There is definitely no arguing the popularity of video games these days
. Most people don't however know the theory behind the games. There are actually quite a few characteristics from real life that fit perfectly in with situations you encounter in games
When playing games you have to constantly adapt to deal with situations exactly the same as you would in your everyday life. By playing or observing others you can learn ways and strategies for getting better results from what you do. This relates directly to what you would encounter when dealing with people in different situations.
The games you play are all competitive and you always aim to defeat your opponents or overcome obstacles. Regardless of whether there is violence in a game or not, it relates to what you will need to deal with in your day to day life. If you can overcome these problems then you would be equipped to do exactly the same in your life.
There are a number of things that games and real life have in common. Here are a few of them
1. You get to dictate what happens to your character in a game. This also shows in your real life where you need to be the master of your own destiny.
2. The strategies - each player possesses this characteristic. These are the approach that you followed to reach your goals and settle disputes.
3. The rules - this governs the behavior of the players. There are also rules in the real world. There are even dos and dont's that you stipulate for yourself.
4. Choices and outcomes. There are always consequences to actions you take. When playing games you will see this happening on a regular basis and you can learn from these virtual mistakes and implement it in your real life.
5. Getting the payoffs. By working at it constantly and learning from mistakes you will get the rewards.
Many games out there are purely designed around improving skills and knowledge. It is however not true that these types of games are the only ones that can be beneficial to children. All games have a part to play in their development and it should just be managed right by the parents and monitored properly.