Benefits of Video Games on Academic Performance

The number of games being released each year is staggering and the quality, Lord, it's impressive. Remember the late 90s and early 2000s where we had games that barely resembled life. Movements were jagged and there weren't many variations. Fast forward 2018, the number of gamers has increased exponentially and this has been facilitated by variations and availability of consoles, as well as the improvements in online gaming. The majority of this number are school-going teenagers. One major concern posed by parents is that students may be substituting their education with gaming, as their kids spend long hours playing. It's a concern that has a strong basis but is it all negatives for gaming? Well, I don't think so. In this post, I'll be talking about the positive aspects that may actually help improve their grades.

Concentration
It's a known fact that gaming has been a factor in increased aggression and violence among teenagers. However, it's important to note that it has been found to help in improving the attention span and focus of children. Gaming requires a lot of attention to detail from players and so they tend to learn and apply in schoolwork too. Well, this may not be the case sometimes as their minds may be too occupied with game problems instead of real-world problems.

Decision making
Gaming requires a lot of decision making; split-second decisions as well as having to make some of the most difficult decisions anyone could face. This gaming experience sort of helps them to develop their decision-making skills to make better decisions in their school life.

Great attitude
Gaming also builds character and helps children deal with and understand losing as a part of games. Having to repeat a level or a scene after failing several times develops a never-say-die attitude in individuals. Even though the way out seems bleak, gamers try different scenarios, playing upon playing until they get it right and this is a good attitude to develop as they persist in their quest to conquer the classroom too.

Reinforcement
Video gaming can also be used as a reinforcer. This is any pleasant object or stimulus that causes a behavior to be repeated or increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring. You realize that gaming provides satisfaction for people and therefore can serve as a great reinforcer. Reinforcement is grouped into two categories; positive and negative. In positive reinforcement, the individual is presented with something pleasant when a desirable behaviour has been observed. So for instance, one can reward him or herself with an hour of gaming after going through their notes or doing their homework. In negative reinforcement, guardians or parents may take away the privilege of video games when they haven't studied or done their homework. Parents may suspend video gaming until their kids have performed the desired behaviour. This is a great way of motivating an individual to study.

I always get the slack when my mum finds me with a controller. People don't usually see the positives in gaming and so the bashing may be inevitable. This is not to say that gaming is surely going to improve grades. There are many other factors like IQ, willingness to learn, availability of necessary material, parental involvement, teaching delivery, etc which affect learning and grades of students. However, a balance of these including gaming is definitely going to help. Share with friends and family, let them know it's not so bad that you're playing video games.