CHRISTMAS VS VIDEO GAMES
The Christmas Eve, almost nearing, the cities, towns, villages are getting geared up for Christmas shopping. I am too not exemption to that. Today I had a wonderful experience in the Chennai metro train, if I don’t share this experience I do not do justice to Christmas Eve. I just got into Chennai metro train at 5.30 pm. I placed myself near the window of the train, a six years old child was sitting along with her parents just opposite to me discussing and listing it out all that she wants to buy for her, for the Christmas. She never let her parents to discuss anything more other than her big Christmas shopping and not even allowing them to look outside through the window. The parents were so much overjoyed and enthused they way, the child wanted to do her shopping.
While we were all on the travel the child took her video games in her hands and started to play, she was so much into her games that seem everything was going well till we were about reach the station. Suddenly tears run into her eyes, her smiling face turned red, she started with loud cry “Dad I have lost the game” Mama I am gone”. She never stopped questing her dad “Am I a failure” , “Am I a failure”, it seem dad’s answer never convinced her, seem dad never succeeded.
Her Mummy also tried to convince the child but nothing could work, the child was upset so much that she felt everyone around her seems looking at her with a child who filed in life. She was never ready for shopping. I could see the pain of the parents, while their joy just turned into sorrow. We have reached the station I got down with the big question in my mind “The impact of the video games that has captured the young minds. I came back after two hours of shopping, I saw the parents trying to convince the child in the railways station sitting on a chair nothing moved, I saw the child sitting with depressed mood.
I had an half a mind to just to talk to that child, but I am sure my words at that moment would never find right place in the heart and mind of the child. While I was waiting for the train to travel back home, I was sadden to see tears in the eyes of the parents taking the child back home without doing the Christmas shopping in the same train.The video game has got so much impact on the children, which suppose to bring happiness to children as well as to the parents but it is rather other way about.
The latest passion and craze among children is of video games. This is all due to electronic media and changes being brought about by technology and modern outlook. This outlook has basically been fashioned by materialism. But it is said that these video games depict much violence consequently young minds of children. By playing with video games children are being conditioned by violence. I do agree there are games which really cater knowledge to the children, those games could be given importance that would rather help the child spend the time meaningfully. When we compare this modern age with that of olden days, we do not see the young child playing in the play field rather we see them with video games in their hands playing hours together.
This method merely not helping the children giving proper exercise to their physical bodies, that’s why we come across children these days being physically week. It is beautiful said every day an hour play in the play filed would keep the child fit for the day. But it is very unfortunate that we do not encourage the children to play as we did in the olden days. This system of education so much mark oriented that every child today with a book in the school during the day time and they cannot even think of games in the evening, I believe this may be a reason that made child to find an alternative with videos games that capture them with lots of fun and frolic. This games so much enthuse them that they are losing touch with human values, human relationship, spending time with parents, friends, dear and near ones at home and society at large, which so far have been the dominant aspect of our age-old culture and heritage.
We always experienced a society becomes good when values are good, No doubt, parents and teachers try their level best to inculcate among our future generation the human values, But strangely these video games are affecting them overnight just because they are made such way that every child goes for it. I would blame the producers of video games who aim at maximizing their profit and forget their social responsibilities. This video games when it is not properly selected they are very badly injuring the very psyche of children’s mind and it will teach the child not to bother about anything that are happening around him/her. This may be the reason that our blood doesn’t curdle at inhuman killings reported in our newspapers. If this goes on our future is going into the hands of persons who are insensitive to violence. Well when we look at in the larger way. This mania of video games insuperable forms the today’s young minds. We cannot put an end to this obsession of every child day after day going into more in numbers. It is the responsibility of every parent to choose for their child what they would feet it is good and helpful.
I don’t blame that video games are very bad to children, but it can transform the human minds of children by constructive games which aim at spreading the human values of mercy, pity, cooperation, love, sympathy etc can be created. It would be appropriate if the authorities take proper steps to ensure that video games are produced keeping in mind our culture it would pay a long lasting effect on the young minds. let every child be happy and more fun loving while they take up video games to play, provided let it teach them values for life and something good and valuable that would make the child cherish in the days to come.
Wish you all happy Christmas and Great New year…
