Every one of us came to point of their lives where they play a video game.

Video
games, according to Oxford Dictionaries, is “A game played by electronically
manipulating images produced by a computer program on a monitor or other display.”
Since their introduction as mass market product in the 1970s, the main audience for then
were the teen that were socially awkward or “geeky”, but now that has changed. Now, not
only kids and teenagers play video games but grown men and women play them in their
spare time and sometimes may a profit out of it. From a simple game, video games
changed the world with the technology by their side.
However, video games popularity didn’t come without a price. Fueled by the non-
stop increasing popularity and economic importance of the games industry (Dixon &
Karboulonis, 2000; Aoyama & Izushi, 2003; Schilling, 2003), any negative findings such
as those relating to gaming addiction (Fisher, 1994), epilepsy (Badinand-Hubert et al,
1998), aggression (Bensley & Van Eenwyk, 2001), and violent content (Kirsh, 2003;
Anderson, 2004) have rapidly been picked up by the media, often leading to
condemnations of such games by the public. A prime example in the UK was that of the
game Manhunt. The parents of a murdered teenager claimed that by depicting methods
for committing murderous acts, the game represented a significant influential factor in
triggering their son’s killing by a 17-year-old boy who was reported to have been obsessed
by the game (BBC, 2004a, 2004b). While the claims were eventually rejected by those
investigating the case, these and similar incidents have certainly contributed towards the
view, held by many, that video games are harmful to health and mental stability.
Another issue raised is about the academic performance and consequences of
playing video which have been an ongoing debate in both the educational environment
and the public. Teenagers, more likely students, who are playing these online games said
that they are playing these games just for fun, to keep away from the heat of the sun,
without knowing that there are effects of playing these games. Playing online games,
according to some research is beneficial. It enables the mind of the players to be more
active, especially those puzzle-based games. It helps the player to come up with decisions
in tight situations, especially those adventure games that keep the players to be alert,
active and strategic. Playing these types of games makes the player experienced different
feelings because it is as if the player is really the one taking the challenges.
Despite the benefits, it also brings negative effects especially for teenagers. It
requires player’s time, leaving school activities and home works unattended. The youth of
today no longer seem to spend their leisure activities like in the old days, outdoor games
or playing with toys, instead, they spend their free time in their homes, internet cafes or
computer shops simply to satisfy their hunger, and that hunger is Online gaming. Online
gaming has such a profound impact on not only the young, but dynamically every age
group as well. The Internet cafes have become not just game centers. They are becoming
centers off addiction among the youth, mostly boys, including elementary school pupils.
So far, virtually anyone is able to go on a computer and punch through the keys and mouse
in order to get a high score, chat with players, get the rarest items, and level up as fast as
possible. A side from computer shops, since the emergence of mobile games or games in
cellphones, students at classroom are able to access it thus removing their focus on the
lesson and put it at their mobile phones. Yes, there seems to be no restriction as to whom,
how or what online gaming can extend to.
Video games, like social media, really did affect the world in an unimaginable way.
It is extremely popular and have a caused a revolution in the entertainment industry as
well as the lives of the players. One of the sub types, online gaming, has emerged as a
popular and successful source of entertainment and play for people of all ages, especially
for the students. It refers to the games that are played over some forms of computer
network, typically on the internet. This is a worldwide trend that doesn’t look like it would
stop anytime soon. And just like any other inventions, video games can affect our lives in
different ways. It can be an entertainment, or a source of distractions and a factor in our
failure.