There is absolutely no point denying that video games are becoming a popular entertainment source for children worldwide. The sad readily is that several violent online video games are stirring the feeling of aggression and violence in young children. The reward circuitry is one of the core reasons that provoke young kids to play video games. Nowadays, due to the internet’s exposure and access to devices, such as mobile phones, laptops, and tablets, violent online video games are conveniently approachable.

Video games like Fort Nite, Apex Legends, Playerunknown’s Battleground (PUBG), Call of Duty, Battlefield V, CSGO, Minecraft Hunger Games, etc. affecting a child’s mental and physical health negatively in many ways. Not only are the children’s academics deteriorating, but it is also affecting their social connections.

Top 8 Negative Effects of Video Games

Online video games like Fortnite affect children very badly. The adverse effects of video games are more than just a handful. Let’s see the most pronounced ones in more detail below:

1. Poor Health:

A lack of physical activities is detrimental to children’s health today, and most of us can clearly see the adverse impacts and consequences it has on their bodies. Children today have various deformities in their bodies, such as knocking knees, weak eyesight, obesity, and sometimes all of the above together.

Just imagine being in that child’s shoes and living their life. It not only makes their lifestyle lethargic and unhappy but also smashes their self-confidence. That further leads to more deficient mental development and a lack of a supportive social circle. Increased recreational periods on video games also result in a lack of exposure to sunlight, leading to many skin-related diseases.

2. Weaker Academics:

Even if you are not a parent who cares much about your child’s academics, you’ll observe that your child’s cognitive capability can decrease continuously with increased exposure to video games. Not only that, the instant dopamine rush provided by video games makes a student less interested in going to school or engaging in activities outside school. They also tend to skip their tests and miss their homework deadlines to get that feeling of winning in a video game.

3. Unethical and Wrong Values:

Video games in modern times like Fortnite and Pubg tend to have a lot of violence, racism, sexuality, and many other things our young children can take in the wrong manner. The point is not that children shouldn’t be exposed entirely, but the kind of regulation parents impose on their children to protect them from sensitive, more impressionable content. The innocent ones might confuse the ways depicted in the games to be a norm and do any such activity which might harm them and their families even without their knowledge. A child’s brain is malleable and, as a result, can pick ways that are not sought around in the world. A wrong, more aggressive video game meant for mature audiences can impart unethical and immoral values to children who might not be aware of how the game functions. Video games can empower inappropriate behavior without the child or the guardian’s knowledge and thus, parents must know the kind of content their child is consuming.

4. Lack Of Supportive Social Circle:

Although one might say that multiplayer video games make children more sociable, but it is not the case. Most children end up in their rooms alone, and no video game friend comes to their rescue in times of need. Children who rely on digital connections tend to ignore offline meetings as their interpersonal skills are very weak due to lack of exposure. Kids like that feel bored at social gatherings and fail to continue the interaction, let alone strike a new one. It can result in depression and social anxiety in later parts of their lives.

5. Aggression and Short Temper:

It has already been an established and proven fact that video games lead to aggressive behavior and short temper in children by various scientific establishments. It happens because, in video games, violent actions usually lead to a reward in the game, which makes the brains of children assume that that will occur in real life too. But of course, that’s not the case. The aggravated temperament can lead to parents restricting their children, who can retaliate exhibiting violent behavior and, in some instances, uncalled yelling.

6. Increase in Repetitive Stress Injuries:

RSIs are widely popular in avid video games because violent online video games require constant and repetitive movement of the hands and wrists. When the game stretches for long hours, it can cause severe injury and inflammation. Some of the common repetitive stress injuries witnessed in children are as follows:

  • Gamer’s Thumb– It is a nickname given to de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis. During the condition, the tendons that help the thumb move become inflamed, resulting in extreme pain and restricted movement.
  • Trigger Finger- The technical jargon to trigger finger is Stenosing Tenosynovitis. The condition results in the fingers remaining bent even during a relaxed posture. It may get straighten just as the trigger is released or pulled, but that is rarely the case.
  • Tennis Elbow is also called lateral epicondylitis. It occurs when a person plays too many games. It is a severely painful condition in which the elbow tendons get overloaded because of constant movement of the arms and wrist.

In Conclusion

Well, that is all about the expected effects of video games on children. Indeed, video games sometimes help relax the mind and body, but an excess of games like Fortnite affects children more negatively. Therefore, doctors suggest that parents strive to strike the proper balance between their child’s academics and gaming to seek more holistic growth.