I’m sure you’ve heard it one too many times, maybe from your mom or an uncle or a friend who’s got kids of his or her own: “Stop playing those video games! They’re not good for you!” Or these remarks can be as harsh as: “Stop playing those or you’ll end up becoming stupid!” This is good advice and surely there’s a good intent behind those words (hopefully), but still, it remains a generalization. These games, after all, can be good, too, depending on what you play and how you play it.
The main purpose of video games is to entertain, and all games can do that, but what you need to look for, especially if you’re planning on giving a game CD or console to a friend or a child relative, are games that inspire creativity and provide interaction. If you’re going to influence your recipient, or have yourself, stay in front of the TV or computer in a zombie-like state, why not make it educational, right? Pick a game whose violence level is just right to keep the gamer engaged in the story and the game, but not too much to inspire the execution of a drop kick on the next hooded figure he sees in the streets during nighttime. Profane language, whether you admit it or not, is a no-no, especially if you’re picking a game for a child.
Make sure the gamer’s mind is stimulated by what he’s playing—he can be crafting a weapon out of different materials, playing an instrument with a bad, or solving puzzles to get out of a dungeon, but as long as his being sedentary is compensated for by moderate to high brain activity, it’s all good. And interaction? If you’re a parent giving your child the game, why not play it with him? Your kid won’t just enjoy the game; it will also bond you two closer together.
So now do you see how video games’ notorious reputation as violent and pointless can be turned around entirely? All that’s required is some planning before the purchasing of the games, and you can be sure that whoever plays them, whether it’s you or your child or a niece or a friend of yours, there’s sure to be not just enjoyment but also learning.
