How do computer games influence children's health?

Many people use a computer nowdays. It is used not only by employees of various enterprises, but also by people of other proffesions, including schoolchildren.

Almost every student of our school has a computer at home. The computer gave us all great opportunities: search for information for homework, data storage, communication on social network, entertainment in the form of computer games.

The computer has also brought negative aspects into our lives. Many schoolchildren began to spend a huge amount of time at the computer. The computer has replaced not only communication with friends, but simply reduced the time for preparing homework. Parents are often at work all day long and cannot control the time their children spend at the computer.

Recently, I am often told that it is bad to spend a lot of time at the computer because it causes various health problems, such as curvature of posture, decreased vision, mental problems, bad school grades etc. That’s why I decided to do a research and find out whether computer games are so harmful or in some way useful.

Research subject: computer games and their impact on schoolchildren.

Object of research: the well-being and school grades of children under the influence of computer games.

Aim: How much time students spend at the computer, whether parents have control over their children's time at the computer, and how computer enthusiasm affects students' health and academic performance. These studies were conducted among students in grades 3-6 of our school.

Goals:

1. Find out the positive and negative effects of computer games on children;

2. To make survey among schoolchildren in order to find out the attitude of children to computer games, the impact of games on children's health.

3. Develop recommendations for children and parents on the use of computers and computer games.

Research methods:

• psychological diagnostics (questioning, testing);

• search for information on this topic on the Internet;

• generalizations and conclusions.

The impact of computer games on schoolchildren.

Scientific researches show us that the influence of computer games can be positive and negative. In 2020, Unicef reported that due to the lockdown and the shift to distance learning, the risks of dangerous content for children have increased and need to be protected. Research from the University of India says that most adolescents who are addicted to computer games have high heart rate and blood pressure due to too much excitement and stress.

The positive impact of computer games on schoolchildren.

The positive influence of computer games on a child is due to the creation of an interesting "shell" for games, classes, studies. For example, playing educational games on a computer, a child learns the alphabet or adds numbers, performs tasks to develop thinking or memory. Logic games teach you to compare, analyze, collate the information received, and also establish simple patterns. Such games contribute to the development of intelligence, logic, attention and other qualities. A special place among such games is occupied by strategies, the development of reaction speed (in educational games and "shooters") and hand-eye coordination. The speed of visual data processing is also improved. By playing computer games, schoolchildren learn to make independent decisions, assess the situation and solve logical problems. Also, children born in the era of computer games adapt faster to information technology. And the computer becomes a part of the child's daily life. To prohibit studying at the computer means creating obstacles to keep up with the times.

Researchers at the University of Oxford found that children who play computer games for an hour to three hours a day have fewer emotional problems and are more satisfied with their lives than those who do not play and those who play constantly. They are able to manifest part of negative emotions in the game and get rid of them. At the same time, those who play a lot, apparently, get more tired and feel less well.

The negative impact of computer games on children. Along with the positive influence, there are also negative aspects of the influence of computer games on children. Computer games have a negative impact • On the mental, emotional state;

• On the physical health of children.