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Focus on Technology: The Pros and Cons of Computer Games: Hani Morgan,
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 Childhood Education

ISSN: 0009-4056 (Print) 2162-0725 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uced20

Focus on Technology: The Pros and Cons of

Computer Games

Hani Morgan & Tracey S. Hodges

To cite this article: Hani Morgan & Tracey S. Hodges (2016) Focus on Technology:
The Pros and Cons of Computer Games, Childhood Education, 92:6, 505-507, DOI:
10.1080/00094056.2016.1251802

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Published online: 27 Oct 2016.

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Focus on Technology
The Pros and Cons of Computer Games
Hani Morgan is Associate Professor, and Tracey S. Hodges is Assistant Professor,
University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
C
omputer games can foster learning
and stimulate students. However, they
also have the potential to interfere with
academic development and harm students
physically and emotionally. Parents and teachers
therefore need to monitor students’ use of these
digital tools and select games that will promote
healthy childhood and adolescent development.
In this article, we discuss two perspectives on
computer games: 1) how they can contribute to a
healthy learning environment and 2) how they can
cause problems that hurt students. We also identify
the signs of computer game overuse and suggest
ways to prevent it.
Computer Games Can Enhance Learning
Although some games have limited academic
value, others can help students gain important
knowledge that matches school curricula. Research
generally shows that simulation games have the
greatest potential to promote learning (Tanes &
Cemalcilar, 2010) and that students prefer these
games to conventional instruction (Charsky &
Ressler, 2011). Simulation games allow students
to participate in roles and think in new ways that
complement content taught in school:
The first step towards understanding how
video games can (and, we argue, will)
transform education is changing the widely
shared perspective that games are “mere
entertainment.” More than a multibillion
dollar industry, more than a compelling toy
for both children and adults, more than a
route to computer literacy, video games are
important because they let people participate
in new worlds. They let players think, talk, and
act—they let players inhabit—roles otherwise
inaccessible to them. (Shaffer, Halverson, Squire,
& Gee, 2005, p. 105)
Hani Morgan, Editor
Hani Morgan and Tracey S. Hodges
SimCity, for example, is a game allowing users
to play the role of a mayor who makes plans to
design a city while dealing with such real-life issues
as a budget, crime, and traffic. Studies on this
game reveal that it teaches aspects of economics
and urban geography, and increases mathematical
skills, urban planning skills, and environmental
awareness when combined with more traditional
methods of teaching (Tanes & Cemalcilar, 2010).
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? is another
computer game known for its potential to boost
academic knowledge. Teachers often use this game
with the entire class, projecting it onto a large
screen. The purpose of the game is to catch Carmen
Sandiego, a criminal who travels throughout the
world. Students develop geographic knowledge as
they play (Ellis, 2010).
At times, computer games can promote more
learning than traditional teaching methods because
they match the way many of today’s students
learn. Today’s students possess the skills to deal
with large amounts of information because they
have been exposed to technology since birth.
This increased exposure leads them to feel more
comfortable in a school environment that includes
computers and computer games and less so in
one without digital resources (Struppert, 2010).
Additionally, computer games, even those not
designed for academic purposes, develop hand-eye
coordination, critical thinking skills, and strategic
decision-making skills (Tanes & Cemalcilar, 2010).
These resources can be powerful educational tools,
creating opportunities for students to do what they
usually love—learning without being forced to do
so (Prensky, 2006).
Computer Games Can Be Dangerous
Unfortunately, students sometimes overuse
computer games and experience some negative
outcomes as a result. This problem has grown in the
November/December 2016 / 505
21st century for two reasons. First, more students
have access to the Internet than ever before. Second,
newer online computer games are believed to be
more addictive than older video arcade games,
because they contain more stimulating content that
promotes prolonged use (Thomas & Martin, 2010;
Toker & Baturay, 2016).
Computer game addiction is worse in a few
East Asian nations than in many other parts
of the world. In South Korea, for example, the
world’s most wired nation, many children play
online games to relieve the tremendous academic
pressure they endure. They also play because they
have few other forms of recreation to choose from
after school. South Korean television broadcasts
competitions featuring superstar gamers, who
sometimes earn as much as $400,000 a year
(Sun, 2011). According to government data,
approximately 10% of children between the ages
of 10 and 19 are addicted to the Internet, spending
so much of their time playing games that they
suffer from sleep deprivation, mood swings, and
seizures (Robinson, 2015). Consequently, hundreds
of clinics have started programs to treat patients
for this addiction, using a combination of therapy,
medication, and even magnetic stimulation of the
frontal cortex in extreme cases (Sun, 2011).
In China, computer game addiction is a huge
concern. In 2008, China became one of the first
nations to consider the problem to be a clinical
disorder. The millions of computer game addicts
there prompted China to create over 250 camps to
treat addicted youth. Unfortunately, the harsh camp
conditions and severe disciplinary tactics some
instructors practice led to several deaths (Williams,
2014). The New York Times published a documentary
titled “China’s Web Junkies” about one these camps
(available on YouTube).
What to Do About Computer Game Addiction
Addiction to computer games is a controversial
topic because some researchers associate addiction
with drugs and question whether people can be
addicted to computer games (Griffiths, 2008; Pies,
2009). The American Psychiatric Association does
not regard computer gaming disorder as a formal
disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSM-5), considering it to be a
problem requiring more research before it can be so
designated (American Psychiatric Association, 2014).
Nevertheless, it is clear that excessive play of
computer games can cause physical problems,
such as joint and muscle problems, auditory
hallucinations, neck pain, and hand-arm vibration
syndrome (Weinstein, 2010).
506 \ Childhood Education
In order to determine whether children
are overusing video games Griffiths (2008)
recommends parents ask themselves the following
questions:
Do children play video games on a daily basis?
Do children play for over 3 hours at a time?
Are children moody if they can’t play video
games?
Do children play video games instead of
participating in social and sporting activities?
Are they excited when playing video games?
Do they not do homework in order to play video
games?
Do they try unsuccessfully to reduce video
playing time?
If four or more answers to these questions are yes,
children are probably playing too much. Griffiths
(2008) mentions that parents can prevent video game
addiction by providing educational games instead
of violent games, encouraging children to play in a
group rather than alone, following the guidelines of
video game manufacturers, and allowing play only
after children have finished homework or chores. If
these steps fail, parents can temporarily take video
games away and then gradually give them back.
Conclusion
The New York Times recently published an article
about the negative outcomes of not allowing
children adequate time to play. This article argued
that programs encouraging the increased use
of high-stakes standardized tests lead schools
to reduce students’ time to play. Skeptics of the
didactic instruction that replaces play say it creates
passive consumers of information, rather than
people with a heightened ability to innovate and
discover (Kohn, 2015).
One positive effect of computer games involves
their power to promote active learning, as students
frequently use trial-and-error methods when
exploring how to play. While there are clearly
negative consequences to overusing video games,
playing appropriate games in moderation can
lead to positive outcomes. Parents can encourage
their children to explore the Internet and play
educational games, such as Reader Rabbit or Oregon
Trail, that build literacy and historical knowledge.
At the same time, parents should set limits and
clear boundaries about appropriate times for
playing games and length of time allowed per
session. When parents partner with their children
to set these rules, children can learn to self-regulate
their own computer time. Time-management and
 self-regulation are important skills for children to
develop. Through appropriate supervision and
negotiation, adults can ensure that children are
receiving the many benefits of using computers
without facing some of the harsh consequences of
overuse.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2014). Internet gaming
disorder. Retrieved from http://www.dsm5.org/
Documents/Internet%20Gaming%20Disorder%20
Fact%20Sheet.pdf
Charsky, D., & Ressler, W. (2011). “Games are made
for fun”: Lessons on the effects of concept maps in
the classroom use of computer games. Computers &
Education, 56(3), 604-615.
Ellis, A. K. (2010). Teaching and learning elementary social
studies. New York, NY: Pearson Education.
Griffiths, M. D. (2008). Diagnosis and management of
video game addiction. New Directions in Addiction
Treatment and Prevention, 12, 27-41.
Kohn, D. (2015, May 16). Let the kids learn through play.
The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.
nytimes.com/2015/05/17/opinion/sunday/let-the-
kids-learn-through-play.html?_r=1
Pies, R. (2009). Should DSM-V designate “Internet
addiction” a mental disorder? Psychiatry, 6(2), 31-37.
Prensky, M. (2006). “Don’t bother me Mom, I’m learning!”:
How computer and video games are preparing your kids
for twenty-first century success and how you can help! St.
Paul, MN: Paragon House.
Robinson, M. (2015, March 25). Korea’s Internet addiction
crisis is getting worse, as teens spend up to 88 hours a
week gaming. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://
www.businessinsider.com/south-korea-online-gaming-
addiction-rehab-centers-2015-3
Shaffer, D. W., Halverson, R., Squire, K. R., & Gee, J. P.
(2005). Video games and the future of learning. Phi
Delta Kappan, 87(2), 105-111.
Struppert, A. (2010). “It’s a whole new fun different way
to learn.” Students’ perceptions of learning with an
electronic simulation: Selected results from three case
studies in an Australian, an American and a Swiss
middle school. International Journal of Learning, 17(9),
363-375.
Sun, C. (2011, October 17). South Korea’s video
game addiction. Newsweek. Retrieved from http://
www.newsweek.com/south-koreas-video-game-
addiction-68309
Tanes, Z., & Cemalcilar, Z. (2010). Learning from SimCity:
An empirical study of Turkish adolescents. Journal of
Adolescence, 33(5), 731-739.
Thomas, N. J., & Martin, F. H. (2010). Video-arcade game,
computer game and Internet activities of Australian
students: Participation habits and prevalence of
addiction. Australian Journal of Psychology, 62(2), 59-66.
Toker, S., & Baturay, M. H. (2016). Antecedents and
consequences of game addiction. Computers in Human
Behavior, 55, 668-679.
Weinstein, A. M. (2010). Computer and video game
addiction—A comparison between game users and
non-game users. The American Journal of Drug and
Alcohol Abuse, 36, 268-276.
Williams, S. (2014, April 25). “Electronic heroin” spawns
Chinese Internet addiction camps. Voice of America.
Retrieved from http://www.voanews.com/content/
electronic-heroin-spawns-chinese-internet-addiction-
camps/2427495.html

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