Gaming does not immediately dump a player into hardcore titles. Often, they start out in simple ways like a flash game here, or a classic platformer there, but the love for games is never spontaneous. This is why a lot of gamers started out when they were young and kept doing so until they were much older. Of course, you may wonder why you’d want to give your little daughter the chance to play some fashion girl games and that’s perfectly reasonable. No one wants to make their kid anti-social, but in all reality, gaming has grown past the stereo typical roots of being a hobby for old people in basements or males for that matter. If you remain a bit unconvinced, just check out the top reasons why you should get your little daughter into gaming.
10. Gaming isn’t a Boy’s Club anymore
There was a time when girl gamers were a thing of myth and legend, and that was a time that isn’t too far off. During those early days, gaming was usually restricted to adolescent males, which is why a lot of titles looked as if they were aimed at the puberty passing youth. Nowadays, everyone can get into games. Titles are blurring the lines between gender borders and often appeal to more than one sex. Of course, there are still some titles that don’t seem to support this new shift, Dead or Alive is a great example, but they can be overlooked, as games like Journey or Braid are fast becoming hot games.
9. Gaming isn’t as Anti-Social as it once was
There are some things parents should worry about when it comes down to kids. One of these problems is that games have the anti-social stigma attached to them. Like the reason above, this is no longer the case for gamers, as titles are fast becoming more and more mainstream. Games are now easier to approach, which attracts more people to the world of gaming. Right now, there’s probably a convention that celebrates people’s love for games and it has more than a few thousand in attendance.
8. It opens your daughter up to new hobbies
Do your children like to dress up in weird outfits? If so, then they’re probably going to fit right in with the cosplay crowd because that’s exactly what they do. A lot of gaming characters have been catapulted into legendary status within the gaming community, so a lot people end wanting to emulate that. However, if you think most of these costumes are just store bought, well, think again. A lot of those devoted to this hobby take time to handcraft each part of the costume, teaching them some important skills when it comes to DIY.
7. A Lot of Geeks are Good People
If you’re still worried about your daughter ending up in the wrong crowd, try to remember that geeks are mostly composed of those that are socially outcast. They understand what it is to be bullied, and most of them try their best to avoid that when dealing with people. It’s a learning life experience.
6. Games Breed Creativity
Creativity is always a good thing for a kid to have. Having a great big imagination makes them artistic and it also teaches them how to think outside of the box. Games do that by exposing children to whole new worlds, whether they are set in a magical place, or just around an apartment that happens to have magic in it.
5. Games can Teach
Often, games are regarded as mindless pastimes with no real benefit to the human mind. This is very false as games today are no longer just about collecting stars of saving princesses. Instead, they take on hard to tackle subjects and teach history in a manner that makes it more interesting for kids. Of course there are exaggerations in the way they are presented, but at the end of it, they can still convey a message better than most other media.
4. A lot more girls are getting into it
At some point during this list, you’re probably thinking to yourself “yeah, there are more gamers nowadays, but how many of them are actually girls?”. If you really wonder about that, then rest assured because girls can now be just as geeky as guys. In fact, a lot cliques start formation because of a certain fandom for a game, show, or comic. There are tons of girls who are geeks, so don’t you worry about your little one.
3. Games Build on Social Skills
Yet another important reason why you really have to consider getting your girl into gaming is the improvement of social skills. Learning social skills is usually connected with human interaction, as it has for hundreds of years, but it Massively Multiplayer Online Games becoming huge, there’s no reason that learning these skills is exclusive to that interaction. Every day, friends gather together for raids in World of Warcraft, or for matches in Call of Duty. This builds human interaction whether you believe it or not.
2. It helps your daughter understand a little more about technology
Since computer technology is one of the fastest fields of science to advance, there’s a constant need to keep learning about them. Your daughter can benefit from games because it teaches them how to handle new tech as it comes out. At the same time, they can also learn a thing or two about the technical side of the technology, which is important in problem solving.
1. Because games are fun
Don’t you want your kid to have fun? There are so many different genres out there, and if you want to control which games your kid tries, then just research which titles are most kid friendly. Check out Little Big Planet or the many different Wii titles that keep coming out.
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