Are Video Games & Esports Good for Your Children?

In today’s digitally-fuelled times, video games and esports are part of modern childhood. While there is a lot of anecdotal information online focusing on the downsides of playing video games, it’s important to note that they are a powerful tool for a child’s holistic development. 

Evidence suggests that regular use of digital technology has positive effects on children’s working memory and intelligence. Although there is no clear explanation of why children gain greater intelligence by playing video games, it could indicate a number of different things. One explanation could be the higher visual quality and customised content of video games. It’s also possible that giving your children the freedom to play online games increases their technological knowledge and the ability to solve things independently.

So don’t punish your children for spending too much time playing video games. If anything, this interest must be fostered, even more so now that we know it’s likely making them more intelligent.

What Parents may not Know about Esports?

Esports is a form of organised competition using multiplayer video games, typically by professional gamers in tournaments with a spectator base. Often confused with computer and video games, esports is analogous to ‘traditional sports’ such as football, basketball, and even Formula 1 racing.

Esports is also one of the fastest-growing industries in the world and is getting more mainstream. The esports industry has an estimated audience of roughly 450 million people and is expected to reach 560 million by the end of this year, comparable to Formula 1 racing. 

Children have a long history of playing a lot of video games. And in the coming years, we shouldn’t be surprised if these games continue to grow in popularity at double-digit rates. Over 500,000 live streams are broadcasted daily through online channels such as YouTube and Twitch to an audience base larger than that of HBO, Netflix, and ESPN combined. 

It has found its way into traditional sporting events, such as the Asian Games, Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, and even the Olympics. Many professional sports organisations such as the NFL, NBA, and ESPN also invest in and associate themselves with esports. 

Government bodies have also taken note of and recognised the potential of esports. For example, SportSG, Enterprise Singapore, and the Singapore Tourism Board collaborate to develop the local esports scene.

Why do Children Enjoy Video Games and Esports?

Young players love playing video games and esports for one main reason: they are fun. 

Like adults, children are naturally competitive. They get a sense of happiness and fulfilment whenever they get a chance to compete with their friends. When they fail, they get even more determined to play and seek mastery until they succeed in a task.

Another reason video games and esports are well-loved by children is that they allow them to have autonomy and make their own decisions. 

Think about the classic video game, Super Mario Brothers. To save the princess, they must control the main character, Mario, to travel through the Mushroom Kingdom and navigate the challenges that may come their way. 

Benefits of Video Gaming & Esports

Let’s get down to the benefits these games can offer young players. 

They open a gate to better socialisation

Video games and esports give children a reason to interact with another person and participate in a conversation. Esports is an inclusive activity that enables children to develop relationships with diverse participants, regardless of their colour, gender, race, or cultural background. Moreover, students can maintain high engagement and commitment levels when they share similar interests with many of their peers.

But that’s not all – this benefit also applies to children who may have disabilities. If they’re unable to make friends outside, video games and esports can be a refuge for them to boost their social skills in the most natural way possible.

They improve children’s problem-solving skills

At the core of esports is a challenge often tied with multiple solutions. They allow your child to explore different possibilities, use strategies, make decisions to solve problems and advance to the next level. 

As the game conditions change, children learn how to think creatively and outside the box. They’re encouraged to think creatively and try out new strategies to make progress, both of which are essential to problem-solving.

They prepare children for the real world

As the common saying goes, life isn’t all unicorns and rainbows. In the real world, there will be a lot of problems and challenges that children will have to face.

Video games and esports will teach your children how to face similar challenges with curiosity and accept mistakes as part of learning. 

How they bounce back from stress and failures when playing a game will also translate to how they’ll handle the stressors they’ll experience as they grow up.

They help children build skills for their future careers

Video games and esports are complex. They can teach your children to use their critical and strategic thinking skills to keep an eye on challenges and beat their opponents. 

As they navigate their characters and solve certain problems without looking at the controller, they learn how to multitask and, at the same time, make decisions fast without losing accuracy. 

As they get older, having these skills under their belt can be very beneficial. 

By solving issues and making decisions quickly and accurately, they’ll most likely succeed in jobs related to coding, marketing, and even the medical profession, such as doctors and surgeons.

They drive interest in history and culture

Following the relentless demand for video games and esports in the past couple of years, many historians have taken advantage of these games to teach and engage children about history and culture. 

One good example is the video game Valiant Hearts: The Great War, which was designed in partnership with the creators of the documentary Apocalypse: World War I to deliver the story of the Great War. Another popular game that children have shown great interest in is Dynasty Warriors, based on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese History. 

By connecting historical and cultural facts with highly appealing photos, game scenes, and game characters to real facts, children are much more inspired to learn about history and culture. This works way better than simply sticking to books and museum playdates. 

They improve your child’s mental health

Like any form of media entertainment, esports can be a therapeutic distraction from real-life stress. Joining a battle and winning a challenge evoke a rewarding feeling that regulates moods and reduces the symptoms of depression. 

These games also help children develop friendly relationships and connections with like-minded people. 

Being part of a community with people who share the same interests mitigates the feeling of isolation and social anxiety. The camaraderie that a child feels when playing video games with their peers can be very comforting and mentally therapeutic. 

Esports as a Career of the Future

Being a professional player is one of many routes towards a career in esports. As pro-players are glamorised with prize pools rivalling that of traditional sports events (the DOTA 2 International event has a $40M prize pool, a few million shy from the US Open’s $58M), there are career pathways that are lucrative as well. 

Game publishers will constantly be in demand, along with technology-based roles (e.g. software developers) and creative roles such as game developers, visual artists, and graphic designers. 

Esports teams also need administrative and support roles, including team managers, coaches, strategists, and statisticians. Live streamers, influencers, shout-casters (or commentators), journalists, bloggers, and fan artists are rising to serve the vast fans and audience base. 

Spanning the entire ecosystem, there will be opportunities for entrepreneurship and corporate roles such as business development, marketing, and operations.

How XWA’s Esports Programme Prepares Students for the Jobs of Tomorrow

As a parent, think about the idea of your children taking an interest in video games and esports. Instead of dreading it and seeing it as a distraction, consider it an opportunity to shape and hone the skills they can use to stay ahead of the jobs of tomorrow.

If you’re looking for an international school to support your child’s love and interest in video gaming and esports, look no further than XCL World Academy – The School of the Future. We believe that esports and gaming can be educational and can be used as a positive force. 

Our Esports Programme is based on the philosophy that education and gaming can go hand-in-hand. It’s a fun place where children can learn a wide array of skills and gain new knowledge without even realising it.

Moreover, it’s a venue where young people can immerse themselves in the world of esports while building the skills and knowledge needed for their future careers.

Our programme will help your child learn everything they need to know about esports through hands-on activities and interactive game-based learning. Here, students will participate in activities that will help them learn the know-how of strategising, holding team discussions and analysing gameplay. 

The core skills they will pick up from our programme include teamwork, communication and leadership, which are the key to building a successful career in the future.

The Esports Club at XWA is now into its second year and is growing in size and popularity!

At all times, we promote healthy competition and essential life skills such as strategic thinking, problem-solving and teamwork among students. Participation in this club provides a unique opportunity to grow and develop these skills for those students who typically shun the traditional sports arenas.

We have recently hosted our third esports event in the XWA Esports Garage (dedicated esports facility) and participated in a Minecraft build-off at the Legends eSports stage at the EDUtech Asia conference at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre. This was an excellent opportunity for our players to experience a real-world esports competition. 

Our Esports programme is an excellent opportunity for your child to develop their academic and lifelong learning skills. If you think your child has been showing an interest in video games and esports, we encourage you to reach out to our Admissions Team to discuss esports opportunities at XCL World Academy. Contact us today to book a personalised campus tour to see our world-class facilities.