The numerous cons of video gaming are detrimental to the success of individuals and therefore a major limiting factor to the continuation of a favorable outcome in society. The graphics and emotions portrayed in video games can induce mood swings in adolescents. Gaming also frequently leads to addiction. In addition to this, many violent occurrences in schools and at home were tied back to the child’s violent and hostile gaming habits. Furthermore, video games lessen the amount of physical activity in teenage lives. Video games are damaging to the overall progress of the lives of adolescents. There are several reasons supporting this notion.
Firstly, video gaming habits greatly influence the emotions of adolescents. The emotions of anger, fear, and hate are prominent in many gaming systems and therefore may lead to mood swings in teenagers. The accumulation of risk factors which tends to lead to aggressive or violent behavior can hurt a teen mentally and emotionally affect their everyday life. Video games include factors such as overly dramatized violence and other unrealistic circumstances which make adolescents less sensitized to such factors in the real world.
Arguably, the worst characteristic of online video gaming is the addiction. Over time, teenagers may feel uncomfortable when not in a gaming environment. Although video gaming technology has been around for many years, it is only recently that systems have played a role in teenage lives. The newer technologies which have been invented require a stronger mental and emotional attachment. Additionally, many violent occurrences in real-life situations have been tied back to the child’s gaming habits. Teenagers may experience feelings of restlessness and irritability when unable to play; they are preoccupied with thoughts of previous online activity or anticipation of the next online session we may have. This largely contributes to the notion that video gaming results in addictions which deeply influence a child’s daily functioning and education.
Finally, the introduction of video gaming systems in the everyday life of adolescents has proven to be detrimental to the level of physical activity. Sufficient physical activity is crucial to the development of teenagers. In today’s society, childhood obesity is a factor which many would like to believe does not exist. Obesity in children and teenagers leads to many health problems, including cancer, the shortening of lifespans, and the diminishing of the quality of life. It often tracks into adulthood. According to Vanderwater, children in the United States of America spend more time with electronic media than any other activity besides sleep. Additionally, their daily video game play has almost tripled over the past decade. Physical education contributes to many positive factors in development. For example, it promotes healthy growth, it helps to achieve a healthy weight, it builds strong bones and muscles, it improves cardiovascular fitness, and it improves posture. Physical activity also has many contributions to the psychological well-being. For example, it improves mental clarity and thinking skill. It improves confidence and self-esteem, it relieves stress and promotes relaxation, and creates opportunities to develop social skills. Also, it improves the Circadian rhythm of the sleep cycle. According to a study conducted by the US National Library of Medicine, addiction to computer games affects various dimensions of health and increases physical problems, anxiety and depression. Overall, the restrictions video gaming plays in the physical development of adolescence negatively impacts the overall well-being and life of adolescence in today’s day and age.
Video gaming technologies do not benefit in the development of adolescents in today’s society. The emotions portrayed in video games induce mood swings in adolescents. Also, many violent occurrences in schools and at home were linked back to the teenager’s gaming habits, which were seen as violent and hostile. The negative aspects of video gaming greatly outnumber the few positive aspects of getting lost in the online environment. Lastly, online gaming reduces the physical activity in adolescent life. Video gaming does much harm to teenagers.