Pros and cons: have online gamers better school results?

Most of us play online games or have at least one friend who could spend hours playing on the computer without getting bored. There were always for and against voices regarding this matter. According to a new study, online gamers may have better school results, especially when it comes to science, math, and reading.

The study was published in the International Journal of  Communication. Researchers collected data from over 12, 000 high school students in Australia. They found out that students who played online games scored 15 points more than the average score. However, the study did not explain how video games improved children’s grades.

There could be some advantages of playing video games.  First of all, you can improve your reading ability by focusing your attention.  Moreover, video games involve using general knowledge and skills to move to the next level. Another important advantage can be the fact that they are making people happier and more relaxed. Online gamers are relieved from their bad mood and can eliminate negative thinking.

Video games can improve your emotions no matter what age you have. It is also said that your eyesight will be better. As a gamer-train, his focus on the playing field, sudden changes in the action require focusing his eyes on an important detail. Did somebody make you angry? Then you should play an online game and you will feel more relaxed. A study revealed that those who played violent video games were in better mood than those who didn’t play.

There are also some disadvantages  while playing video games. First of all, sitting in one place for hours is not could for your health. Nowadays obesity is a huge problem and people should exercise as much as possible. playing video games increases the risk of various diseases, including heart diseases or diabetes. Another problem is that video games are addictive. Some people forget to go to work or communicate with others. All they care about is getting to the next level.  There are researchers who say that violent games make children more aggressive as they can shoot or kill the enemies.

The conclusion is that we do not know for sure that online gamers have better school results because of their hobby. What do you think? Are video games making us smarter or we should spend our free time doing something else?

Image source: Wikipedia