Growth in technology has ensured that people from all over the world can interact in real-time. Human beings are social creatures, thus, it is their nature to include fun in their interaction. Advanced technology has over the years ensured that games are an integral part of human interaction all over the world (Jansz et al. 269). This interaction of people as a result of sharing and participation in various games on the internet is known as online gaming. Online games like Warcraft amongst others provide a getaway to people getting into a fictional and fantasy world from the normal, regular and real life. This provides a temporary escape from reality and an exciting time away in these fantasy worlds. One gets to be an active and major decision maker in determining various outcomes to various challenges simulated to real life situations. This gives a false sense of self worth which one might crave in the real world and is more often than not elusive (Anderson et al 12). The more one participates, the more one’s addiction intensifies. Over time of either casual gaming or hardcore participation, effects are gradually felt. These are both positive and negative. The most pronounced effects are; Enhanced and improved communication, teamwork and social strategizing skills. This leads to beginning of relationships based on mutual trust, pure commitment to a common cause and deep sharing of ideas on how to handle mutual challenges. This on the other hand, can ruin existing relationships in the real world. The online games addiction can be time consuming, reduce brain activity by players and less physical exercising of the body.
The internet gaming system has enhanced and created more link in the communication process that has eventually resulted in teamwork among the involved parties and promotion of social skills that has been laid in the process through the set strategies. Some online games are advantageous such as puzzle-based games (Dill et al. 772). They help players mind to be active and feel relaxed as they enjoy the games played through conducive environment. Quick decision making especially in fixed position, attentiveness, vigorous and tactical tendencies are improved in players (Anderson et al. 353). It well develops arithmetical capacity of players and can build skills on the comprehension of time zones in that, in order to join a certain guild, which is a playing community , one has to know Friend X lives in +0900GMT, so one needs to be on at a certain time so that they can play together at the same time.
The modern technology has led to the clear establishment of relationships that is based on mutual trust, pure commitment to all the common agreements and a deep sharing of ideas on handling mutual challenges incurred in our daily life activities and strategies that can be used in finding suitable solutions that will make a better impact on all the relevant projects. Online games enable players to participate by creating avatars for various combats. The game has a voice communication software and instant message feature which facilitates active team participation amongst players from across the world (Chambers et al. 502). These avatars create a false sense of cause one can’t judge teammates basing on their real attributes but fictional abilities. The co-existence for survival created leads to a deeper connection. Feelings are freely shared without fear of judgment. Stable emotional bonds are eventually created between players hence friendship which slowly shifts from virtual to personal levels. According to most experts it’s agreed that continuous play of physical games increases aggressiveness among individuals as they are able to be creative and innovative in order to manage in solving the problems while playing the games online.
Online games offer the players an opportunity to explore various aspects of their identity in their virtual world at large (Jansz et al. 266). Many authors argue that many skills are gained through the online gaming experience as it helps in building the practical and intellectual skills. For instance, gaming improves problem solving techniques, pattern recognition and perseverance, estimating skills, memory, quick thinking and power to give reasonable judgments on various matters in our daily activities (Funk et al. 77).
However, the fact that relation is a key factor that all are required to observe, this can be ruined as existence of relationships in the real world situation as the continuous participation on the internet limits the time of interacting with real people as much of the concentration is given to the persons on the internet who may not real exist or use nick names in order to hide their real identity. It is evident when participant shift their loyalty from their partners to their newly found online friends. This is common especially when one goes from one achievement to another with the same partner over a long period of time (Chambers et al. 499). Social isolation is one of physical consequence of online games. Players usually play alone and the games have little application in life situations. Players are limited in exploiting physically engaging discipline like sports, reading and socializing with the relatives and real friends. Gamers usually play alone and the games have small appliance in real life situation hence limiting their exposure to other fields that are more useful (Anderson et al. 358). Players have little time to expend in other discipline like sports e.g. playing soccer, reading and socializing with the relatives or doing assignments.
The act of keeping time is a virtue that many have failed in achieving and through the internet; much time is consumed by the users as they tend to give much priority the games that results in excessive spending of time while playing on the internet (Funk et al. 70). Most people, especially students forget about their studies and concentrate much on the games that may final lead to fall in their grades at school. Computer games are viewed as a thrilling escape from the repetitive or tough real life. Playing online games is interactive and addictive, hence, players get carried away and a lot of time is consumed. This reduces time spent in tackling real life responsibilities. In Warcraft, a mission can be engaging for a minimum of Ten hours. This is common when one is involved in a community consisting of a group of players known as a guild (Jansz et al. 260). Depending on position in the guild and roles assigned to accomplish a set mission, guild members might depend on one to do certain activities in order to perform their roles. These overlapping of roles therefore end up binding one to be online till a mission is accomplished lest they let down their guild.
The brain of the participants is negatively affected as it needs more of physical exercise by the whole body that makes it function fully. Playing online games for a long time reduces brain activity and causes the player to experience severe emotional changes in behavior. According to study conducted recently, at Tokyo’s Nihon University in Japan, it was discovered that people who use a lot of time playing online games show lesser activity in the prefrontal part of the brain which controls sensation and inventiveness than their peer. Players over time become less attentive and are unable to manage their anger. The games have a tendency of rewarding more players who are aggressive and violent to win quests (Chambers et al. 148). This is almost automatically manifested in the real world unknowingly, which unfortunately favors using less aggressive means in resolving disputes.
Online games if not controlled can take over our daily real life operation. Constant playing can result into disillusionment whereby one can hardly draw the line in priority between real life and virtual occurrences. It is paramount that those already addicted find ways of quitting or playing with a clear conscience of repercussions. This calls for monitoring especially by the parents whose children are still per taking on their studies as they will be able to control their time schedule spent on the internet and control the games they play. All the internet users are called upon to have their schedule set properly and distributed equally to ensure that not much of their time is spend on games that may result to a games addict.
Work cited
Anderson, C.A., and Bushman. "Effects of violent games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, and prosocial behavior: A meta-analytical review of the scientific literature". Psychological Science, (2001). Print.
Anderson, C.A., and Dill, K.E. "Video games and aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the laboratory and in life". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. (2000). Print.
Chambers, J.H., and Ascione, F.R. "The effects of prosocial and aggressive video games on children's donating and helping". Journal of Genetic Psychology. (1978) Print.
Funk, et al. “Preference for violent electronic games, self-concept, and gender differences in young children". American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 70, 233–241. (2000). Print.
Jansz, et al. "The representation of gender and ethnicity in digital interactive games". In M. Copier & J. Raessens (Eds.), Level up: Digital games research conference (pp. 260–269). Utrecht: Utrecht University. (2003). Print.
