Every college student arrives with the dream to succeed and secure their future. But up to 33% dropped out a few years later for various reasons. One example is the lack of motivation. Stressors abound in the college environment. Assignment deadlines and personal issues add mental and physical pressure on learning. Well, we know something that can help – video games.
Did you know that there are approximately 3.09 billion active video gamers worldwide? The average time spent playing video games for over 75% of students is 20 hours a week. With many universities embracing esports, let us examine the pros and cons of video games and education.
How to Keep Healthy Gaming Habits in College and Academic Research Papers Successfully
Gaming has its positive and negative sides. The secret to a successful adaptation is to keep a healthy balance between the two. It’s an exhilarating activity, so much so that it even can make you forget to do your homework and neglect academic responsibilities. To save your time and enjoy your favorite sport without constraints, purchase research paper online and give some of your academic work to PapersOwl experts. Hire research paper writer to complete essay writing assignments. And enjoy high-quality results on schedule. Other ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle are:
- Dedicate time to studying, gaming, socializing, and extracurriculars, and stick to it.
- Focus on academics and hire a research paper writing service to complete assignments before playing.
- Set boundaries to maintain focus and discipline.
- Maintain physical activity and take breaks to move or stretch.
- Practice self-care by eating well and getting enough sleep.
- Build social interactions to prevent isolation.
- Watch out for signs of addiction and seek help if you cannot control your habits.
The Main Educational Benefits of Video Games for Academic Success
Gaming has become a popular pastime for many undergraduates. As expected, there are many misconceptions about how they affect learning. Take a look at the advantages of video games in education below:
Improves Cognitive Functions
Video games have immense benefits for the brain’s plasticity. It uses attentional control and reward and stimulates the brain’s gray matter. For context, this is the outermost layer of the brain. It contains billions of neurons and controls movement, memories, and emotions. The activity improves visuospatial ability by helping you recognize objects around you and estimate the distance between them. Apart from this, it increases processing speed, mathematical intelligence, and deductive reasoning.
Helps Focus and Hand-to-Eye Coordination
Players pay close attention to auditory and visual cues to complete tasks. For example, action selections like Resident Evil require you to push a button that matches a symbol on the screen within a limited period of time. Likewise, features like quick reload, driving through fog, and more need hyper-alertness to work. The entire process improves focus and hand-to-eye coordination. It makes students more capable of performing daily tasks involving the two sense organs. They include driving, typing, surgery, and other manual tasks.
Boosts Problem-Solving Skills and Logic Application
Most events have levels and missions that need a lot of critical thinking and logic to solve problems. Players work their way through stages using these skills and apply them to real-life problems. Besides, they make accurate decisions without delay. Avid video gamers have better set-shifting, which is the ability to quickly move back and forth between different tasks. They have higher cognitive flexibility, which translates into improved school performance.
Improved Eye for Details
If you’re playing Call of Duty, you cannot afford to miss anything. Fast-paced action selections force gamers to make fast decisions within a limited amount of time. While excess screen time harms the eyes, gaming improves attention to detail, in particular, in the periphery. In effect, it helps with driving and other school work that relies on focus.
Fosters Teamwork and Social Interaction
Multiplayer and online games aid social interactions. Players learn whom to trust and leave behind and cooperate with others to succeed. The environment provides a chance to make friends from around the world.
The Main Risks of Gaming on Educational Outcomes
Games build mental and emotional resilience. Players learn how to cope with failure and succeed. But despite the apparent benefits of gaming in education, it has its drawbacks. The most popular negative effects of video games on education are:
Addiction
The primary risk associated with computer games is addiction. Excessive gameplay throws undergraduates into a cycle of academic self-destruction. They use it to escape from tasks, which increases stress. Games don’t offer relief from anxiety. Instead, it consumes crucial tasks and causes addicted players to neglect other vital areas of their lives.
It Decreases Physical Activity
Gaming involves sitting for an extended period without much physical activity. This behavior causes issues like muscle weakness, obesity, and poor cardiovascular health. Furthermore, social isolation reduces face-to-face interactions and limits social interactions. Intense playing causes eye strain, sleep disturbances, headaches, and fatigue.
Financial Costs and Overexposure
Game accessories are expensive. The cost of buying consoles, hardware, and in-game purchases leads to financial strain if not managed. Meanwhile, there is a risk of developing a gambling addiction. Certain games contain explicit, violent, and inappropriate content. Overexposure distracts undergraduates by substituting a favorite game for studying and affects academic progress.
Conclusion
Should video games be considered a sport? If not managed, it is an exciting pastime that can wreak havoc on your academics. On the upside, it enhances creativity, memory, and cognitive abilities. It further improves problem-solving skills and logic and aids in faster and more accurate decisions. Games for college students lead to greater brain efficiency and influence educational outcomes.
However, compulsive use causes mental health problems like depression, stress, and anxiety. Addicted players don’t get enough sleep and are isolated from real people. The only way to achieve a healthy balance in video game education is to place academic tasks above leisure. Remember, you are first a student. Create a routine that makes time for gaming, sets boundaries, and maintains physical activities.