Despite the negative press about internet gaming, there appears to be growing recognition of the many benefits of playing online games. While internet gaming can become a distraction that causes some people to lose their focus on other more important things, there are also a host of benefits that are rarely examined. Any honest appraisal of this activity has to at least acknowledge all that it has to offer.
The most important of these benefits is, of course, the social nature of many of these internet activities. Some of the most popular internet games are those in which a player interacts with other real players from all around the world. This provides an important social outlet for many youngsters in a time when more and more people are becoming increasingly isolated from one another.
It should also be recognized that many people who never spend time on the internet instead watch several hours of television each day. There is a clear advantage to playing an internet game when one compares it to watching television. Watching television is a passive activity that does little to stimulate the active mind. The viewer has nothing more to do than to sit and mindlessly stare at the screen.
Internet gaming requires the player to utilize his mind in a much more active way. He must make sense of a sometimes dizzying array of stimuli, and process incoming data with a speed that is seldom matched during television viewing. All of this mental activity has a positive effect on the brain, which is important for improving cognizant reasoning and critical decision making skills.
Most people forget about this benefit of hand-eye coordination. Studies have demonstrated a connection between game play of this nature and the development of quicker reflexes, superior spatial perception, and other aspects of coordination. These benefits are particularly noticeable when comparisons are made between young people who play video games and those who do not.
There is also a strong benefit in the area of technological acclimation. As technology continues to change with each passing year, it is critically important that young children develop a familiarity with the various interfaces and computer systems that they will encounter throughout their lives. Even within the setting of a video game, a gamer is exposed to this technology in many different ways.
Of course, none of these benefits suggest that people should cast aside everything else in their lives and focus all of their attention on gaming. To the contrary, there are limits to the amount of time that any person should spend with any game, regardless of age. It is the job of adults to ensure that children and teenagers abide by strict limitations where game time is concerned.
As part of an otherwise well-rounded life, however, there is no denying the powerful benefits that internet gaming can offer. Few other activities can provide both the mental and physical benefits offered by the best internet gaming environments. When these positive aspects of online games are taken into consideration, even the most jaded critics should give them the credit they deserve.
Technology skills such as computing and the internet are introduced easily in a manner that is creative. Kids learn to operate the computer while they are still young. Not to be forgotten are the social skills acquired when children compete along side peers. They make friends and share informative messages. However, it is important that parents and guardians supervise the manner in which games are chosen. This way, the benefits of playing online games will be well managed so that the child does not fall victim to addictive nature of this imaginative and creative past time.
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