The Pros and Cons of Video Games

This is something of a follow up to my pros and cons about television. It's basically the same idea, just with a more specific topic: video games. Video games began with the Atari, which includes a joystick with a red button, and games with 8-bit audio that, to the average person today, is pretty basic and easy to use.
Now video games have progressed to a point where there are no controllers (except for your body), and most of them have universal remotes (some sort of laser technology or something). Plus, the sounds has become more highly defined, and the graphics look like life-like cartoons (or animated reality). As to watching television, games have their pluses along with their minuses.

Pros:

1) Improving your skills. Video games is like television that you can interact with. Depending on the game, it can improve a persons capability to interact with the real world. For example: If a person plays some sort of a sports game, they can get the hang of how sports work, and it can prepare them to play the game in real life. Or game that involve strategy can help people make decisions in the future. For games that have trivia (like game show and virtual board games), you are evidently learning things. It takes staring at a screen to an entirely different level, since you are technically thinking more when you play games.

2) Virtual socializing. One thing I noticed when playing video games with other people is that it is definitely different from playing against a computer. If you are going against someone in a game, it's a good way to learn how they think. So you can find out if they're competitive in the game(s), and that should let you know if they have competitive tendencies in reality. Or if you're playing with someone and they work really well with you as a leader or just a team member, that would be a plus to knowing them.

3) Your time to shine!!! It's a good way to unwind after a long day or week. If you're really good at this particular game of yours, then it can just boost your self-esteem and make you feel really good about yourself. I'm sure there are people out there who would be more confident in life if they had something that made them ate least feel special. Who knows? If you play video games, you could grow up to be a computer graphics generator (or something else that seems like video game makers need) ad make some really cool video games. If you want some inspiration, watch "Indie Game: The Movie" and that should help you understand what I mean.

Cons:

1) I'm still in front of a screen?!?! Like I said before, you're still staring in front of a screen. It could have as many benefits as it wants, but if you do it for an extended period of time, it just doesn't make sense anymore. Since you're learning so much from it, you can take that knowledge and put it to good use. If you are capable, you can write a book.

2) Way too addicting. I know people who would stay up all night playing games if they could. Something about them can make people want to keep looking at whatever size screen they're using and keep going until they've vaporized those aliens, or saved the princess, or defeat the green buck-toothed pigs. There just too addicting at times. So for those of you out there who feel like this is your problem, there's a little something that's been around for a while. I don't know if you've heard of it, but it's called "self control" or "will power".

3) Did you really just do that? If you keep playing certain games, you start to look at life as that game. You may start to imagine that you are apart of that game, or use some of the material from it when you're around civilians, and that isn't such a great idea. So far, I've only seen it in children, but I haven't been everywhere. If you play games like Call of Duty (or if you know somebody who plays it), they might act like they have a gun in their hand and shoot random things (imaginatively). Or if you know someone who plays any of the Just Dances, they might do the dance numbers in a laundromat or grocery store. All I can say to parents of children with game consoles of any sort: be careful what you let your children play. Sooner or later (depending on the child) that game may be visible in the child's actions, thoughts, etc.


Don't get me wrong, I like playing video games. I have my own Nintendo DSi and Wii, and I only play games every once in a while (school work and socializing naturally seems to take up most of my time. Not to mention blogging), but when I do, I have a great time. So get some really cool games. My only advice to you is to have fun, however do NOT over do it.

Fun fact: one of the fun parts about playing games is that you get to exclaim when you win or lose. I'm sure if you play a couple, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.