ONYINYE'S MIRROR ON LIFE

Onyinye OyedeleTuesday, June 25, 2013



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ARE VIDEO GAMES HARMFUL OR HELPFUL TO CHILDREN?


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hey laughed and admitted the picture on the smart board was a replica of video games habits! It was a "hot" topic for the grade 5 (Primary 6) students. Even the supposedly quiet ones could not stop talking as they "fired" their opinions. Acronyms flew off their lips...PSP, PS3, DSI, X Box, PSN Wii, etc. They said I am, "old school" because in previous essays, I came across words like, "Chilax (Chill + Relax), BFF (Best friends forever) and Fave (favourite). So, I kept interrupting and asking them to explain those video games terms. I told them to imagine that I was contemplating buying one of those games for my children, and they had to "Persuade" me through their writing to make the right decision...to buy or not to buy?

We were working on Persuasive Writing and even took it a step further during consequent classes, by turning the Video Games topic into a heated live classroom debate with Speakers for each team and a Time Keeper. These young students who often did not follow conventional writing styles nor had so much eloquent grammar indeed tackled a Social Issue as it affects their everyday life and even their future. It was captivating and thought provoking as they committed their view points to paper.

"How many paragraphs should we write?" They asked anticipating a brief writing exercise.

"Give me about 5 or 6 paragraphs....5 lines in each...in fact, one page?" I pushed.

"And you have to choose one side of the argument supported by examples." I interjected as they got busy writing.

"oh, oh."They moaned with bulging eyes!

All I could hear for the next few minutes was the rattling of pen on paper and the flipping of pages. I walked around the classroom stopping by some desks nodding and smiling to give some encouragement to my young writers. They were fully engrossed and engaged, and even the most reluctant ones scribbled incessantly and passed the one page limit.

Below is a summary of what was gleaned from over 60 Primary 6 students in an elementary school.

VIDEO GAMES ARE HELPFUL

For those students who shared this view point, these were their arguments:

  • Video games helped them to stay focused. When they played these games, they had ultimate concentration.

  • Some games helped in maths, vocabulary and spelling.

  • Some games improved their knowledge of science. ( Encarta Encyclopedia)

  • Some helped with exercise (work outs).

  • Video games helped them to be creative and use their imagination!

  • It helps them to be competitive and aim for high scores!

VIDEO GAMES ARE HARMFUL

These points were dominant in the views expressed:

  • Video Games are incredibly addictive and occupy their mind all day especially in school.

  • Parents use them as a "bribe" or "reward" which promotes more demand for new games. They blamed their parents for "wasting" so much money.

  • Video games have violent images which some children often practise and can hurt themselves.

  • The pictures and fast moving images can damage their eyes.

  • It leads to children being lazy and not helping out at home or responding to their parents because they can't afford to leave the game or attend to any other thing. (Behavioural issues)

  • Excessive exposure damages the brain.

  • They no longer play outside or enjoy other outdoor activities because of their expensive electronic gadgets.

  • They feel over stimulated and are often hyper in their expressions and reactions.

I was particularly touched by a brave girl who admitted that her recent poor grades resulted from video games "damaging" her brain. She said that in class, she fantasized about games and how she could get the highest scores and had no focus to do her school or home work. She begged and warned me, "Please, please do not buy video games for your children ...you will regret it." Coming from one who said that she would like to be a teacher in future, it was a genuine and sincere appeal.

As parents, we make many choices. Sometimes the peer pressure, brand power and status consumerism could lead us to entrap our children with things that have potentials to be harmful now and in future. It is important to monitor, meddle and keep meddling into what these fragile minds could be getting addicted to! The choice is yours; Video Games...to buy or not to buy?

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