Are video games harmful or beneficial for teenagers?

Most teenagers these days are either found staring into their phone screens or fiddling with the gaming console in their living room. Many parents are concerned about their children behaving like this, wondering whether this means their child will get addicted and won’t do the tasks they’re supposed to do. However, according to recent studies, it is clear that video games aren’t as harmful as people thought they would be. Even though some people may still say that video games only cause harm, the truth is that they can actually be beneficial because they can help develop motor skills, they have social benefits, and they can open potential career opportunities in the future.

First of all, video games are beneficial for teenagers because they can help them to develop motor skills. According to Brown University Health, motor skills are the different ways in which the body uses muscles to perform specific tasks. While gaming, teenagers can develop various skills, such as hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and fine motor skills. From a young age, teenagers could learn how to be nimble and agile with their hands, doing precisely what they want them to do. Games such as FPS and action or puzzle games are actually extremely helpful for developing this precision. These games can also promote reflexes and reaction times while allowing players to have fun at the same time. To give an example, a JAMA Surgery study states that surgeons who played video games were better at keyhole surgery, made fewer errors, and learned more quickly. Keyhole surgery is basically where a surgeon uses small cuts to perform surgery inside the stomach and pelvis via cameras and very small surgical tools. This work needs to be very precise in order to perform it well without making any mistakes, and the fact that video game-playing surgeons performed better shows how gaming can improve fine motor skills. Games can help even professionals who work on risky tasks, and therefore, would help teenagers as well without a doubt.

Secondly, video games are beneficial for teenagers because they have social benefits. During COVID-19 a lot of teenagers didn’t go outside and socialize with their friends, leaving them to stay on the internet and scroll their screens for an excessive amount of time. When parents saw their children playing games, they might have been worried about their social lives and their health, noticing that they rarely met their friends or connected with them. However, little did they know that games could have actually helped them grow their skills on teamwork, collaboration, communication, and leadership, all in one. Through games, teenagers can make online friends, resonate with people in new communities, and get introduced to people who they might otherwise have never met. Since a lot of teenagers share an interest in gaming, playing them can work as a tool that maintains social activities and relationships, even at times where barriers keep people isolated. Since video games can be used to reduce social isolation, everyone should be able to agree that they are very beneficial.

Lastly, video games are beneficial for teenagers because they can open potential career opportunities in the future. We all know video gaming is a huge industry and if one gets to become the CEO of a gaming company, or maybe even just become a part of the industry, they could easily earn billions of dollars. Teenagers who have started gaming from a young age have access to lots of potential jobs, such as becoming a designer, working with coding, journalism, E-sports, streaming, and lots more. Video gaming is therefore one of the few examples of how developing a passion as a teenager could lead to a lucrative job as an adult. There are a lot of famous people that have benefitted from playing various games from a young age. For example, Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder and CEO of Facebook, is known to have played the game, ‘Civilization’ from a young age. Also, Elon Musk, known for his key roles in Tesla, Inc., SpaceX, and Twitter (rebranded as X), has also been known for playing video games at the hardest setting because it forces him to “see” the synergies, exploits, and lots more. He has said in interviews that it also gets him to think critically, which is another reason why he plays games on the hardest mode.

Even though it seems clear that video games can be beneficial for teenagers, some are still doubtful. One of the most common reasons is because they are worried that children will get addicted to video games very quickly. The games are designed to be deliberately addictive, and since teenagers are still at the age where they struggle to control themselves and resist temptation, it would be difficult for them to stop when they start playing. However, this is a simple problem that can be solved easily with parental supervision. Parents can make rules to limit the amount of time teenagers spend playing. Just because a teenager is allowed to play video games, it doesn’t mean they have to be allowed to play them all the time. Therefore, if parents supervise their children, they can ensure that they are only playing for a specific amount of time. That way, they can get the benefits from games, without the risk of addiction.

In conclusion, it is clear that video games are very beneficial for teenagers. Even though that doesn’t mean that we should allow teenagers to stare at their screens all day, not all parents should think that it is a waste of time as it can actually set them up for future successes. While parents should still manage