Introduction
We know what you’re thinking. You’re sitting in class, watching the clock count down to the end of your lecture, wondering why Dr. Fogg’s PowerPoint on the 18th-century British spice trade is taking so dang long. Your hands are itching for a controller and you’re dreaming about the world of Azeroth or some other fantastical realm where you can leave your worries behind and just slay some trolls for a few hours before bedtime. And maybe that’s your dream—to be able to play video games all day and not have it affect your work, including schoolwork. Well, we have good news…and bad news. The truth is, video games can definitely affect how well you do in school if you let them take over your life too much. At the same time, gaming doesn’t have to ruin your grades if you want to play responsibly while still getting all of those sweet college credits (you earned ’em!). Here’s the skinny on what science has revealed about video games’ impact on students’ grades and how you can live up to your potential whether or not gaming is part of it:
Video games are not all bad.
Video games are not all bad. They can be an enjoyable hobby, and they’re a great way to relax after a long day at work or school. Plus, they can help you improve your hand-eye coordination and learn new skills. For example, if you’re interested in learning how to code, there are tons of programming games available online that allow users to get their feet wet by creating simple programs using popular languages like Python or Javascript.
Another benefit is that video games can also teach about other cultures and historical events—such as the American Civil War—by immersing players in these settings through interactive scenarios and storylines. This kind of experience would be impossible without playing video games!
There is a connection between video games and lower grades.
Video games can be addictive, distracting and a time-waster. They are often a waste of money and energy, as well as being a distraction from school work. However, there is no clear link between playing video games and lower grades. While this is the case for many people, it may not be true for you!
Playing video games can decrease your ability to concentrate.
Playing video games can decrease your ability to concentrate.
We all know the feeling of zoning out while playing on a game console, but most people don’t realize that this type of behavior is not healthy for them. When you zone out, it’s much easier for your mind to wander off from whatever task you’re supposed to be focusing on (which could be homework). This can lead to missing deadlines, even if they aren’t due right away! If you have trouble focusing while playing video games, try taking breaks every hour or so and try doing something else instead of playing right away.
Video games should be used as a way to relax after a long day at work or school, not as an excuse not do anything productive during those times as well – which is why we recommend reading some books during those breaks instead!
You can actually improve your decision-making skills from playing video games.
In fact, games like chess will actually improve your decision-making skills. Research shows that games that require quick decisions and strategic thinking can improve your ability to make good choices in real life. Some research even suggests video games might be beneficial for children with learning disabilities because they require them to think strategically about their decisions.
So if you want to improve your decision-making abilities without sacrificing your GPA, pick up some video games!
You can be a productive gamer.
You can be a productive gamer.
To start, the most important thing is to know when to play and when not to. It’s easy to waste time playing video games when you should be studying or doing homework. Set goals for yourself! Make sure that your goal is reasonable and achievable; don’t set your sights on beating every game in existence in one day. Make sure that you also have an idea of how long it will take before you reach this goal so that if things get too stressful or boring, it won’t take forever just trying something new without knowing how long it’ll take until then (and thus making things worse).
Taking breaks is also essential because otherwise we may forget our own responsibilities – like schoolwork – which leads us back into the same cycle again 🙂
You can also try playing with friends: it makes the experience more fun than just sitting alone at home all night with only “screenshoots” showing your face instead of actually interacting with people who really care about what happens next… Plus there’s always some kind of competition going on which usually helps motivate everyone involved!”
If you play video games, you don’t have to fail in school.
As a high school student, you probably play video games for one of the following reasons:
- To procrastinate. This is the most common reason people play video games, but it’s also the easiest to overcome. You can take five minutes out of your day to complete an assignment or study for your next test, and then you can go back to playing whatever game you like. Also, don’t forget that there are plenty of apps and websites that will help remind you when it’s time to start studying!
- To relax after a stressful day at school/work/home life. Relaxing with a game after work is totally fine—in fact, I would highly recommend it! Playing video games is actually proven by researchers at Oxford University as having positive effects on mental health because they allow us to escape reality for a little while (even if only temporarily). But if this becomes too much of an issue where grades suffer due to excessive use in general then we recommend taking breaks from gaming altogether until things calm down in real life again so that everyone involved has enough time on their hands without feeling rushed or stressed out all over again from being caught up with everything else going on around them.”
Conclusion
Video games are not bad for you, but they can be if you don’t set limits on how much time you spend playing them. Playing video games may help your decision making skills, but it could also make it harder to focus on long-term goals like schoolwork. The bottom line is that if you want to play video games while in college or high school, there are ways to stay on top of your studies as well.