I wrote this short essay as a homework for my English class about two weeks ago. I thought I could share it on my blog ...
Thanks to the evolution of technology and the accessibility of the Internet, video games have become more and more popular in the last years. However, what many people consider harmless fun, many others believe to be dangerous. Which effects might a game have on a person?
People of my generation may remember throwing bananas during high speed car chases in Super Mario Kart or taking part in Zelda's exciting adventures. Or who hasn't caught and exchanged some Pokémon with other kids in the schoolyard? And who didn't show some kick-ass moves and become the champion in Street Fighter II? If you have played a video game at least one time in your life and then claimed you didn't have a good time with it, you would be lying.
Video games allow the player to enter in a world that has been living somewhere in a corner of their imagination. This could be a wondrous place with elves and wizards or in a galaxy far, far away. You not only have the opportunity to be part of the hero's adventure - you become the hero. The One that has to overcome many obstacles and face dangers in order to find a hidden treasure or to rescue a princess imprisoned by a terrifying monster. Thanks to the magic of video games, dreams turn into reality, which can be experienced on a computer, a Play Station, a Nintento Wii and on many other devices - a simulated reality of course. But isn't there a thin line between reality and imagination?
Due to the standards of modern technology, video games have become more and more sophisticated both technically and artistically, exhibiting a remarkably good simulation of real environments. Is it possible that video games can blur someone's sense of reality at that point? At times, we all have heard in the news that murderers or young people who have run amok were often associated with playing video games. Is it a medium that provokes a person to harm or even kill other people?
It is common knowledge that passionate players can easily spend hours in front of the computer or the TV playing their favourite games. As a consequence, they subconsciously adapt an unhealthy lifestyle. They lock themselves in their bedrooms for the rest of the day, they practise no sports and occasionally eat, mostly fast food, while they are playing. In the case of children, they begin to neglect important tasks such as doing their homework, learning for school and pursuing other hobbies. Whether you are a child or an adult, both cases can lead to a state that might become dangerous, too: addiction.
I do believe that video games have psychological effects similar to alcohol, drugs or pornography. I think a glass of good whisky or reading an erotic novel are allowed every once a while. There is nothing wrong with small pleasures, as long as they are consumed moderately. It could turn into a problem if the doses get bigger and the thirst insatiable. What happens with too much alcohol, for instance, is that it changes a person's behaviour. This can show aspects of aggressiviness and social anxiety, which ultimately leads to isolation. In my opinion, it isn't much different with video games.
Furthermore, we have only to observe how our society has evolved in the last twenty years to see the undeniable fact that violence, in a subtle manner, has managed to take over the world of the media in more than just video games - movies, advertisings, press, news etc. Everything needs to be filled with more action and excitement. In addition to that, it is almost impossible to avoid these things, because due to the breakthrough of the internet, we have access to literally everything. Things that not even parents are able to control. Through the internet, their children might e.g. play games that would normally be age-restricted. I believe that an early exposure to violent films, ugly scenes portrayed on the news, etc. have a deep impact on younger minds. They might interpret it the wrong way, because they are not able to understand these things at that age.
With regard to the elaborated points above, I conclude that the question, if video games are dangerous, cannot be answered with a resounding yes or no. There are many other aspects we must consider as well such as in which circumstances we live in our society. I think the main point is not only how video games (and other media) affect us, but how we absorb them. And this depends on each person and how she or he deals with it. The world we live in nowadays is like a huge swamp in a mist, where we can easily get lost. And if we happen to step in a hole that slowly absorbs us, we must find a way to get out of it on our own ...
What do you think about this topic? Are video games considered to be dangerous?
source: picture from thegospelcoalition.org
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