Introduction:

Online gaming refers to games in which players can compete and play with other people around the globe and can communicate through games. Players group together as teams to achieve a common goal which promotes teamwork. Opportunities for social and international interaction and allows players to compete with a wider range of opponents.

 

Reasons for online gaming:

Players play online games usually to relieve stress; especially students who arrive home after a tiring day of school and just want to relax. Online gaming also allows us to interact with friends further in the virtual world and even gives us the chance to make new friends around the world. And as said previously, improves teamwork.

Dangerous effects, health and sociality:

• If played for long hours without rest and control, the computer screen will cause the player’s eyesight to deteriorate from perfect to myopic and finally blind.
  
  
• Additionally, if the volume is turned up too loudly, it will affect the players hearing. The computers’, mostly laptops’, will also affect the player’s health when using the computer for long hours.
  
  
• People, especially children and teens, may be influenced by the violence of games, becoming short-tempered, rebellious and violent. Some people who have unstable mental condition or are undergoing extremely stressful conditions might even imitate what they see on these games and take away innocent lives.

• Another problems with online gamers is that they might get so addicted to the game that they might skip their meals just 4 the sake of playing their games. This results in malnutrition and may even lead to death. Others may also eat unhealthy snacks like chips in replacement of a meal. If this is done too often, this may lead to diseases such as diabetes.
  
  
• In terms of social life, some teenagers may get addicted to their games and go home straight away after school just to play their online games. Do not interact with other people in school n society, causing them to become ‘friendless’ and lonely.
  
  
• This also causes lack of communication between parent and child, resulting in bad relationships formed. When the parent feels that his/her child has had enough of his games, the parent might ask him to stop playing. This creates a strain in relationship as the child will naturally want to play more. If the child is really rebellious, he might ignore his mother and continue playing, even if the mother screams n shouts at him/her. This way, the parent-child relationship will deteriorate very quickly.
  
• Last but not least, some online games posses sexual content, which is very harmful to the society. This way, children are not only looking at those obscene scenes, but are also going to be influenced by them.

• During game play, many people swear, both out loud through the microphone and through typing. This happens for a few reasons: They have lost the game. They got scammed. They just got killed.
  
  This has a negative effect on children who are playing the game, and they might even learn how to use those uncivilized language.
  
• Next, the danger of strangers. If a child is playing an online game, a complete stranger may ask the child to meet up with him to give him a PSP or something. Naturally, a child will be tempted to accept this, and might not tell their parents about it. Through this, the boy might get kidnapped, abused, raped or killed by the stranger. This poses a huge threat to those who play online games.

Case Studies:

• A very typical example of violence in online games is Counter-Strike Condition Zero/Source/1.6. The games features 2 sides in a map, counter terrorist and terrorist. Both sides are supposed to fulfil a certain task, for example planting a bomb, saving hostages or eliminating every other opponent in the other side. Eliminating opponents require weapons such as rifles and pistols. When one shoots another, blood squirts out and flies all over the place. These scenes are very disturbing and will pollute one’s mind if one is mentally weak.
  
• One example of sexual scenes in online gaming is Second Life.  This game feature a virtual world in which you can do whatever you want to in the game, including sex. This is very inappropriate as innocent children might not know about the adult content of the game. Unknowingly, one may accidentally venture into conducting sexual activities in the game. Children may be influenced by it and may develop a desire to conduct sexual activities in the real world.
• Games Blamed For Montreal Shooting

September 16, 2006
Last Wednesday, 25 year old Kimveer Gill went on a rampage at Dawson College in Montreal. Thursday night, 2 of the people he shot were announced dead, while 6 were left in critical condition. After the shooting occurred, Kimveer Gill shot himself to death during a standoff with authorities. Once again, the media has blamed video games for the inspiration of a shooting.

On ABC World News, Charles Gibson has stated the following about the Montréal shooting: “We learn today that the gunman was obsessed with extremely violent videogames.” Another ABC reporter stated “Studies continue to link violent, sexually-charged games like Grand Theft Auto with increased aggression. But the gaming industry has used the First Amendment to win most legal fights.” ABC news also stated how certain games such as Postal 2: Share the Pain and JFK: Reloaded can be downloaded, avoiding retail

Source: http://www.digitalbattle.com/2006/09/16/games-blamed-for-montreal-shooting/

Violent video games are interesting and exciting for teens. Nothing you can do about that. I fear that the violent content is shaping their

minds such that killing is just matter-of-fact and common place in thier lives...kind of like playing baseball games, or mowing the lawn. These video games are teaching our teens that violent behavior is no bid deal. Teens are in a fragile and delicate time of thier lives anyway. Think about this, if team sports in school are known to build character, morals, teamwork...all those good things, what do you suppose the violent video games instill in our teens brains? I think the violent video games could drive a fragile/unstable teen to kill.
A comment from stephanzell on Sep, 26, 2005, 07:54,

• IInfant Daughter Dies as Parents Play Online Game

 
A thoughtless couple in their 20s who left their four-month old daughter at home while they played Internet computer games at a nearby PC café have been booked by police after the child died.

According to Incheon Police Station on Tuesday, a 29-year-old man husband identified by his family name of Yu and his wife put their four-month daughter in the bedroom of their home and went to a neighborhood PC café at around 4:00 p.m. on May 24 to play the online game "World of Warcraft. Time flew by as the couple lost themselves in the game, and when they returned home at 9:00 p.m., their daughter was lying on her stomach, dead of suffication.

The couple told police, "We were thinking of playing for just an hour or two and returning home like usual, but the game took longer that day." Police said an investigation turned up that the couple, who wed last year, used to play "World of Warcraft" whenever they had time. Police said, "It's unfortunate, because the tragedy could have been averted if the couple had just left their daughter with Yu's mother-in-law, who lived upstairs from them...

We booked the pair on criminal charges, judging that when you consider the situation, they were responsible for their daughter's death." Major U.S. online game producer Blizzard, which grew famous with the game "Starcraft", produced the game to which Yu and his wife were addicted, "World of Warcraft." The game allows multiple players to form teams to fight battles and enjoy various adventures.

• Source:http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200506/200506140037.html



Conclusion:

One can play online games for the sake of leisure and fun but should not be influenced by the violence and sexual content. Do not get addicted as health and safety is the most impt. Must rest after 45min game play to rest our eyes. Do not skip meals for the sake of playing. Do not insult other people in play as it might cause conflict. Parents who play online games should not leave their children unattended to. Do not agree to meet up with complete strangers and always be cautious during game play. Do not play for more than 4 hours a day.