VIDEO GAMES

At the outset, the idea of creating video games was aimed to provide entertainment and enjoyable experiences for gamers. However, the evolution of gaming causes numerous problems such as aggressive behaviors, communication difficulties and various health risks.

Firstly, video games can cause the gamers to develop aggressive behaviors. Research reveals that violent video games are associated with increase in hostile and aggressive behaviors (Bushman, 1997). The gamers exposed to violent video games will have a cumulative effect on aggression. For example, they will imitate the aggressive acts by the game characters to solve their conflicts with enemies (Robert, 2000). Furthermore, violent gamers expect more aggression from others toward them and increasing their own hostility because of it. For example, Eris and Dylan who enjoyed playing bloody shooting games launched an assault on Columbia High School in Littleton, Colorado on April 20,1999 (Craig. A , 2003).

Secondly, addiction to video games will drastically affect an individual’s relationship and social skills.  A research based on information collected from 813 college students, links gamers’ addiction in video games with poorer relationships with friends and family (Walker, Nelson, Carroll and Jensen, 2010). Gaming addicts fail to balance the time they need to invest in cultivating their social relations with the amount of time they spent on gaming. For instance, hardcore gamers isolate themselves from their family and thus weaken their relationship. Eventually, gaming addicts will aloof from others and in the long run lack ability of social communication and developing antropophobia, fear of human company. (D’Silva.R , 2012).

In addition, addiction to video games affects individual’s health to a great extent. Playing video games for long hours at a stretch may lead to several illnesses such as back pain, insomnia and eyestrain. Addicted gamers remain seated for a long time and miss out any physical activities which may lead to musculoskeletal pain syndromes or even obesity (Jannini, Filho, Damiani and Silva, June 2011). This will increase the risk of developing other ailments in

the long run such as high levels of cholesterol, diabetes and so on. To conclude, addictive video-gaming can lead to numerous health hazards (Mohamed K.Khan, 2006).

In brief, playing video games for hours every day could increase video gamers’ aggressive behaviors, cause them to suffer from bad relationships and deteriorates health. Therefore, the content and the amount of time spent on video games should be restricted and controlled.

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