Video games have been a popular pastime since kids would ride bikes to the local arcade, and later when home gaming systems became widely available. Many of today’s elementary students have been immersed in video gaming since before starting school. The media is saturated with news articles that warn parents of the dangers their children are being exposed to resulting from the amount of time spent playing these games and the content inside them. While there may be some negative effects associated with children and adults who occupy their days solely consumed in electronic games, this type of gaming has evolved to become useful in many different types of ways. Once considered brainless entertainment, today’s video games offer much more than
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It consisted merely of a dot that was bounced back and forth between two lines on a screen (Frederick 10-11). Since then, technology has advanced and with it the different types of video games available for enjoyment. A person can enjoy a game via an in home console or through online gaming. The ability to play outside the home is possible with hand held gaming consoles and through devices wirelessly connected to internet such as mobile phones and tablets. In addition, gaming is not limited to just children and teenagers. The ESRB states sixty seven percent of U.S. households indulge in gaming and the average age of a player is thirty four years old. In 2009, the video game industry was estimated to have produced over ten billion dollars in revenue. (CITE!) As digital gaming has evolved over the last few decades, so has its’ many beneficial …show more content…
Generation FIT is a program that has been put into action in several hundred schools across the country. Its’ main purpose is aiding in encompassing exercise into school curriculum and combat the loss of physical education in the school day. Generation FIT allows students to take breaks throughout the day to participate in interactive video games. This is being used as a tool to reward students or just as a chance to revitalize their body and brains. The side effects of this endeavor have gone far beyond the programs’ original predicted outcomes, though. Educators have observed an increase in class participation, self-confidence, social skills, and overall academic success (O’Hanlon). In like manner, Paul Adachi and Teena Willoughby of Brock University in Ontario, Canada, found interesting results that propose a similar outcome. Their study examined the relationship between strategic video game play and self-reported problem solving skills among high school students. After surveying and recording results for four years, they acknowledge an indirect link between video game play and higher academic grades (1051). What better way to inspire children to enhance their academic achievement than through a means many of today’s youth already indulge in? Furthermore, gaming technology has many applications in the classroom beyond just raising letter
It consisted merely of a dot that was bounced back and forth between two lines on a screen (Frederick 10-11). Since then, technology has advanced and with it the different types of video games available for enjoyment. A person can enjoy a game via an in home console or through online gaming. The ability to play outside the home is possible with hand held gaming consoles and through devices wirelessly connected to internet such as mobile phones and tablets. In addition, gaming is not limited to just children and teenagers. The ESRB states sixty seven percent of U.S. households indulge in gaming and the average age of a player is thirty four years old. In 2009, the video game industry was estimated to have produced over ten billion dollars in revenue. (CITE!) As digital gaming has evolved over the last few decades, so has its’ many beneficial …show more content…
Generation FIT is a program that has been put into action in several hundred schools across the country. Its’ main purpose is aiding in encompassing exercise into school curriculum and combat the loss of physical education in the school day. Generation FIT allows students to take breaks throughout the day to participate in interactive video games. This is being used as a tool to reward students or just as a chance to revitalize their body and brains. The side effects of this endeavor have gone far beyond the programs’ original predicted outcomes, though. Educators have observed an increase in class participation, self-confidence, social skills, and overall academic success (O’Hanlon). In like manner, Paul Adachi and Teena Willoughby of Brock University in Ontario, Canada, found interesting results that propose a similar outcome. Their study examined the relationship between strategic video game play and self-reported problem solving skills among high school students. After surveying and recording results for four years, they acknowledge an indirect link between video game play and higher academic grades (1051). What better way to inspire children to enhance their academic achievement than through a means many of today’s youth already indulge in? Furthermore, gaming technology has many applications in the classroom beyond just raising letter