Children nowadays frequently watch tv and play computer games Some people think that such activities do not help develop a child s mental abilities Do you agree or disagree

It is argued that computer games and watching tv do not contribute to the development of a child’s cognitive abilities. While it is claimed that such leisure activities can be cognitively beneficial to a child, such benefit cannot be always transferred to other areas.

The worlds of gaming and TV shows provide a basis for the betterment of coordination between mind and limbs and also general knowledge. For the former, certain education studies have indicated that participation in games emphasizing rapid reactions, such as racing cars, hones a player’s abillity to produce immediate decisions with precision. Regarding the latter, through viewing tv programmes embedded with educational values such as National Geography, children can be exposed to different areas in the world and virtually immerse themselves the local nature, hence gainning insights ino the dynamics of natural world. In fact, some games have been employed as an instrumental tool in training security forces in the USA, while educative videos are being utilized at school to illustrate complex concepts for young students.

Nevertheless, despite the aforementioned advantages of gaming and TV programes, the majority of them are designed for entertainment purposes. More specifically, the visual stimuli incorporated in a game and a video clip are also a source of dopamine – a brain chemical temporarily enhancing a person’s enjoyment. Therefore, the reduction of such chemical leads to demotivation and boredom, severely affecting a child’s academic motivation. As a result, should they face a problem devoid of such stimulating sensory experience, they will less likely to persist. For instance, short contents on Tiktok, in spite of offering some educational values, have been proved to decrease children’s attention span considerably, and similarly, educational games failing to stimulate dopamine release struggle to maintain students’ learning continuity.

In conclusion, it is undeniable that there are games and video games conducive the growth a child’s thinking abilities; however, such materials are in a minority as most of them are made to increase users’ satisfaction while using them and consequently increase the revenues. Thus, I do not believe that watching tv and playing computer games can effectively help a child’s mental growth.