Parents Encouraging Kids to Play Video Games Essay

Bros.Billy Kuder Parents Encouraging Kids to Play Video Games Sitting on the couch or going on the computer and playing a video game is much easier than getting up to go outside. It also brings just as much fun for kids, but in a different way. More and more children have their own gaming system and are spending more time inside playing video games. The reason is because it is much cheaper for parents to buy video games for their kids to make them happy than go on a road trip or to fly out somewhere.

Also this will bring multiple periods of entertainment for children and parents will get their money’s worth out of it.Now the question is, should parents encourage their kids to play video games? There are many different ways people can answer this because some may agree and say that it is cheap, inexpensive entertainment that will keep kids occupied when needed. On the other hand people may be against encouraging kids to play video games because it would hinder the kids going outside and being active. Ultimately, video games are a positive influence on children; therefore, parents must encourage their children to play video games.

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Specifically, video games will improve hand-eye coordination in children. In addition, many video games developers offer a variety of educational games for children. Furthermore, many video games offer children the ability to actively engage themselves during gameplay. Instead of lifelessly holding a controller, these children are mainly dancing, jumping, or running during gameplay. The First reason parents need to encourage children to play video games is because at an early age some games can improve hand eye coordination.

This is true for many of the simpler game titles such as Mario games (Super Mario, Super Mario All Stars, and Super Mario 64). This is due to the lack of intelligence or know how to play. Again, it is the most basic of games and because of that reason that is why it can teach children hand eye coordination. The way it works is young children hold the controller and the character on the screen react to the different buttons that are pushed. This gets kids moving their fingers and seeing on the screen what they are pressing and how Mario reacts to each button.

This works best with many Mario game titles on the super Nintendo because it is basic in which there is really only one objective, which is get Mario from one end of the stage to the other. This is good for children because their minds are still growing and it is not too hard of a game were even very young children can understand. Another reason why parents should encourage their children to play video games is because many video game titles are educational. Some video games are targeted for young children such as V-tech and Leapfrog and the learning company.These video games deal with the basic learning concepts i. e.

math, writing, and reading. For example, the learning company has a game called Math Rabbit, were kids are at a carnival, and they have to play different events and win to get money for prizes. The Learning Company also has other great game tittles such as Reader Rabbit, ClueFinders, and Treasure Mathstorm. Each of these games has a similar basic concept; to teach the kids simple math, writing, and reading in different fun productive ways.

This keeps children’s minds active at an early age while having fun at the same time. Additionally, there are strategy video games that also teach kids while they play. These game titles are anything from Pokemon, World of Warcraft, to first person shooter games, where the player has to use more tactics and thinking of what the character is going to do during each move. In Pokemon the player needs to follow the objective and find different Pokemon and level them up to get further in the game.The player has to strategize, using earth, water, electricity, fire, wind from the Pokemon’s ability and find which ones to capture and use during battle. This teaches kids to think future and beyond what they see and come up with different ways to get things done.

Michele D. Dickey, an associate Professor at the Miami University in the department of Educational Psychology. She wrote an article entitled, “Engaging By Design: How Engagement Strategies in Popular Computer and Video Games Can Inform Instructional Design” about how video games are not only entertaining but also engage players.He clarifies, “These tasks typically require students to stretch both cognitive and social skills.

Within the context of completing the assigned task, students play the role of explorer as they both discover concepts and connections and interact with the material and resources” (Dickey). This is saying that in the strategy games the player has to figure out the obstacle for each mission in the game, which requires critical thinking. To add to the subject, first person shooters are also games that require a deal of strategy.You have military tactics were the player has to shoot others thinking instantly where to find each player and how to execute them without dying. Maria Frosting-Henningsson wrote an article entitled, “First-Person Shooter Games as a Way of Connecting to People: “Brothers in Blood. ” This article explains how first person shooter games can connect other different people together and the different affects of these games. She agrees with Dickey how strategy video games have benefits teaching kids different things such as the basics and strategy games.

Maria further explains, “Gamers were motivated by a “hallucination of the real,” enabling them to do thing and try out behaviors that would be impossible to do in real life” saying that players can tryout things that they could not do in real life. Then by trying these different things such as shooting they are learning many different things about military tactics, guns, and much more. Also there are real time strategy and brainy games such as BrainAge, Portal, Big Brain Academy, and other puzzle games.

These types of games get the kids minds thinking and working because it requires critical thinking and concentration. For example, Big Brain Academy has different questions according to thinking, memorizing, Analyzing, compute, and Identify. The game has you answer and identify different questions through pictures, words, and sounds.

Then you also have a time limit so your brain becomes quicker, sharper, and more intelligent. The reason why this kind of education is important is because it teaches kids a variety of different things including pop culture.Also video games are a prime source of entertainment for kids. In addition, these games are visually appealing to kids and are interactive, which require the child’s input, being actively involved with the game. The last reason why parents should encourage kids to play video games is because in resent years more games have been coming out that get kids actively moving during gameplay. For example the Nintendo Wii is a game system where anyone can play and be active. It uses a wireless controller that is based on a person’s movement, which gets kids off the couch, and on their feet.

Johnny Chung Lee is a researcher in applied sciences group at Microsoft-Hardware who wrote an article entitled, “Hacking the Nintendo Wii Remote. ” This is about how the Nintendo Wii remote and different sensors/wireless devices work. Lee explains, “WiiSports encourages players to swing the remote in the imaginary context of bowling, boxing, or playing tennis, baseball, or golf. The game appears to register subtle variations in swing dynamics and thus affects the simulation” (www. cs. cmu.

edu).A few other active video games are Konami Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), which gets kids moving by dancing to the music and jumping on arrows located on the dance matt. Also rock band encourages movement during gameplay because kids are moving their hand up and down the guitar and moving their arms around to play the drums. The reason why parents should buy these actively engaging video games listed above and games like it is because it allows kids to get up and get moving while in the comfort and safety of their home, and kids can play whenever they want without worrying about the weather.The motive is because unlike getting up and going outside to play, parents do not have to be concerned about where their children are and kids do not have to worry if the weather is going to nice enough to play outside. In addition, games are a great way to bring in friends and increase social time with peers. Also, these games can increase social time with family members too because many of these games including Wii sports or Rock Band allow multiple players at once.

As a result it is much more fun if kids are playing with other people and this is another reason to bring family and friends together for some fun.It is also proven that kids are more encouraged to play active video games than go running or go on a stationary bike. This is because it is more fun and entertaining to the kids and while playing video games they can actually see their results with a few game titles such as Wii Fit. There was an article published entitled, “Can Video Games Be Good For Kids? ” about a study that was done on children that averaged 9. 6 years old.

The article clarifies, “One problem with traditional exercise is that it has to compete with video games, which are a favorite activity for school-age children” (0-web. ebscohost. om.

maurice. bgsu. edu) This shows that children prefer to play video games than go exercise in the regular, traditional way and it is also easier to pick up a controller and playing video games. Rachel Mark a MA student and Ryan E. Rhodes PHD associate professor of behavioural medicine at University of Victoria School of Exercise Science.

They got there research at the Alberta Center for Active Living and wrote an article entitled, “Active Video Games: A Good Way to Exercise? ” about different video games and systems that allow kids to be moving around while playing and the affect it has on them.They agree with the last article referring to how video games are a very popular activity for children. Mark and Rhodes further explain, “In comparison to playing a traditional sedentary video game, many physiological changes occur in the body while playing an active video game. For example energy expenditure and hart rates are higher during active video games” (0-web. ebscohost.

com. maurice. bgsu. edu) Mark and Rhodes are plainly state how active video games require kids to move around and even get on their feet, have an effect on the person’s body.

any of these active video games titles include multiple games on the Wii, DDR, Rock Band, and Sony Playstation Eye. Then if kids play these kinds of video games daily it can help them exercise and eventually loose weight. Since video games are so popular parents should encourage them to play because there are active video games that get kids moving during gameplay On the other hand parents might be against encouraging children to play video games because they will become addicted.They might be afraid that kids would constantly end up playing all the time only for pure entertainment and not get any benefit from the games. Also parents might be afraid that video games will consume kid’s lives. Alternatively, video games can be very productive with children and what the parents want the outcome to be.

Since parents need to encourage kids to play video games they can choose the game titles that are right for their children. Also they can regulate the amount of time spent playing games so that it does not consume the kid’s life.In the end, parents need to encourage kids to play video games because it can improve children’s hand eye coordination by pushing the buttons on the controller and seeing the character move. Also they can learn from different video game such as the basics i.

e. writing, reading, and math for preschoolers. Older kids can benefit from strategy based games, first person shooters, and real time strategy games were they are learning many different things and their brains are actively taking in knowledge.Last, kids can benefit from playing games that require exercise and active movement during gameplay. Although they can go outside and be active, they have the 24/7 comfort in the home without worrying about the weather. Also many of these game titles are more fun if multiple players are playing at the same time, so it is a good time for friends and family to do things together.

That is why I believe parents need to encourage kids to play video games because there is so much they can benefit from them and it is a fun activity that kids love to do.