Like many teenagers my age, I like to spend my free time playing video games. Usually when I play video games it with one of the newer systems I have, The PlayStation 4, or on the computer. Although I mostly play with my newer consoles, I enjoy playing more simple games on older consoles I have like the Game Cube or the Super Nintendo 64. Most of the time I play video games with my friends but I do like to play online and meet new people because it is fun to compete with other players. If I played a game with one of my friends, Id go easy on them or try to have a fun time but if I was playing with someone I had never met before I would try my hardest to win or be the best.

Some important factors in gaming that can be used to your benefit are teamwork and sportsmanship. Teamwork plays an important role in gaming because with it you have a better chance of winning. For example, if one of your teammates in a game needs supplies you can help them out and work together but if you don’t help them there is a bigger chance of loosing. Sportsmanship can be used by telling the next team good game whether you win or loose instead of saying something like “your bad at this game.” The benefit of having good sportsmanship is if people from the other team come onto your team they will help you out and have good teamwork.

Besides video games being fun or you trying to improve your skills in a game, video games can have both positive and negative effects on children. Some positive effects are that children can learn new things from games. For example, besides violent or other kinds of games some games can be educational especially for younger children. They can learn new verbs or about different kinds of historical events. Another positive effect that video games have on children is that it expands their imagination. This makes them more creative and they can come up with different kinds of ideas. Some of the bad effects of video games are that kids can play more than they should. I have experience with this because every time I play I tell myself that I will be on for only an hour but before I know it my time is up and I am still playing. This can be a big problem because some people take it to the extreme and do something called a “all-nighter” which is when they spend a whole day playing games without any sleep. And that lack of sleep can cause many problems especially if they have school because they will either miss a day of school or be tired all day long. Another negative effect of video games is that it can make your eyesight worse which can lead to them having the need of glasses. As you can see, even though video games can be fun and have good effects at the same it can be bad for you if you play to much.