Video games(PRO) vs books(CON) for learning

Thank you, CON. Now I’ll present my case. But before I begin I would like to make my stance clear. As I had mentioned earlier, we’ll be using conventional definitions and google defines video games as ‘A game played by electronically manipulating images produced by a computer program on a monitor or other display’ What should be understood from this is that my case is not platform restricted i.e, I can advocate for video games played in any platform ranging from gaming systems to cell phones and laptops. And thus I begin with my arguments. My case as I see it rests on five strong contentions which are as follows: Incentivized learning Video games work under a rewarding principle wherein users are rewarded with virtual assets in the form of points or goods for completing assigned tasks as a means to reward them for the effort they put into finishing it. When learning is done through video games, the person can be given various incentives or positive motivational influences for understanding or applying concepts and this would make learning a more comfortable and convenient process rather a cumbersome one as many would regard it to be. This system is not particularly new and have been employed by man for ages in areas like training animals where they are given suitable rewards for learning tricks that are taught to them. When such a system has been tested and has found success in animals then there is no doubt that it would succeed with 6th sensed being i.e, us humans. Ability to interact with the material in more than one way With the advancements in technology, it has been made possible to interact with gaming programs in more than one way such as through voice or touch rather than just buttons. Video games have an edge over books because they actually respond to the user’s stimuli and this increases the involvement of a user in the conveyed information. And moreover video games comprise of text, video and sounds as opposed to books which employ only text and images as a means to convey information. Thus we can rationally conclude that video games make information easier to comprehend than books. No problem of information getting outdated Concepts and theories improve and get outdated each and every day. Video game software have the ability of updating its content and all it takes is an internet connection which is now becoming increasingly common than it ever was. Books though don’t come with such privileges and it takes a lot of time for something that has been changed or improved to arrive in their printed pages. A boon for the environment The rate of the population escalation and the impacts caused by it on the environment are increasing day by day. Large areas of land and a huge number of trees get used for the production of paper which are required for books. Given the current situation at hand, this is indeed a hefty price to pay. Video games solve this problem too. Some platforms supporting video games like laptops and mobile phones have become a common and necessary commodity in our current stage of living and video games would fit right in with little or negligible negative impacts. Flexibility of use As I had mentioned earlier, my arguments are not platform restricted. Video games are now available in mobile phones and tabs as well and they grant us the benefit of portability wherein hundreds of games can be carried in a single mobile phone whereas books are heavier in comparison and are classified according to the type of information they hold. So for each subject different books would be needed thus increasing the space they take and the strain that we would experience in carrying them around. Also Video games can be viewed in the dark thanks to the help of electrically lit displays. My opponent claims that, the devices that video games run on would take in more electricity than what night lamps would. But I challenge him to prove this claim because I highly doubt it especially with us having access to technology like Led screens and phones whose battery that can even last for days together. Rebuttals: My opponent has claimed that video games that allow learning would not be affordable and has presented a few examples. But these examples are over exaggerated to suit his arguments. Here I post below some interactive educational games that are free right now to download: https://play.google.com... https://play.google.com... And moreover if the demand increases the prices will with time drop down. If the system of books were entirely replaced with educational games instead, then we would see more and more software companies coming and that would result in making video games affordable for the common public. And I believe I have refuted the other claims raised by CON in my contentions itself, if I have missed out any I urge CON to bring it up in the next round. Hence I rest my case and pass the stage to my adversary.