With the advent of the internet era, online games have now become one of the most common pastimes - not just for children but also for adults. It can be as a diversion from a typical, boring day at the office, while college students see them as a means to relieve all the stress they have from their demanding schoolwork. Even your typical housewives are getting hooked on these addictive games, which serve as a form of entertainment in between chores, but as for the young ones, online games just rock their world!
Whatever reasons you have for your addiction to cyber games, you must be aware that while they have many advantages, they too have numerous disadvantages. You should be aware of principles of these games and whether or not they are appropriate for your children.
Pros
You can do it by yourself.
Whenever you get bored you can just turn on the PC and start playing. No more calling up whoever is available or sitting around waiting for everyone to come. All you need is a computer, internet connection, and your gaming programs - it's as simple as A, B, C.
Educational and psychological benefits.
Research shows that online games help to develop children's logical thinking and their capacities for problem solving. They also help to enhance mental alertness, sense of self-worth and their skills in decision-making. In fact, it has been established that a person who regularly plays online games have higher vision test scores compared to non-regular players.
Enhanced technological skills.
Practically every profession requires the use of some sort of technical equipment and most job classifieds nowadays will require you to be computer literate at the very least. Without a doubt, practicing your computer literacy skills at an early age will come as a much-needed advantage.
Cons
Lack of physical interaction.
Although there are some games that you can play with friends, the interpersonal aspect of such games is still much lower than the traditional games or sports. There is a big chance that you will become isolated from your family and friends. There's no such thing as interaction - you play alone, win alone and lose alone.
Exposure to violent scenarios.
Many online games have violent themes such as war, theft and uninhibited road rage. Children grow and adapt to the environment that they are exposed to, and if that environment involves violence they may start acting aggressively towards others.
Anti-social behavior.
People who engage in online gaming as a way of life will tend to be shy around other people because of their constant lack of social interaction. Oftentimes, they won't know what to do when confronted by another human being because they're so used to being in front of a PC.
Now that you can see the positive and the negative side of online games, you can make the choice for yourself. Remember there's no harm in having some fun, as long as everything is in moderation.
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A popular genre of Online Games are Farming Games but if you dont like those perhaps a cool puzzle game like Rift might be more up your street.