How Important Are Games?
A video game is a carefully structured form of entertainment, normally undertaken for fun or entertainment, and at times used as a teaching tool. Video games are very different from work, which almost always is carried out for profit, and from literature, which is almost always an expression of political or artistic views. In the case of work video games are almost always required to perform a specific task. Games are more varied than this. They can be made for fun, for entertainment, for exercise, for education, for social interaction, for training, for competition, for relaxation, for contemplation, for creative work and for problem-solving.
Games have always been an important part of human culture and most people seem to enjoy playing games from an early age. Children can benefit greatly from being introduced to the world of gaming. The more sophisticated a game is, the more the child seems to enjoy it. It can be difficult to determine the exact effect that games will have on a child. The child’s enjoyment of a game may not be comparable to that of another child who does not play the game. Games can also have an enduring effect on adults, because they help them deal with problems and are an excellent way to relax after a hard day’s work.
In our technological, almost animalistic society, games seem to be omnipresent. They pervade our homes, our leisure time and even our leisure time on the internet. They allow us to escape from the realities of real life into an imaginary world of fantasy, where all the mundane factors of daily life seem insignificant. Games stimulate thought and action. They have a powerful effect on the way we think, feel and behave. They teach us valuable lessons about life, mathematics, technology and art.