The Increase In Online Gaming Sites During The Pandemic: What Are The Effects?
Online gaming sites are a popular way to engage in online gaming. A game available on the Internet for entertainment purposes is an online game. The first instance of online gaming dates back to the 1970s, but its popularity grew in the early-2000s. With online games becoming attractive to younger people, the market for online gaming sites has considerably increased.
Effect of COVID-19 on Online Gaming Sites
Online gaming had been steadily growing, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed its popularity to a new level. Many countries globally had nationwide lockdown, which kept people in their houses for months; online gaming sites became popular during such times. With millions of people staying at home, online gaming helped people to cope with the pandemic. Due to the pandemic, the online gaming industry was one of the least affected industries globally and flourished immensely.
Statista, a company that provides market data, reported that the worldwide online gaming industry generated approximately 21.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, 21.9 percent more than the previous year. The rise in online gaming sites boosted the gaming industry last year, giving rise to many popular online gaming sites.
Top 10 Popular Online Gaming Sites
- Miniclip
- LeoVegas
- Agame
- Addicting Games
- CoolMath Games
- Friv
- Kongregate
- MSN Games
- Pogo
- Armor Games
The pandemic largely influenced the rise in popularity of online gaming. Although the gaming industry earned significant profits, it has drastic effects. Let us look at the positive and negative effects of online gaming.
Positive Effects Of Online Gaming
- It promotes social interaction.
- Gaming relieves stress.
- It helps in developing learning skills in younger children.
- It improves multitasking skills.
Negative Effects Of Online Gaming
- Health Hazards
- Online Game Addiction
- Social Disconnection
- Cyberbullying
The effects of online gaming on people are fairly distributed. Gaming helped people cope with the anxiety and trauma of the pandemic. It helped social interaction amongst the players and encouraged interaction without physical contact. At the same time, people started relying on online gaming to relieve their stress, making it an addiction. Cyberbullying rampantly increased in the last year and is one of the significant negative aspects of online gaming. Children who play online games are often victims of cyberbullying; thus, making it a cause of concern. So, what can we do to handle this situation? – practice self-control.
Online gaming is a great activity that helps develop skills; but, players should play with self-control. Parents of children, who play online games, should actively monitor their child’s moves to ensure their safety. Additionally, adults should find ways to enjoy online gaming moderately without affecting their academics or professional responsibilities.
