Can Video Games Have Positive Effects?

Many people (particularly parents) often argue that video games are destroying our youth, and games such as Grand Theft Auto are causing people to think that it's okay to murder, steal cars and beat up pedestrians. Others complain that the kids of today are suffering from obesity because they are spending so long sat in front of their televisions playing video games instead of playing outside with their friends.

Despite all of this, there are some obvious and not-so obvious benefits that video games can have. First of all, anyone that might call themselves a hardcore gamer (or even a casual gamer) will almost certainly boast increased hand-eye coordination over someone that plays no games at all. The reason being that your eyes are taking in information from the screen which your hands must then act upon (by pressing buttons on the controller). All of this needs to take place within fractions of a second, as reaction times are very important.
Another more bizarre benefit that most people would never consider is that video games can be used for therapy. A football simulation game called 'Football Manager' seems to attract football fans for lots of different reasons. Of these fans, many say that they play the game to feel better after their team loses.

It is no surprise that a quick look on the Football Manger forums will see more Liverpool, Newcastle and Aston Villa fans all trying to take their teams to the top. It is also no surprise that all of these teams in recent years have been perennial underachievers, and this is why their fans have been drawn to playing the game. From a fans' point of view, Football Manager is a fantasy in which they can act out winning.