Amelia Stanhhurst: In favour of videogames I think videogames have a lot to offer. A recent study into the effects of computer games has shown that fastpaced action games make us better decision-makers. Scientists at the University of Rochester tested several 18- to 25-year-olds. They divided them into two groups. The first group played action games such as Call of Duty 2, in which participants shoot each other. The second group played The Sims 2, a strategy-based game. After 50 hours of playing, both groups were given a series of tests to see whether they could make quicker decisions. Scientists discovered that those who had trained on the action games made decisions 25 per cent more quickly than those in the other group. Videogames also help with hand-eye co-ordination. In another study, surgeons who played Nintendo Wii before going into an operating theatre performed better than those who didn’t. Let’s stop being so negative about videogames! Morgan Brayston: Against videogames I’m firmly against videogames, especially for children. While children are playing a game, they’re wasting valuable time – time that could be spent doing exercise, socialising with friends, reading a book or learning something. Studies have also shown that videogaming is addictive and leads to a sedentary lifestyle, which in turn can lead to obesity. Videogames can also cause over-excitement, exhaustion, eye-strain and sleeplessness. Worst of all, many videogames are violent. Children think nothing of blowing someone’s head off, shooting people, or crashing a car into a group of pedestrians. Is this what we want our youngsters to be doing? On top of that, they learn nothing of the consequences of these actions. Of course, not all video games are bad, but most of them are not good. Children should be outside playing, using their imagination, reading, socialising and learning – not shooting, maiming and killing.
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