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Access to computers has increased significantly over recent
decades, and the number of children playing games on computers has increased
too. This essay will consider the positive and negative impacts of this and
discuss ways to mitigate against the potential negative effects.
With regards to the positive effects,
playing computers games can develop children’s cognitive skills. Many
popular games require abstract and high level thinking skills in order to win,
skills that may not be taught at school. For example, children need to follow
instructions, solve complex problems and use logic in many of the games that
are currently popular. Such experience will be beneficial to a child’s
progression into an adult.
However, concerns have been raised about
the prolific use of computer games by children, much of this related to the
violence they contain. The problem is that in many of the games children
are rewarded for being more violent, and this violence is repeated again and
again. For instance, many games involve children helping their character
to kill, kick, stab and shoot. This may lead to increased aggressive feelings,
thoughts, and behaviours.
In order to minimize these negative
impacts, parents need to take certain steps. Firstly, some video games are
rated according their content, so parents must check this and ensure their
children are not allowed to have access to games that are unsuitable.
Parents can also set limits on the length of time games are played.
Finally, parents should also take an active interest in the games their
children are playing so they can find out how they feel about what they are
observing.
To sum up, there are benefits of computer
games, but there are disadvantages too. However, if parents take adequate
precautions, the severity of these negative impacts can be avoided.
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