Why Are Sports Better Than Video Games?

By: Omar Hamreh

Sports are better than video games because sports require physical activity, which can help promote physical fitness, improve coordination, and boost overall health. Sports can also help you reach your fitness goals and maintain a healthy weight. However, they also encourage healthy decision-making such as not smoking and not drinking. Sports also have hidden health benefits such as lowering the chance of osteoporosis or breast cancer later in life.

Participating in youth sports has many benefits, as it helps develop socialization, gross motor skills, strength, endurance, and self-esteem. But intense training in just one sport can potentially cause an overuse injury, burnout, or both. Exercise is needed to live and it will help you live longer and stay healthy. Staying healthy is important for your body. Sports help with keeping your blood pressure and heart beat at a normal pace. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. 

Playing sports can help bring families or other kids together to build strong bonds. But intense training in just one sport can potentially cause an overuse injury, burnout or both. Video games can cause muscle pain, seizures, aggressive behavior, poor grades in school, lack of vitamin D, changes in physical appearance, sleep prevention, and attention problems. 

Video games also cause auditory hallucinations, enuresis, encopresis, wrist pain, neck pain, elbow pain, tenosynovitis, hand-arm vibration syndrome, repetitive strain injuries, and peripheral neuropathy. Studies show playing video games can contribute to poor sleep and impact attention, academic performance, mood, and wellbeing. 

Exposure to violent video games can contribute to aggressive behaviors in kids. Playing video games for long periods of time has also been linked with developing obesity. New-age gaming's immersive nature can amplify stress, anxiety, and sadness. To lessen these harmful consequences, it is crucial for students to participate in regular physical activity and practice self-care. Many studies show that most adolescents who are addicted to computer games have high heart beat and blood pressure due to too much excitement and stress.