By Harry Broadberry

Are video games a gift or a curse?

Gaming has taken over the lives of billions of young people around the world. With games getting higher in quality every year, children are bound to be interested and in many cases addicted. Despite providing kids with hours of entertainment, a plethora of problems are likely to arise.

As a 17-year-old boy, I have always been enticed to video games and have always been encouraged to play them from a very young age. 

However, many popular games have an age rating higher than the people that play them. For example, I have played Halo, Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, Fortnite, Assassin’s Creed etc all while being under the age requirement.  

This is definitely an issue when you consider bad habits a child can develop and inappropriate topics they can be exposed to (especially GTA). On the flipside, some video games have been known to increase creativity and offer children a healthy escape. One of these games is Minecraft, so when you compare these games, there are pros and cons, but the question is… 

Are video games more beneficial or harmful to young people? 

According to a Children’s Commissioner report, 93% of children aged 10-16 play video games, with another study from support group Game Quitters stating that around 8.5% of child gamers are addicted to video games.  

This presents another problem: addiction. Too much of anything is too bad for you, even activities that are seen as healthy, are harmful if addiction takes over, especially video games.  

So, when you factor in behavioural issues which may occur, the exposure to inappropriate topics, the addiction etc, should there be stricter restrictions for children to obtain video games because even games suitable for children can be harmful due to addiction ?

To help us understand this a little more I talked  with video game developer Patrick Allen

 “I think that the design of the game to be addictive isn’t the issue, it’s the monetization… it’s the games that are designed not just to get you playing but to get money out of you on a regular basis forever.” 

What about letting kids play as much they want? Patrick took his own son as an example “He [his child] has developed a really good ability to manage his own time… at a certain point he was all like, ‘I feel like I’ve spent a lot of time playing Fortnite, and it feels like I wasted that time.'” 

There shouldn’t be stricter restrictions on sports games, Minecraft or similar games designed by developers with children in mind because even though they can get addicted,  good parenting is enough to ensure that the children aren’t spending unhealthy amounts of time on their game and doing something more productive.  

” I don’t think any of those games turned me into a drooling psychopath who wants to kill people.”

As mentioned earlier, I was very young when I played Halo and Call of Duty for the first time, way under the age requirement, however I have fond memories of those games growing up as playing them made it easy for me to bond with my older brothers, who I would only see once a week on a Wednesday. Playing any sort of game with older siblings I looked up to gave me a sense of belonging and community as I was developing similar interests which always make it easier to socialise. I would always feel really happy and excited every Wednesday after school when I would see them.

I look back at these times with happiness and don’t see it as my young mind being compromised with inexpedient topics, but as happy times having fun with my brothers. 

However, some might say that instead of playing mature games, you should substitute them with games such as Minecraft and Roblox as you get the benefits of increased creativity and opportunities to socialise with loved ones, and not the bad exposure to inappropriate themes in the game.

I asked Patrick whether or not kids should play an 18+ game under any circumstances, “Assuming that somebody who cares about you, knows you, and has your best interests at heart is familiar with [the content] and thinks it’s okay for you to see them — I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t be able to experience things which are supposedly too old for you.” 

Gaming can also offer an escape from reality. This can be helpful for kids that struggle with bullying or anxiety as it provides a happy outlet for them. Patrick again referred to his son  “I think he probably did better in his GCSEs ’cause every night instead of freaking out about his exams, he came home and played Zelda.” 

“Video games aren’t bad — it’s about balance, behaviour, and the right kind of parental support.”

This is proof that gaming can help children cool down after a long day, and reduce stress when under pressure (like GCSEs) as well as offer a healthy escape. 

According to a study from the Behavioural Science Institute in the Netherlands, proficient gamers playing StarCraft 2 were able to cope with negative emotions by solving problems within the game and by getting support from other players.  An important part of gaming are the people you play with and the communities you are a part of. 

True, a lot of games have a very toxic player base where insults are persistent and brutal especially for people divided by race, religion, gender and even sexual orientation. Games like EAFC and Call of Duty are notorious for this so it’s best to avoid these games as bullying can be even worse online. According to antibullyingalliance.com, 30% of cyberbullying happens while gaming. 

However, the vast majority of games (especially less popular ones) have great communities who welcome all types of people and are a perfect way to make friends. It’s the same way that people bond over what football team they support and what music artists are their favourite.  

As well as making friends, 74% percent of teen boys talk and socialise with their friends while gaming,  according to a study fromThe Pew Research Centre This means that kids can and will communicate with friends easily and often as they want, making it incredibly easy to socialise.

Patrick Allen agrees “I think there’s probably some ways in which playing cooperative games with their friends has nurtured their social skills and teamwork skills and their coordination.” 

 Video games shape the lives of billions of people globally, and by not letting kids play them will more than likely cause more problems than video games themself.  

“I think it’s a really healthy way for people to… decompress from real life.” Patrick Allen explains. “I’ve used [gaming] my entire life… it’s a form of escapism” 

Assuming that video games are mitigated carefully and with balance by parents, overall video games seem more beneficial than harmful, when taking into account the social activities it enables and the way children in the new generation will have to socialise in the future. 

So boot up that console, grab your headset and play on…responsibly.