Nowadays many people have access to computers and a large number of children enjoy playing video games. What are the advantages and disadvantages of playing video games for children?

In today's world where we all have access to the internet, more and more children are playing computer games and their popularity is increasing all the time. This essay will look at the positive aspects these games can have and also the negative effects on children. Firstly, as education is becoming more demanding for many young people, computer games can provide a way of relaxing and reducing stress. Computer games can take us into different worlds where we can escape from reality. In addition to this, computer games today are very advanced and can help children develop their thinking skills. Instructions need to be understood and games often include complicated problems which need to be solved. However, there are also many problems with the increasing popularity of computer games. Many children become addicted to them and they play for hours, sometimes through the night. In South Korea, the government has banned children from playing games after midnight as the problem was so great and the effect on education was very negative. Furthermore, some children find it difficult to identify what is real and what is virtual. Some people argue that this has led to a rise in crime inspired by video games. This is not proven, but it is undeniable that games today can be very violent. To sum up, there are both advantages and disadvantages with computer games and it seems that parents need to exercise caution and monitor their children's activity as some games may be more suitable than others.