Children spend a lot of time watching TV and playing computer games. Some people think it does not develop their mental abilities. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
In the modern era, young people, particularly children, are considered the most active users of the latest technologies and inventions. These also include watching television and playing computer games for quite a long time. Hence, some people are concerned that spending many hours playing computer games and watching TV may inhibit the mental development of children. I rather think that doing so can have positive effects on the cognitive development of children for several reasons.
Firstly, television programs can help children learn and understand new concepts. More specifically, in recent years, TV companies have started incorporating educational content into their shows, such as different documentaries and educational shows. For example, in Uzbekistan, there are several television companies that constantly stream such shows and challenge children's knowledge by asking children different questions and giving answers afterwards. This demonstrates that such TV programs can be beneficial for the cognitive development of children, expanding their knowledge in different aspects of life.
Secondly, playing computer games can guarantee various benefits that are hard to obtain in other ways. While playing computer games, children are usually required to have strategic thinking, planning, and quick decision-making, all of which can lead to increased spatial awareness and logical reasoning depending on the situation. Studies have also shown that children playing shooter games can make decisions twice as fast as those who do not do this, as they need to focus on the position of other players and make quick decisions at the same time. This is the reason why playing computer games can be advantageous for the mental development of children.
Thirdly, both TV programs and computer games can be especially helpful for children, as they are visual learners. In a traditional way of teaching, children are expected to learn different concepts by reading books and attending lessons, which may seem quite boring for children. Hence, as both computer games and TV shows are usually visually appealing and engaging, they can enable children to gain new understandings in interactive and engaging ways.
In conclusion, although some people consider spending many hours watching TV and playing computer games may be detrimental for the cognitive development of children, I contend that these two can enable us to foster a love of learning in children. This is because these two modern inventions can provide us with informative content, challenging tasks to cultivate problem-solving skills, and most importantly, an engaging way of learning.