Video games psychological pros and cons

Video Games Psychological Pros and Cons Name Course number Instructor’s name Date Introduction As of 2004, the video game business in the US was doing better than other entertainment sectors such as box office movies and popular music industry making over seven billion dollars (Kalinske, 2000). The video game phenomenon is new to research and to most parents. This is due to the fact that many parents are unable to teach their children how to play the games for lack of previous interaction with the games. Traditionally, parents have been teaching their children how to play most games. This lack of mastery of the phenomena has thus resulted in slight removal of parental control over their children (Kalinske, 2000). The amount of revenue generated in the video industry is indicative of just how popular they have become. It is important to study the psychological effects that the games are having because people are spending heavily in this area. Many parents are at dilemmas on whether or not to get them for their children because of the controversy surrounding the phenomenon. Some parents have reason to believe that video games are negative influencers for their children particularly due to fears that it nurtures aggressive habits. Others have reason to believe that it has positive impacts on their children’s ability to interact with technology and others find it useful in keeping their children indoors without having to constantly baby sit them. There are many inconclusive findings about how it contributes to aggression. The researches have shown that a controversy exists on whether children are able to distinguish between make believe and reality (Grapes, 2000). Other social factors such as violence in the homes, and fatherlessness have been cited as the primary causes for aggression in children as they seek to resolve their internal conflicts. There are reports that show that the games are likely to cause addiction which may even become worse ...