Some people regard video games as harmless fun, or even as a useful educational tool. Others, however, believe that videos games are having an adverse effect on the people who play them. In your opinion, do the drawbacks of video games outweigh the benefits?

Many people and children in particular, enjoy playing computer games. While I acceptthatthese games can sometimes have a positive effect on the user, I believe that they are morelikely to have a harmful impact. On the one hand, video games can be both entertaining and educational. Users, or gamers, are transported into virtual worlds which areoften more exciting and engaging than real-lifepastimes. From an educational perspective, these games encourage imaginationandcreativity, as well as concentration, logical thinking and problem solving, all of which areusefu skills outside the gaming contextFurthermore, it has been shown that computer simulation games can improve users’ motor skills and help to prepare them for real-world tasks, such as flying a plane. However, I would argue that these benefits are outweighed by the drawbacks. Gaming canbe highly addictive because users are constantly given scores, new targets and frequentrewards to keep them playing. Many children now spend hours each day trying to progressthrough the levels of a game or to get a higher score than their friends. This type ofaddiction can have effects ranging from lack of sleep to problems at school, when homework is sacrificed for a few more hours on the computer or console. The rise in obesityin recent years has also been linked in part to the sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercisethat often accompany gaming addiction. In conclusion, it seems to me that the potential dangers of video games are more significantthan the possible benefits.