Why video games matter

After yesterday’s reading and class discussion I now have a different view on video games and the influence they have on users. I have always viewed video games as a negative influence on people who partake in playing hours of video games on a daily basis. I have never played video games so I do not know exactly how it impact people. However, a lot of friends play video games and I know from experience that when they are playing video games they get so sucked into the game they block out everything around them. For example, my friend use to be obsessed with playing Family Feud on her phone. When she would be playing her game she would tune everyone out and zone in on her game. She was oblivious of her surroundings and would not respond to anyone asking her questions or talking to her. After this experience I have always had a negative feeling towards video games and viewed them as a waste of time.
After our the class reading about why video games matter, I now see another point of view about video games. I not see how video games could be a tool for people to gain problem solving skills and critical thinking skills. Some games challenge people to solve problems and apply knowledge to real world situations. Although I do see understand this point of view I do fully agree with it. Video games like Madden may help people to understand the game of football but just playing football on video games it is not going to make someone a good football player in the real world. Video games cannot help people to catch a pass, make a tackle, or run sprints in the real world. Video games cannot teach physical strength and ability. Therefore I think video games can help people use the critical thinking skills to apply knowledge in the real world, but not in every situation.