Addiction to Online Games and Its Impact to the Youth

Playing games are indeed a very fun activity. Everyone plays games every once in a while, although it may come in different forms. It’s somehow an escape from reality. It’s an activity that gives a person a chance to unwind and just have fun and forget the worries that life may bring. It’s a safe haven for some, that is, it gives them a sense of comfort and a feeling of love and belongingness especially playing around with friends. There are a lot of games to choose from for one to divulge in, we have board games like scrabble, monopoly and many more. We also have action games such as hide and seek. However, the type of game which will be the focus of this article is about the ever so popular online games; online games that have taken the whole world by storm and its impact, specifically on the youth.

In today’s generation, online games are the reel deal. Say goodbye to the old traditional games and say hello to the whole new world of online gaming. Some of the online games present in the internet are Farm Town, Crazy Kart, and many others. The group of people whom is pretty much involved in this drastic transition is the youth. In this connection, a new wave of addiction has emerged. Addiction to online games is now a great and alarming issue not only in every home in the neighborhood but also in the whole society around the world. According to research, teenagers who are addicted to online games are associated with obesity and lack of physical exercise resulting to poorer health outcomes. This is evident in the United States wherein the number of obese teenagers is growing significantly. The factor of online game addiction is considered to be one of the reasons for the uprising of the number of teenagers becoming obese. So, is addiction to online games really detrimental to the health of the youth? Does addiction to online games already denote a negative notion to the public? Then why is the youth embracing this new wave of change? Will the old traditional games be forever forgotten? Will this signal a new era of gaming for the next generations to come? And finally, will you allow your younger siblings, your sons or perhaps daughters to become one of the addicts of online gaming? These are just a few questions that probably need to be answered by everyone living in the society. Others might take this issue lightly but let us be reminded that the welfare of the teenagers is at stake, along with that is their future. So much with the negative aspects of online game addiction, let us now talk about the other side of the coin. There’s also a positive effect with regards to this matter and that is increasing computer literacy. The more you use the computer, the more skillful you are at using it. We now for a fact, that computer literacy is a demand, especially in getting a job nowadays and with this, it is a must to learn how to use the computer. With online computer game addicts, it’s not that much of a problem to them, since they are very much exposed if not overexposed to computers every single day. Using the computer is so much easier for these types of people than for persons who is a computer illiterate or who are not well oriented about the basic programs and functions of the computer.

So to come up with a conclusion, there are negative effects as well as positive effects with regards to addiction to online games. Therefore, it’s not a one-sided issue. It is up to the individual, whether he or she will be standing on the side of the positivist or the negativist. It’s a matter of choice. However, one thing is for sure, every side has its own message. Each has its own story to tell but nevertheless, both have significant points of view. Now the question is, which side of the issue will you be in? Will it be in the negative or the positive? You will be the judge.