Of all the things modern technology has given us – smartphones, space travel, self-cleaning litter boxes, etc. – the best thing by far, in my not so humble opinion, is video games. Enjoying a good movie or TV series is great and all, but it’s a bit like a football player watching his team play from the sidelines: being a part of it is much more fun. When it comes to your kids, there’s such a huge variety of games out there to choose from that they don’t have to search very far to find something they like to play. And if what they like is a completely open world with the ability to do just about anything they want, well… that might explain why they like Minecraft so much.
Reasons Minecraft is bad
There are reasons Minecraft is bad, and some are more serious than others. Here are the top three reasons why Minecraft might not be for everyone:
- Could be addictive. Minecraft is very social, which can make it difficult to avoid playing it at home or on the go. It can also make it harder to focus on other things in life if you want to do well in school, for example. Video games have many negative effects, here are 10 negative effects of video games
- The graphics are sometimes buggy. This one isn’t as serious as the first two reasons, but people still complain that the graphics are “glitchy” (strange). Word of advice: If you have a weak computer, be prepared to spend time and money fixing any problems that arise.
- You may feel like you are taking on too much while playing Minecraft. Depending on how much of the day you play it, this could definitely happen. And if your social life is already filled with other commitments, then it can feel like a lot of pressure to fit into Minecraft time too.
Provides an environment without rules
Minecraft is the freedom that children with autism get by playing in the game’s sandbox environment. Many kids with autism say you can build almost anything. This is especially interesting because children with autism usually crave repetition and rules and know what to expect.
Another good thing, Minecraft allows its players to start with simple projects before moving up to complexity. For children with autism, it can be helpful to build at their own pace and in a way that they are comfortable without being overwhelmed.