How video games develop life skills
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How video games develop life skills.
I chose this topic because I feel that video games reflect challenges we go through every day as human beings. For example, in terms of right versus wrong/ good vs evil and also is key in terms of decision making.
Video games especially puzzle oriented games improve on organizational skills of individuals because they require the player to figure out the best outcome to a puzzle, the player must rely on past knowledge, experience of the game to figure out a suitable strategy to overcome whatever obstacle he/she is facing. (Buckley, K. E., & Anderson, C. A., 2006). Video games also increase the cognitive capabilities of a player as they are able to recognize patterns, sequences faster due to the rapid acquisition of knowledge involved in playing a video game. Video games also improve on physical skills/coordination due to the need to coordinate between sight and body movement. This greatly improves a players’ reaction time to events that may occur in real life. (“Development Games Manual: Improving Your Communication Skills,” 2001) In most video games resource management plays a huge role in the ability to successfully complete the game, this is because resources in games for example food, are usually limited. One has to actively pursue an activity that would enable the player to acquire more in the game. This directly translates to real life because we also need resources in our day to day lives, such as food, shelter and clothing to lead sustainable lives. (Gee, J. P. ,2003). Video games also contribute to better fitness levels. This is especially true for that mimic sports such as tennis, dancing etc.
Counter arguments for video games developing life skills include; –
They unnecessarily eat away at time that could be spent doing ‘constructive’ activities. They also lead to decreases in social lives of the players, especially in activities that require face time. They lead to players disconnecting for reality as they relate better with ‘virtual characters’ than they do with real people.
References
Buckley, K. E., & Anderson, C. A. (2006). A theoretical model of the effects and consequences of playing video games. Playing video games: Motives, responses, and consequences, 363-378.
The Development Games Manual: Improving Your Communication Skills. (2001). Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 22(7). doi:10.1108/lodj.2001.02222gae.005
Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. Computers in Entertainment (CIE), 1(1), 20-20.
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