tried to install Fortnite for him, I hit a brick wall. It wasn’t powerful enough to run the game.

Two days before Santa would arrive, I pitched the idea of getting him a Nintendo Switch. Naturally, the answer was a resounding no. But then I made my case.

Our son goes to swimming school six times a week with a competition on Sunday once or twice a month. Twice a week he wakes up at 5:30 am for swimming. He also went to Karate once a week and Aikido when time allows. Twice he has earned a spot on the Junior Olympic freestyle team. He also earned a black belt in Karate last year along with a green belt in Aikido. He never complains. He does his homework. Lastly, he never begs for toys.

While I understand the dangers of video games, I do believe that for kids the motto should be “Work hard, play hard.”

This article is mainly for those parents who are completely against video games, because personally, I think they get a bad rap. While I do understand how they feel, watching my son play Switch with his friends has taught me a few things.

So for all those haters out there, let’s take a look at what kids can get out of video games.

-Hand-eye coordination

If you’ve ever played any high-speed action game, hand-eye coordination is critical and today’s controllers have up to 16 buttons on them. Talk about intense. When kids first play video games they struggle mightily as there are a large number of things they need to do simultaneously. Give them a month’s practice though, and they’ll be teaching you.

-Strategy

Games back in my childhood were fairly simplistic. Jump, back, shoot, forward, etc. It wasn’t rocket science. Today, many games require incredible strategy to outwit your enemies, online or not. World of Tanks Blitz is a perfect example of such a game, as it pits two teams of seven players against each other. It’s quite complicated, but my son had no trouble duking it out with some good players.

-Creative thinking

On the iPhone, I absolutely love two games that accentuate the meaning of creative thinking – Monument Valley and Last Voyage. They’re not your typical video game, and they take some out-of-the-box thinking to complete each mission. In short, they make you think.

-Teamwork

Games such as Fortnite can be played alone or in teams and thanks to technology today, teammates can talk to one another in game adding another dimension to them. Youtubers such as PewDiePie and ElRubiusOMG have an incredible number of followers which show just how popular gaming is.

-The social aspect

This could be the most important point. Kids bond over games. On weekends, my son’s friends come over to play Switch these days. 90 minutes for Switch, then nerf for another hour where they test the earthquake resistance of the house. Games are how kids connect.

A Few Final Points

While I love to see my son laughing and having fun with his friends, video games come a distant third. Homework comes first. If he makes a mistake, he has to redo it before he can even think about picking up a video controller. Sports second. He has to organize time to play with his friends in-between his practices. That means some weeks he has to do without. He accepts that. Finally, he is limited to an hour.

What’s your take on what you just read? Comment below or write a response and submit to us your own point of view or reaction here at the red box, below, which links to our submissions portal.

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The post Do Video Games Get a Bad Rap? appeared first on The Good Men Project.


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