Mrs Oreoluwa Lesi, Founder, Women Technology Empowerment Centre (W. TEC), has advised parents and guardians to leverage gaming as a means of fostering creativity, innovation and learning in children.
Lesi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Lagos on Monday that rather than having the notion that video games had a negative influence on children, parents needed to start seeing the beneficial aspects.
“The thing is that a lot of parents worry about their children playing games on different levels.
“One, is that they are very addictive and they believe that once a child starts to play them, it becomes constant and draws their attention from other things.
“Games that are immersive and require strategy and problem-solving skills to win, need players to remember and take in a lot of information.
“Regularly playing these types of games can help improve young players’ short and long-term memory.
“These games also help their brain process information quicker.
“Furthermore, video games capture players’ imagination, helping them to stay focused on certain tasks, building their perseverance to achieve a goal,” she said.
Lesi said that the brain rewired every second with the help of the sensations felt, adding that technology had a profound impact on the human brain.
She said that simulation games had been known to be used in wars to help soldiers sharpen their response time and strategies.
According to her, there is no bigger proof than that on how gaming helps kids become sharper and more focused.
Lesi noted that many educational product websites used game-like lessons to teach kids mathematics and other topics.
She added that game-based learning was a new concept being widely tested and used these days.
“When you look at a lot of people who end up becoming tech superstars, billionaires, a lot of them started off from playing games at a very young age and became so interested in technology that they now want to start building their own,” she said.
Lesi stressed that, however, while games offered a captivating blend of entertainment, challenge, and creativity, they also came with potential drawbacks that could not be overlooked.
The W.TEC boss said excessive gaming could lead to problems like addiction, health issues, poor academic performance, sleep deprivation, and impaired decision-making skills.
She noted that parents played a crucial role in setting sensible boundaries, encouraging diverse interests, and promoting healthy screen time.
“As with many things in life, the key is moderation. Through a balanced approach, we can help our children reap the benefits of gaming while safeguarding them against potential pitfalls,” Lesi said. (NAN)
