Today many children spend a lot of time playing computer games and little time on sports. Why is it? Is it a positive or negative development.
With the advent of computers come dramatic changes in the way people entertain themselves. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see children spending their free time glued to the computer screen playing video games rather than partaking in activities like sports. It is my opinion that this development, mainly resulting from the increasingly convenient, comfortable and engaging experience that computer games offer, is generally advantageous but not without certain disadvantages.
To begin with, playing video games on computer is less physically arduous than sports and is equal to, if not better than, sports in terms of safety and excitement. While playing sports requires children to use considerable physical effort, almost all computer games can be played simply by sitting and using the mouse and keyboard, which is far less exhausting to do. Furthermore, participating in sports can also mean that children run the risk of injuring themselves. Another point worth noting is that while the way in which many sports are played have remained relatively unchanged, computer games creators are rapidly inventing and diversifying their products to provide players with newer and more enthralling experiences. Evidently, the attraction of computer games lies in how comfortable and interesting they are to play.
This tendency to devote more time to computer games in the young may have both favorable and harmful impacts. Firstly, physical attributes like reflex speed and hand-eye coordination can be vastly ameliorated, especially through games that require players to “shoot” targets with speed and precision. Additionally, there are numerous educational computer games on the Internet, which means that children can enjoy the gameplay and learn new things simultaneously. That being said, many people have raised the problem of children leading more sedentary lives, which leads to many negative medical conditions or even serious diseases. Case in point, obesity rates in children worldwide have climbed dramatically in recent years. It is undeniable that even though playing computer games can have many positive effects on children, both physically and mentally, there are still existent drawbacks that must not be ignored.
All things considered, I strongly believe that the phenomenon of children spending more time on computer games than sports, mainly because of superior convenience and potentially more enjoyable playing experience, is by no means a change for the worse. However, it is crucial that people, especially parents, be aware of its demerits and actively seek ways to minimise them.
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