In the contemporary world where everything is just a click away, we are constantly looking for new ways to engage ourselves and keep us entertained. Thankfully, the possibilities we have are endless. However, the more possibilities and options we get, if not more, equal conflicts come with them. One of the debated topics today is, whether we should let ourselves and our kids play video games or not. Like every other aspect of our daily life, this too comes with pros and cons. For some people, the list of pros might be longer than the cons and to others, it might be quite the opposite. In this article, let's discuss the pros of our young ones having a controller in their hands. Under most laws, teens are considered and recognized as adults as they turn 18.

However, Sandra Aamodt who is a neurologist and a co-author of the book “Welcome to Your Child’s Brain: How the Mind Grows from Conception to College” states in her book that a human brain isn’t fully developed till the age of 25. The changes that happen between 18 and 25 are just a continuation of the development process that starts when kids enter puberty. Even when the kid turns 18, their prefrontal cortex is not fully developed yet. The same part of the brain enables us to inhibit impulses and plan and organize our behavior to reach a goal or destination. Therefore, when our brain is not even ripe till we are 25, it makes more sense to expose our young minds to as many newer experiences as possible. Video games give a way for it to happen in the comfort of our own homes. It is a known fact that humans in general are visual learners. Since video games are all about visual experience, there is a long list of benefits that come with letting your kids play with them. Here are some of them: Video games teach critical thinking. In order to progress through video games, you have to fulfill certain tasks. This gets kids to think. A lot of video games are curated with the sole purpose of enhancing critical thinking in kids but playing even the basic games designed for fun will require the player to think. This certainly is way better and more beneficial than sitting in front of a TV with a packet of chips. Video games enhance social interactivity. Many video games have their own online and offline clubs and communities where players interact with each other about their happenings and achievements in their games. When kids get a safe platform to express themselves to others about things like this, it helps them in the longer term to be expressive about themselves. This will eventually help them to possess positive and healthy relationships. Video games improve decision-making abilities. Many video games require you to make quick decisions. How well you do in that game relies on how good of a decision you can make in split seconds. There are even studies that show that people immersed in fast-paced games were 25 percent faster in reacting to questions than people who do not play video games. Video games can reduce stress. While it might look as if video games make people aggressive and induce stress, for a majority of the people it is quite the opposite. The rush of adrenaline that comes with manipulating a character’s action can be as surreal as the experience of a brisk run in a green meadow. However, a major study that tracked players over six months and measured heart rate found that certain video games reduced the adrenaline response by over 50 percent. Video games can make kids more active. Video games come in all variations to meet the requirement of the players. If we chose games that involve sports like basketball, tennis, or cycling, it can get kids active inside the home itself. Which can later motivate them out for real and will obviously have an upper hand in comparison to other kids. Video games provide positive reinforcement. Almost all the video games will have some sort of treasure to collect or obstructions to escape which eventually will lead to a bigger reward at the end of the game for that success. However, it will take more than one attempt to reach that biggest reward which consequentially teaches kids that failures are just a way of making a path to their desired destinations. These are some of the key benefits of letting our young ones have control of video game controllers. Although there might be some cons to letting kids play video games, research and studies clearly demonstrate that the pros outway those cons.

- Pratima Acharya

Tech Enthusiast