What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Gaming?
The advantages of online gaming are cost, socialization, improved motor function, a healthy level of competitiveness and the ability to think quickly and analyze situations. Disadvantages of online gaming include glitches, addiction, piracy, server errors and reduced interaction with others. Online gaming allows gamers to socialize while playing, which helps maintain relationships with family and friends around the world. However, extended online gaming can lead to obesity and addictive habits.
Online gaming can develop critical thinking skills and increase memory. This form of gaming reinforces team-building skills and makes gamers think more strategically. Competitiveness is a result of online gaming that causes gamers to compare stats and profiles against a wide range of online players. Realizing that the opponent is not artificial intelligence naturally encourages competition.
Some gamers suffer from addictions that cause the gamer to play for extended periods of time without performing other productive activities. This type of game play leads to obesity and reduces real-world interaction with other people.
The server issues and glitches associated with online gaming are prevalent. These issues include viruses inside of the game that cause the game to perform irregularly. Piracy is another major disadvantage of online gaming. In 2011, Sony experienced a copyright scandal that stemmed from users illegally pirating games from the PS3 Store.
