Video games spur children to go down the route of violence and turn them into criminals. This is perhaps a statement that has been afloat for a very long time now. Video games have always been directly blamed for any criminal activity or violence that takes places anywhere in the world. Mass shooting in schools and churches, vandalism of the public property or any kind of violence- it is always the video games that have been held responsible as one of the factors that resulted in the activity. But you, an educated citizen, must know better. Nothing could be farther from the truth. And this is just one of the many ridiculous myths that video games, and gaming in general, invite about themselves. If video games could be a factor to incite violence, the world would cease to exist.
And, in order to drive the ignorance away, it is necessary to examine these myths in the light of truth. That is what we shall be looking into with this article. We are going to bust some of the most absurd myths about gaming so that people can make educated decisions.
Video Games are Pointless:
Nothing could be as vague and generic as the statement that video games are pointless. And the very first truth that you need to understand about video games is that they are anything but futile. Why would they exist, otherwise? If something had no utility at all, they would have no existence in the first place. Video games help people of all age groups beat stress and spend their time. And if one were to examine the utility of video games, it would be known that video games have many benefits. They help in increasing the concentration, imbuing entrepreneurial skills and the like. They are, therefore, not useless- not by any length.
Online Gaming and Gambling Leads to Compulsive Behavior:
Another ludicrous assumption that people are known to make is that online gaming and gambling leads to compulsive behavior. That might be the case for just one part of the total population. But no study has hinted at the fact that online gaming leads to habit formation. It is up to the individual how he/she wants to go about gaming or even gambling. Gambling can be taken up for fun and can be of immense help as a stress buster too. Plus, if you know how to control yourself, gambling and gaming can also help you make some easy money. There are several online gaming and gambling sites, according to a report, that allow the gamers to put a cap on the amount of time they spend on the websites.
Video Games Lead to Aggressive Behavior:
This is what we were talking about when we first began our discussion. The popular myth is that video games lead to aggressive behavior, especially in children. This is an assumption that has no base at all. Studies made over time clearly indicated at the fact that children turn aggressive and violent due to ill-parenting and psychopathic tendencies. Video games have little to no relation to this behavior set. Yes, some video games might be gory and violent, and glorify taking up arms and killing people. But that does not mean that video games are the ones that contribute to the making of aggressive behavior. Claims as such have been negated by several researchers over time. They are of the opinion that if video games led to the formation of violent behavior, then half the world’s children would be criminals.
Wrapping Up:
Amidst the boatloads of myths concerning video games and gaming in general, these are some of the most hilarious ones. No report or numbers ever suggested that video games might be the leading factor of violent behavior in children, or that they lead to habit formation. And the claims that were initially made supporting the myths have been discredited time and again. Therefore, what we need to do is examine these myths and bust them all the same, so that we can be better informed. Putting your blind faith in claims and reports that have no basis or scientific evidence can impair your critical thinking ability. Be it gaming or any other news story, we must always use our wit and judgment and let the light of truth prevail.
