Optimistic view on computer games

It's great that we're trying to find something good in every bad experience, right? To look from a different angle and see that everything isn't just black and whit. So I did it. I searched through the various surveys and found something worthwhile telling you. I discovered a bright side of playing video games.

My generation of young adults and adolescents probably isn't burdened by the impact of sitting on the couch and playing Playstation games. But time runs fast and when our children will be born and will wish to play games at an early age, it will soon become our concern. And at that time we will be like today's young parents, who are constantly wondering how much time per day is still acceptable to let their children sit behind their computer or when they can buy them a gaming console, without a guilty conscience. 

Well, it's truth that we don't have any children yet, but gaming has already been my concern. It started with my brother who often left his computer with a heavy heart. And now here is also my boyfriend and his Playstation. He loves Fifa, the game about football. His passion for football is really unconditional – a physical training at the stadium and a mental training behind the home television. Don't get me wrong… I don't feel to be neglected. I know he still puts me above everything else. I'm just concerned, because everywhere I go, I can hear or read about the addiction with computer, mobile phones and similar technologies. So I wanted to look at this thing a little more optimistic. 

As I can see, this is a new way of maintaining friendships. More, it's also a place to find new friends. So they can connect through play station, make a group of people and use  headphones to debate, while in the meantime, they are skillfully watching what is happening on the television screen. It is also possible to link with others, unknown registered users, and thus create new friendships.

So this is a positive aspect of digital games. It enables a networking. But I have to mention that despite all, in the first place, I'm still the biggest supporter of physical interaction and I want that people hang out somewhere outside, on a playground or in a bar, while drinking a morning coffee. And if they, besides that, spend some time playing games, this can have a positive effect. The quality of friendship can get better. 

Researchers found out that a content of games, played by today's youth, is often a subject of their conversation. This is a very important discovery, because now we know that people don't exclude games from everyday events. They only get a basis for conversing. It isn't that bad, is it? We are all familiar with the importance of talking. So playing games may not be understood as a way of escapism or separating from others… 

This survey also showed that a group of friends more often just talk about games, while they don't really play games together. Which is not so positive. Maybe this is something that we have to promote. If young people play games, they can play it together, socialise and have fun together. We can understand this like some kind of team building, suitable for the youth and of course only when it's raining. 

Mostly, I learnt that playing games is something more. It's not only expenditure of time and money, but it stimulates communication between friends and strengthens relationships. Nevertheless, I would like to emphasise that while writing this post, I didn't think that it's okay to play games all the time, all day long, but only in the evening, only for a little time of our precious day. 

Love

Saša

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Source: De Grove, F. (2014). Youth, friendship, and gaming: A network perspective. Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Network, 9(17), 603 – 608.