Video Games for Kids – Yay or Nay?

There is an ongoing debate whether to allow children to play with video games for kids or not. On one side of the debate table are those who say that kids video games have effectively robbed children of their need for physical activities leading to childhood obesity. On the other hand, proponents of kids video games acknowledge the growing problem of childhood obesity but this should not be solely blamed on playing video games.

In fact, there are a variety of developmental benefits that children get out of playing certain games. First, their problem solving skills are enhanced as they are often presented with situations wherein they need to strategize. Second, these games also help reinforce control and coordination between their sensory inputs and their motor movements so they can effectively control or manipulate the characters in their games. Third, kids video games are known to stimulate children’s creativity as well as imagination which become the bases for the growth of their cognitive abilities. Fourth, it teaches kids patience, perseverance, and other values that will come in handy when they grow up. The list goes on. The important thing to understand is that our kids deserve to play with video games for their own benefit. However, they also need to increase their physical activity to help combat obesity among children.