With the onset of computers and internet, playing games online has now become of the most favorite and preferred pastimes for both the young and the old. For the working group, it provides diversion from a rather boring afternoon at the office with nothing to do. For college students, online gaming is one way to relieve stress and tension while doing theses and reports. For the typical housewife, it serves as entertainment after a long day of doing household chores. For younger kids, well, online games are a lot of fun. Period.

Whatever your reasons are for being “addicted” to playing games online, you need to know that just like everything else, it has its advantages and disadvantages. Learning what you’ll get from online games will help you determine if this is something that you should introduce to your kids and continue to do for yourself. Here are some benefits and drawbacks of playing games online.

The Pros

-You don’t need people to come over to your house to play

If during one lazy afternoon you suddenly decide to get entertained, you don’t have to go through the hassle of calling up your friends or other people in your neighborhood to come over to your house and play board or card games. All you need to have is a computer, some basic programs, an internet connection and voila! Instant entertainment. Less or no visitors at all also means less clean up time for you as well.

– You’ll be benefited educationally and medically

Online games develop your child’s logical thinking skills and ability to solve problems quickly. It also improves their communication and decision making skills, alertness and sense of accomplishment. Studies also show that a person who has a hobby of playing games online score better at vision tests than non-players.

– Your technological skills are greatly enhanced

Computer and internet literacy are basic skills if you want to be successful in any career. Most jobs require high computer skills and playing online games will teach you that.

The Cons

– You will have less interaction with your family and friends

Since playing games online does not require you to involve other people, the tendency is for you to be less active socially. Traditional games usually involve constant interaction with the other players such as your friends. Playing conventional board games is also a great bonding activity for family members. When playing games online, you laugh alone, you get frustrated alone, you succeed alone and you fail alone. You won’t have anyone to share these feelings with.

– You will be prone to violence and crime

Some online games are based on violence and if you allow your children to play with them constantly, the likelihood of their being aggressive at some point also increases. This is harmful to you and the society as well. Better keep that stun gun and TASER tightly locked or you might find yourself being stunned by your own child.

– You will eventually have social problems

Studies show that people who are engrossed in playing games online tend to be aloof and shy. This can be attributed to their lack of interaction and contact with the “outside'” world.

Now that you know the positive and negative effects of playing games online, it is entirely up to you if you want to modify your lifestyle by maximizing its advantages and avoiding obsession.

Author Bio: Annabelle Lehoux is Judo instructor and the co-founder of Self Defense Products Depot which offers large variety of gadgets such as pepper spray, dummy camera, metal detector and stun gun for your personal and home security. To learn more on how these products can help your situation, please visit http://www.self-defense-products-depot.com/

Category: Recreation
Keywords: Online games, playing games online, stun gun, playing online games, TASER