Games Used for a Purpose Other than Entertainment

Games Used for a Purpose Other than Entertainment
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Games Used for a Purpose Other than Entertainment
Games have been criticized for making people lazy and reducing their ability to socialize. However, Scott Steinberg, the head of video game consulting and technology at TechSavvy Global claims that rather than burn brain cells, video games help players to build brain cells through teamwork, dynamic decision making, and broad problem-solving skills. Video games are known to consume the attention of players, who include children and adolescents. The average age of video game players is 30 years, which means that games are mostly played by adults rather than kids (Steinberg, 2011). These adults play video games for the reason that they believe it has educational influence, both in their families as they play with their kids, as well as for the purposes of teaching. Studies have also revealed that video games are advantageous, especially to students by making them more engaged through imparting them with knowledge, good habits, learning tools, and life skills (Steinberg, 2011). Although many parents and individuals are concerned about the impact of video games, it is worth considering the positive aspects of the modern choices of interactive entertainment.
Steinberg (2011) claims that video games are necessary for educational purposes. Results from a study by the Education Development Center discovered that curriculums that incorporate video games and other forms of digital media are effective in improving the literacy skills of students. This also applied to young children aged between 4 and 5 years, who showed improvements in letter recognition and sound association with letters (Steinberg, 2011). Moreover, since video games already have the capacity to engage individuals through entertainment, it is clear that kids would prefer video games as a learning approach. Video games can also be used for building necessary life skills. Griffiths (2002) explains that by improving video game playing, players are able to improve their spatial visualization ability. For children with poor skills, playing video games can be useful in equalizing their personal differences in spatial skills performance.
Video games also serve as a platform for individuals to engage strategically and reflectively. Although the school offers children the knowledge they need, few children are able to apply that knowledge to solve real-life issues. However, video games are more effective since they provide higher levels of engagement by being enthusiastically and actively involved in the on-screen activity. MacIsaacs (2019) adds that games offer the player a role and challenges them to complete certain tasks. This kind of player-centric design prompts the player to assume a specific role and anticipate the character’s actions and emotions. By doing so, the player’s imagination is enhanced, and they are able to be more open-minded. Therefore, aside from playing for entertainment purposes, video games should offer players a chance to be involved and eventually learn from the consequences of their actions as they assume the role of the characters they represent.
Games should also offer social ben...