Hey, gamers. Picture this, it's a Saturday afternoon, and you're playing your favorite video game, battling monsters and exploring worlds, but have you ever stopped and thought about how your habits might be impacting other parts of your life? By Luqmaan Photo by Javier MartÃnez on Unsplash Let me share a story. Earlier in my school days, I was obsessed with gaming. I'd spend hours on my console, exploring worlds, getting wins. While I was enjoying it, I noticed that my grades and happiness were starting to drop. I was struggling to find the time to hang out with friends and I was more distanced from my family, which led me to think about it for a while. Are games really just made for entertainment, or do they impact our lives more than we realize? Is it possible to enjoy gaming and still develop our academic and social skills? Yes, gaming can affect school grades. Consider this: you find yourself spending long hours gaming and not spending enough time on assignments or studying, in which case the impact on academic performance can be high. I can relate to this from my own experience. My gaming obsession started to negatively affect my grades. The extra hours exploring worlds and completing challenges inevitably meant less time for doing assignments and studying. The unlimited nature of gaming makes it very easy to get sucked into it deeper and deeper. One study “involving 2,000 children aged nine to 18, who spent an average of seven hours and 38 minutes in front of screens, found that 27 percent reported less than excellent mental health, with 19 percent reporting poor mental health.” Perhaps surprisingly, these kids spent more time playing video games each week than some adults spend at their full-time jobs. The evidence is not clear cut, however. Another study found that Australian high school students who played games online almost daily “scored significantly higher in math, reading, and science – 15 percent in math and reading and 17 percent in science – compared to the average student.” Video games can have different effects on school grades, time management, and social interaction. Naturally, less time studying can have negative impacts on learning. However, some educational games can be potentially beneficial for learning, helping students reinforce things they have learned in class. In terms of social interaction, multiplayer games can improve teamwork and communication, though spending too much time on them can lead to isolation and a lack of face-to-face social activities, which is not ideal for social development. How games impact us depends on what types of games we play, how much time we spend on them, and the overall balance we achieve in our lives. What are the impacts of different types of games on academic performance? According to some studies, educational video games offer cognitive benefits by engaging players in problem-solving tasks. However, there is a risk of distraction because of the prolonged exposure to screen time. Board games are good for face-to-face interactions and improving social and cognitive development, though they lack the physical activity found in outdoor games. By having a balance of all of these and not overdoing them, we can learn to get the benefits from each of them. Binge playing is tempting, but it is not likely to lead to positive outcomes in the long run. The positive effects on learning of playing challenging games is evident in the research. These games speed up response times, enhance troubleshooting skills, and foster quick and creative thinking. Additionally, they encourage teamwork, as multiplayer games are shown to boost collaboration and problem-solving in group formats. These games can also improve strategy and leadership abilities because players are in command, and have to make decisions to lead their team to victory. According to research done at Helsinki University, “They also contribute to language learning, where on-screen instructions, player communication, and narrations aid in acquiring other languages.” Photo by OPPO Find X5 Pro on Unsplash Excessive gaming, however, can have significant impacts on academic performance. .Spending too much time on games can make it hard to prioritize and use time wisely for your academic tasks. Research shows that gameplaying can lead us to procrastinate and not give enough time to studying, finishing assignments, or preparing for tests. This can result in starting work too late, rushing it, and then feeling stressed because of the piled up work. Therefore, understanding how gaming impacts our time management is crucial to our mental health. There are multiple strategies that can help students manage their time. One strategy is to finish schoolwork before gaming. For example, setting up a routine where gaming is only allowed after completing your work. This can be a good idea as you get motivated to complete your work to get the reward of playing. The book Atomic Habits highlights how setting up small routines can have powerful benefits. Another tip is not to stay up late gaming. Many teens play games late into the night, which can lead to body clock issues such as feeling tired during the day and trouble falling asleep, which can in turn affect concentration and mood. Also, setting a time limit such as the Pomodoro technique can help students create more balanced habits. By using these strategies, students can enjoy gaming while still staying on top of their schoolwork. When it comes to social skills, playing video games can impact them in different ways. Some games encourage teamwork, communication, and strategic thinking, which can be helpful in real-life interactions. Online gaming communities also let people connect with other gamers from different places. However, spending too much time on these platforms and avoiding face-to-face interactions can lead to isolation. This can lead to students distancing themselves at school and not talking to their peers, which can affect their ability to contribute to group work. Gaming should not be seen as a replacement for real life social interactions. Certain video games such as “Halo and Rock Band promote teamwork and communication as players work together to achieve common goals. These games enhance team cohesion and performance”, while other games such as Fortnite and Apex Legends can also connect you with friends as they stay engaging for a long time. Games designed to improve social interaction, like “Codenames, The Resistance, and Pandemic, offer fun experiences that encourage collaboration, communication, and teamwork. Codenames involve deciphering words through communication, The Resistance requires trust in navigating secret roles, and Pandemic encourages cooperation to prevent global disease outbreaks.” These are just a few of the many games that exist.
Prioritizing the balance between gaming and academics is important for academic and life success, just as taking care of your physical and mental health is important for a long and happy life. It's not easy, but with grit and good choices, you can have a balanced life where you can have fun every day, whilst still succeeding. Maybe we should see this challenge as just another type of game. So, let’s get playing and go through the levels. Works cited page
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