Gaming | Is It A Good Thing Or A Bad Thing?

From casual games to elaborate virtual worlds; games offer many people entertainment and relaxation. Too much gaming can lead to addiction. But the biggest risk with normal gaming behavior is sitting a lot. Almost all children and young people exercise too little, which has adverse consequences for their health.

The benefits of gaming

An examination of the University of Amsterdam shows that playing games can make you smarter. Play is important for the development of children. The same goes for digital games. The digital play has positive effects in the areas of:

  • Eye-hand coordination
  • Perseverance
  • Responsiveness
  • Random-access memory
  • Patience
  • Problem-solving ability
  • Cooperation
  • English
  • Spatial awareness
  • Creativity

The risks of gaming

By far the most negative effect – in normal gaming behavior – is sitting a lot. An inactive lifestyle is a danger that lurks for almost all children and young people and has major consequences for their health. Gaming can lead to behavioral problems, a less social life, poor sleep quality, or in the worst case to gaming addiction. However, that only applies if you play more than 8 to 9 hours a week. What constitutes problematic gaming behavior also differs per child and depends on several factors. There is no scientific evidence that gaming can induce aggression. There are circumstances in which children are more likely to react aggressively to games, these circumstances should be sought mainly in the home situation. Some games offer a chat function. A risk of this is that you can come into contact with people with fake profiles and wrong intentions. For example, for sexual contact with children or extortion. For information about this, view the files Digital child locks and Safe on the internet.

In-game purchases

Many popular games are free to play. The revenue model of these games is often based on the ability to make purchases while playing. For example, you can pay a small amount for extra points, appearance changes, or a loot box. A loot box is a digital treasure chest that gives you random extra items or upgrades. The Gaming Authority is concerned about loot boxes in games for children because it exposes them to elements of gambling.

What is eSports?

eSports is online competitive gaming. Gamers compete against each other individually or as a team in a match. Think of games like Fortnite and FIFA such as สมัครufa. Everyone can watch live via streams. Streaming of matches is mainly done via platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook. eSporters are professional gamers. The main sources of income are playing tournaments, streaming matches, and sponsoring. The game League of Legends is recognized worldwide as the protagonist in the eSport world. From research from 2017 shows that 39 percent of Dutch youths (14-35 years) are fans of eSports. The popularity of eSports is an example of the changed relationship between people and technology. Streaming and narrating your own gameplay was not possible on such a large scale before. At the time, gamers mainly communicated through headsets. With the technological possibilities that are currently available, eSports attracts hundreds of millions of gamers and spectators worldwide.

Live to a stream of games

One of the bigger trends in gaming is the live streaming of games on the internet. This mainly happens on the popular platform Twitch. The interaction between the viewer and the ‘streamer’ is the main reason why game streaming has become so big in a relatively short time. Viewers can talk to each other during the live broadcast and the ‘streamer’ can, for example, answer questions. It is customary on Twitch to ask for donations from viewers. For example, in exchange for a donation, a viewer can request a song, or play a message in the live broadcast. A disadvantage of Twitch is that coarse language or explicit images are seen relatively more often. This is because the broadcasts are live and moderation is slower as a result.