Mediate conflict about the effects of computer

games on children/teenagers.
I would like to talk about computer games and, more specifically,
about the impact they have on the behaviour, brain development
and functioning of teenagers and children in Poland today. For years
there has been a conflict on this subject and I will try to bring you the
point of view of both those who are negative about this situation and
those who defend that these games have a positive impact. I will also
try to present a solution that does not harm any of the parties and
that suits everyone.

The beginning of the controversy over the impact of

computer games on children's brains began in the early 2000's.
People born in the 70's were usually negative towards computer
games, the most common argument heard was, "In my day you used
to go outside all day to play with your friends, and today it's just this
computer" or "For me it was a punishment to sit at home". Older
people usually have a negative perception of computers and all kinds
of games, so they never let themselves know that they can develop
young people. The opponents of computer games justified their
skepticism by the fact that games often lead to aggression, to
language habits commonly known to be offensive, and to social
isolation. A valid argument and one that is hard to dispute is that
computer games spoil eyesight and have a negative impact on our
life cycle. The conflict can be resolved by presenting the positive
effects of playing computer games, bearing in mind these negative
effects, moderating the use of all kinds of gaming platforms, choosing
games that are suitable for young people and understanding and
listening to each other. This in my opinion would resolve the conflict
and lead to peace on both sides.
Mediate conflict about the effects of computer
games on children/teenagers.

The first evidence-based response from supporters of

computer games came in 2008, when the Committee on the Internal
Market and Consumer Protection, commissioned by the European
Parliament, carried out a study on the impact of computer games on
children. The results were very promising – the use of the games
encourages young people to be creative and to collaborate.
According to Toine Manders, author of the report: “Games are
mostly safe and can even contribute to the development of
important skills such as fast learning, strategic thinking, creativity and
collaboration with peers.” Professor Lukasz Turski also defends the
game: “The best laparoscope surgeons are computer players. Not to
mention unmanned drones. In the future, all aircraft will be remotely
controlled because it is cheaper and safer. So it’s not true that
computer games are stupid”. Another argument that favors games is
that computer games promote learning. They are an ideal medium
for communicating economic, mathematical, logical, management
and action strategies. There are game genres that are particularly
subordinate to it (strategic, logical, adventurous games), which
create the player’s emotional attachment, strengthen his cognitive
curiosity, encourage him to make repeated and independent efforts –
without external pressure, to motivate the players to repeat tasks, to
achieve better results and to achieve the next goals. stages of the
game.
In 2009. prof. Bronisław Siemieniecki has shown in his research that
the effectiveness of computer programs, including educational
computer games, exceeds traditional teaching, because: the
effectiveness of teaching is higher by 56%, understanding the subject
increases by 50-60%, misunderstandings in the transmission of
knowledge are less frequent by 20-40 %, time savings are significant
Mediate conflict about the effects of computer
games on children/teenagers.
38–70%, the pace of learning is 60% faster, the range of acquired
knowledge is 25–50% higher. Research has also shown that computer
games develop mental skills; According to scientists, computer games
make us more and more intelligent, because they stimulate the brain
extremely strongly, stimulating it to work hard, especially in the field
of visual perception, reaction speed, logical thinking, analyzing and
combining information and using it mainly to obtain consecutive
points, moving to a higher level of the game, avoiding failure.
According to many specialists, computer games help in therapy,
research is carried out on the use of games in the treatment of
attention deficit disorders, in the treatment of autistic and inhibited
children, as well as in speech therapy and re-education of dyslexic
children . Attractive graphics and an interesting plot of the games
make training more pleasant and strengthen the child's motivation to
exercise.
Now let's move on to the negative aspects of computer games. The
computer is not only the basic tool used in professional work, but
also an increasingly attractive communication channel and way of
spending free time. At the same time, it is a very dangerous tool, also
in the context of computer games and the time the child spends in
front of the monitor screen. Very often, excessive and uncontrolled
involvement of children in computer games by adults may lead to:
loss of the sense of time spent on games, irritability, psychomotor
and emotional agitation, attention deficit disorder, malaise,
reluctance to contact with the family, isolation from colleagues and
girlfriends. Computer games are treated by many as an addiction,
which means that they can be addictive, and young people are very
susceptible to all kinds of addictions. A child who cannot control his
involvement in an unreal world is at risk of serious addiction to the
computer and computer games. It should be remembered that a
person becomes addicted not to the machine, but to his mental,
Mediate conflict about the effects of computer
games on children/teenagers.
emotional states that arise in him as a result of his own activity
carried out thanks to the computer and by the computer. The
process of addiction to computer games starts quite innocently. At
first, there is only curiosity and fascination, so the child spends a lot
of time playing the game, often with the consent of the parents, who
are convinced that the child develops their interests and proudly
watch how efficiently they use the computer. Addiction to computer
games is divided into stages:
- gaming becomes the most important activity in a child's life
- the child spends more and more time playing computer games,
giving up previous activities (meeting peers, studying)
- isolation from the computer causes withdrawal symptoms - malaise,
irritability, insomnia, aggression, physiological reactions, such as e.g.
tremors, depression, and even suicide attempts
- due to involvement in computer games, the child comes into
conflict with his immediate environment, most often with his parents
- the child experiences drastic changes in mood - experiencing either
a good mood or a feeling of numbness, helplessness
- During the period of self-control and even ceasing to play with
computer games, the child reverts to pathological use of games.
Computer games can lead to aggression or acts of aggression.
A separate danger is computer games full of aggression and violence.
A child in the virtual world of games fights not only with fantastic
creatures, but – worst of all – also with people. He becomes in front
of the computer screen strong, brave and unscrupulously uses
superweapons, attacking and killing his opponents. All this is
accompanied by appropriate music, screams and screams, creating
an atmosphere of horror in which the child (player) dies and comes
Mediate conflict about the effects of computer
games on children/teenagers.
to life, then dies again and comes to life again, to fight again and kill
others. Psychologists point to this brutality of games as a source of
aggression, saying that "aggression begets aggression".
Games sometimes become the only occupation of young people,
they lead to a disorder of the life cycle. Neglect of household duties,
neglect of school or closing in on oneself. Often, according to
specialists, this is related to the lack of acceptance among their circle
of friends or family. It is a kind of escape from the world, which is
considered a good way to deal with problems in a moderate way.
According to Dr. Jacek Buczny, it should be a drug used in appropriate
doses, it should be recommended to deal with the problem or calm
your thoughts, but too long use leads to an overdose as with drugs
and it has the opposite effect.
The people who are most likely to apply for determining the
impact of computer games on young people are most often parents,
i.e. a group in this case of people who want to prove a negative effect
and the other side of the conflict, i.e. people playing computer
games, i.e. most often people under 25 years of age, are a group that
wants to show the positives of computer games and their good
impact on the brain. Both sides are joined by specialists, i.e.
professors, psychologists, therapists, etc.
The goal of people, as I called them under 25, is to convince and
prove opponents of the positive effects of computer games of all
kinds. This group wants this “Games Harm” patch to disappear,
technology advances and new learning methods to be put into practice
at the same time. They want to prove the value that these games bring.
The other side wants to show how risky games are, how strongly they
influence teenagers and their development, and how many
disadvantages computer games have.
Mediate conflict about the effects of computer
games on children/teenagers.
I would like to resolve this conflict by presenting to both sides
the point of view of the opposite side, to give each side a
representative who will try to reach a consensus between the parties.
My suggestion would be to control the content of the games presented
until the age of 12 in order to have an impact on the development of
your child and limit the time he can spend each day in front of the
screen depending on his own preferences. Check regularly whether the
young man's behavior changes in everyday life, spend time playing
games to understand them and be able to react in an appropriate way.