Video games get treated like some kind of threat to education. Schools block websites, lock them on laptops, or, in my case, use JAMF to stop students from downloading anything fun. People call games a waste of time, but that misses the point that games are basically about learning and exploring. They make you solve problems, manage resources, build strategies, and sometimes even work with other people. Basically, they teach the exact skills schools claim they want students to develop, just make them more fun and interactive.
I personally struggle with these limits on gaming. Boarding school life is already demanding: academics, dorm responsibilities, rules, schedules, you name it. When I feel stressed or frustrated, sometimes I just want to kick some demon asses in ULTRAKILL or get lost in a story-driven game such as DELTARUNE. But thanks to JAMF, I can’t download everything I want. That said, I get it: schools aren’t banning games because they hate fun. They’re being rational. Video games can have downsides. People say gaming makes you lazy or irresponsible, and yeah, unlimited access could lead to addiction.
But are these claims really true? A 2022 study published by Dovepress looked at video games’ effects on university students’ attention, anxiety, and daytime sleepiness. It found that gamers didn’t show significant differences in daytime sleepiness or anxiety compared to people who don’t spend that much time on games. The only difference? Gamers who played for more hours had 5% shorter attention spans. So yes, moderation does matter, but gaming isn’t the disaster some adults make it out to be.
The other side is that video games have a lot of benefits. They can improve problem-solving skills, logic, cognitive abilities, decision-making speed, and even attention to detail. Take action games like Devil May Cry or ULTRAKILL. At first, these games just look like you’re fighting and killing demons for skill points, game currencies, and progress in-game. But these games are fast-paced, and enemies aren’t easy to defeat. This forces players to pay careful attention to their next few moves. One mistake, and there’s a chance you’ll have to start over. This can also teach students about persistence, because mastery doesn’t come instantly. It takes hours and hours of practice to master a particular mechanic. Through this, you learn to embrace failure, improve, and keep trying until you succeed.
Video games can also improve teamwork and social skills. A survey of teen gamers conducted by the American Psychological Association found that 41% said gaming helped them work better with others, 56% said it improved problem-solving, and 32% said it helped their mental health. Multiplayer games, in particular, make you communicate, cooperate, and sometimes even lead, skills that matter both in school and in life. And if action games aren’t your thing, there are educational games too. The Farmer Was Replaced, for example, uses a gamified approach to teach programming skills and concepts in a way that’s actually fun and engaging.
So my opinion is, completely banning video games is silly and ineffective. It makes students miss out on valuable and fun opportunities. Games can be entertaining, sure, but they’re also educational in ways schools often don’t recognize. That said, I do think some limits are necessary. Unlimited gaming could make students distracted, unfocused, and forget about assignments. But using a different approach, with moderation, supervision, or scheduled playtime, makes a lot more sense than a total ban.
I also want to throw in a bit of personal experience here. Boarding school is tough. We’re far from home, the school is competitive and demanding, and the rules can feel so, so frustrating. Little things, like waiting 30 minutes for dinner, wearing these ugly, uncomfortable shoes that everyone has to wear, or the frustration from doing too many lab reports and “independent learning,” can really get on your nerves. Gaming is one way to relieve that stress. Even 30 minutes of a fast-paced or story-driven game can help me, personally, reset mentally. Removing that stress outlet entirely doesn’t make students more disciplined. It just makes them more frustrated and stressed.
In conclusion, I think video games shouldn’t be banned in boarding schools, or in schools in general. They teach skills in a fun and engaging way, offer stress relief, improve mental health, and sometimes even help students develop passions for certain subjects or ideas. Proof of this: I had a friend who became obsessed with bioengineering and biology in general simply because he liked Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, which featured a lot of interesting cyborgs. And me, personally, I became very interested in robotics and machines because ULTRAKILL’s machines and weapons are so fascinating. Schools can still have rules and limits, but outright banning games ignores the helpful benefits they can give. Responsible access is the solution, not a total ban. Besides, we have to learn to manage our time effectively anyway. Schools should see video games as an addition to the learning process, something that helps connect education with what students love.
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Eunike Lumbanraja is a student at SMA Kemala Taruna Bhayangkara. This article was produced as part of the school’s CCA Creative Writing Program in collaboration with the OM Institute.
