The evolvement of video games and online games was not good for kids in all aspects. Although it developed the kid’s intelligence in some ways, it also impacted their social roles and their ability to interact with their societies. They became unable to play a good social role. They are not cooperative. They are not interested in teamwork. Also, they became more self-centered. Besides, they had some problems with time management. Games consumed the whole of kids and teens’ time. So they did not have time for their academic achievements. Therefore, games have become a negative factor that impacted kids’ life badly. The research analyses all these factors in both qualitative and quantitative ways. The research found that games addiction destroys both academic and social functions of kids. They are incapable to well behave within their family and friends’ environments. Additionally, they do not achieve good academic results. It also introduced the solution represented in a larger role of schools and parents. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

The world now is a fast-evolving one. Everything now develops quickly. That was experienced in all fields and corners of human beings’ life. Development can be noticeable in fields like engineering, medicine, and communication, however, that development is not very useful all the time. Within games and other kids’ fun programs, technological development was greater than anyone can believe. Now kids and teens can play games in all types and with many people all over the world. That was not good in many cases and it had bad impacts.

As a matter of fact, the impacts of the new video games are not very favorable. New video games created new cases of addiction. Kids now are much engaged with video games more than any other things in life. They spend more time with online games, video games on mobile phones and games on computers. The gaming company succeeded to provide new types of games that gained control of the kids and teens as well. Addiction of games affected the students in schools and the kids in families. They also affected parents who suffered with kids and complained about their responsiveness.  

As one of the Saudi people, I know that the Saudi society is very fond of technology with all related applications. However, games reconsidered a special case in the Saudi society. Kids in families have no other concerns in life but video games. They spend days and nights in front of screens of tabs, mobile phones and computers playing games in all types and in with kids all over the world. I have relative kids that do not know how to greet people or to exchange good words. They do not care about everything. Their parents complained that games are the first reason.

Therefore, many parents may want to find the truth behind the effect of games development on Saudi kids as members of the family and students in schools. The research is based on three questions. They are:

 

·      What negative social influences do kids have with the development of video games?

·      How did video games affect kids’ academic achievement and time management?

·      What solutions and recommendations can parents have to reduce effects? 

Research Thesis

The analysis of implications of video games showed that video games players suffer a level of addiction that led to isolation and unsociability in addition to obesity, that’s why Solutions begin at family and individual desires to changes behaviors.

Research Importance

The paper of the research will serve as a guide to parents and video game players to be aware of the hazards of online gaming addiction. Also, the paper will reason for the infectious obesity that many Saudi adolescents suffer especially when we relate it to long video game hours. In addition, the paper will reason for the weak GPA of adolescents with school work.

Methodology/Procedure

The research will contain two types of data. The first is the primary data which is represented in the data collected from people on the effects of video games. The second type of data is the secondary data which is represented in data collected from books, academic resources, and online websites.

Primary data will be collected through a survey of parents’ attitudes towards the effects of video games. The main tool will be a questionnaire with 9 questions. The sample that will be used will contain 30 parents (fathers and mothers). The population of the survey is the parents. The survey will be uploaded to survey website and results will be electronically analyzed.

All results will be compared to the data collected from secondary resources. That will be extracted from all types of resource, academic journals, specialized websites, books, personal observations, and experiences.

Literature Review

Video games are a type of gams that kids and tens used to play. It was developed a long time ago. However, the main release for video games as a profitable economic product was in the late 70s when Atari released to the markets. It attracted a big number of people of all ages. Since then, video games started to gain the attention of gamers because it was a great fun for them (Bowman, 2012). Millions of new appliances for games were sold.  Stores of digital video games witnessed great economic booming. Kids and teens were the main customers of games.

In the 2000s, the development took another curve. Video games became available for all people through the online networks of gamers. In addition, obtaining a video game has become very easy. In addition, playing with other players from other countries in a form of an online competition has also been affordable and attractive as well. From 2000 till now, thousands of games were developed and millions of players were engaged in games either online or through disconnected computers.

Social Behaviors

 

However, that prevalence of games had brought many unwanted negative social behaviors. Violent games had an effect on the behaviors of students. They became socially aggressive creatures. Addiction of violent video games was found to have mental effects on the behaviors of teenagers. a game of (grand theft) was considered one of the main aggression factors with young kids (Kutner & Olson, 2008). Young kids and teens tend to imitate the violent behaviors in the games. Video games were called an aggressive teacher that gets students familiar with all types of unusual violent behaviors (Topoo, 2015).

 According to Dr. Brain McDonough, playing video games for long sessions affect the kids ‘social health. The American Academy of Pediatrics demonstrated a British study that compared the amount of daily gaming for nearly 5,000 teens (McDonough, 2014). It reported a number of tests of teens’ social interactions. The findings showed that kids that have longer than 3-hour gaming sessions to less are not socially adjusted. They do not gain the benefits of games. On contrary, they gain more social hazards.

Time Management

Time management was another form of video games problems. In a study conducted by Jancee Wright in the University of the Cumberlands, he demonstrated the results of 10 studies conducted in 2007, 2008 and 2009. They all led to the fact that there is a correlation between the reduction of academic performance and the increase in video game playing sessions (Wright, 2011). Another study that was conducted in 2013 in Walsh University discovered dangerous effects of video games on student’s habits and time management. The survey conducted showed that students with a high usage of video games reported lower GPA’s than students with a low usage of video games (Weaver, et al. 2013).

Also using social networking in general and online gaming websites were under the focus of psychologists. In a study conducted recently in 2015. The researchers found that social networking through games has a negative effect on students studying habits and time management (Oyemi, et al. 2015). The study collected nearly 200 students to check the Student Social Network Use and Learning Habits. The results proved a significant difference between high and low use of social networking sites in relation to learning habits. Implications were greater with secondary school students.

Other Implications

Another psychology specialist who studied the implications of video games affirmed that the effect of these games can extend to other corners of kids and teens’ lives and environments. Social Isolation was the first negative implications (ARSHI, 2017). Spending too much time on gaming sessions isolate the teens from their environments. They do not practice other good habits like doing sports, writing, drawing, reading and helping their families with housework. Kids and teens that play games for a long time is deprived form these activities that strengthen body, social interaction, imagination and mental powers.

In addition, video games teach students wrong values. Some games are based on wrong concepts that teach gamers how to be crooks or thieves. Some games contain images that are improper socially and religiously in the Saudi Islamic society.  Also in video games, teens are exposed to hear and use bad language. Sometimes, they do not know that this language for games only. Even if it is for games, they are still improper to use by gamers (ARSHI, 2017).           

Obesity is also one of the negative implications of video games the Saudi student suffer. Prevalence among Saudi kids and teens has reached unbelievable limits. A study that was conducted in 2014 traced the effect of video games on child development. The study included a big number of implications. However; obesity was clear among the finding of the study (Dai& Fry, 2014).  In Saudi Arabia, kids and teens do not do an extra activity especially sports because of the climatic conditions. Therefore they seek playing video games as a hobby or for competing against others 

Solutions

Other studies were concerned with the solutions for the children addict of video games. These studies analyzed the concept of online gaming addiction. a study was conducted on the emergence of Massive Multi-user Online Role-Playing Games or MMORPG. The paper of the study discussed internet addiction and online gaming addiction. The study gave examples of fatal accidents of addiction that led to death in some cases (Young, 2009). Moreover, the paper warned against the addiction that isolates people from the real world and it defined the symptoms of addiction as well.