School and video games don’t always mix
People who play video games more than usual may suffer from a decline in social life and an inability to focus.
The video game industry has grown so much in the last two decades that it has surpassed both music and Hollywood in revenue. Due to the interactive nature of gaming, people are continuously joining. However, playing every day can adversely affect one’s life, especially if they’re in school.
Isaiah King, a digital media major, has been a gamer for years and understands the impact it can have.
“I started playing video games in my early childhood. I started with a Nintendo Gameboy my father had found on a school playground. It was kind of beat up, but I share my fondest memories with that handheld. Of course as a kid, I was always concerned about the latest toys and gizmos, and gaming was definitely a good departure from those childhood past times,” King said.
Digital media major Isaiah King has been a gamer since childhood. Photo: Noureldein Ghanem.
Social interaction was also a strong pull, he explained. “Gaming at that young age allowed me to build friendships and strengthen bonds. That got me more attached to video games.”
As a college student, King doesn’t play as much as he used to. Other priorities in life have dragged him away from his favorite hobby. “With school being the utmost important thing right now, gaming is not as integral as it once was,” King said.
He acknowledges that video games could be dangerous especially if gaming is the only form of escapism and stress relief someone has, because it will distract you from other important things including academic success.
“I definitely agree that there is a correlation that lies between poor school performance and video games. Often if not managed properly, video games can distract and disengage you enough to the point where your line of focus will shift away from important tasks,” King said.
Playing games can be addictive. Photo: Noureldein Ghanem.
His view is supported by a 2019 PsychNet study of 3500 students that showed that students who play more often usually get bad grades compared to other students. Sief Yehia, a New Jersey University student who recently got bad grades, said gaming affected how well he did in the classroom.
“I started playing games in 2000, that’s one year before I started going to school. I literally started playing video games before I learned how to read and write. It just became a big part of me that I can’t get rid of.”
Playing also resulted in social isolation too. “I used to stay at home for days. I used to extend my leisure for hours. I used to cancel plans just to stay at home and play,” Yehia said.
Meanwhile, often students don’t realize that they are addicted to the games. Lauren Cross, a UDC counselor said that students play games to relax after working on campus, but don’t see a problem.
“Students usually play after doing homework or finishing an exam. That’s how it gets to be a regular hobby at first, but slowly it becomes a priority,” she explained. With time students will skip classes and get bad grades, and if the damage is severe enough, they may get social and mental issues, she added.
“People who play more than usual usually suffer from a decline in social life and an inability to focus. These are few of many issues they might be suffering from.” She advised that video games addiction should be faced as a problem and should be treated, otherwise the outcome will always be negative, Cross said.
