Critical Evaluation of the Impact of Video Games in Education and Government Decisions on Tourism

Tourism is defined as activities that people engage in when they are away from their usual environment (Park, 2013). In addition, the definition according to Park (2013) emphasizes the fact the duration of the person in the new environment should not exceed one year. Park (2013) also notes that for the activity in the new environment to quality as tourism, it must not involve any form of remuneration or long-term stay. Tourism has become a major source of income for many people in different countries. However, in cases where tourism compromises the health of local communities or causes negative cultural influences on the local communities, the government may restrict tourism from accessing certain areas in their country (Meyer, 2005). However, this part of the essay presents an argument that while the government may wish to protect local communities or the natural environment from the negative effects of tourism, the local population has the right to boost their economy through tourism. As a result, implementing regulations and laws that restrict access to certain areas can make people depending on tourism to suffer (Meyer, 2005). The argument draws.

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Cultural heritage is a rich source of income for communities around the world. Social and cultural changes have made it difficult for indigenous communities to preserve their culture. Those communities that have managed to preserve their culture are reaping the benefits that come from cultural tourism (Meyer, 2005). For instance, the Maasai community in Kenya has a strong cultural heritage and tourism travel from western countries such as the United States of America, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom and France to experience the unique culture of the Maasai in terms of dances, indigenous food and dressing styles. Tourists often bring with them gift items and foreign currency with the local communities depend on them for educating their children, providing food and shelter. In addition, some filmmakers use the cultural sites in Maasai land in Kenya to shoot films. They pay Maasai elders and young men to take part in the movies and this has become a reliable source of income for them. As a result, any government decision to restrict tourists from accessing these areas means that communities will be cut off from their regular source of income which is tourism. In addition, the interaction between the tourists and local communities bring about development as tourists are often involved in the development of schools, water projects and preservation of culture by establishing and marketing cultural artifacts of the community abroad (Meyer, 2005).

Cultural tourism also plays a critical role in the economy of communities that preserve their way of life. Such communities make an effort to create handcrafts, preserve their values, architecture and dressing code which in light of modernization and erosion of culture becomes attractive to foreigners and therefore becomes a major source of revenue for the community. As a result, the government should be in the forefront to preserve the cultural heritage and market the existing cultural sites to the global market. However, in some cases, the government has become an obstacle since it instigates directives and regulations, which determine sites tourists can visit, and thus making it difficult for the community that depends on cultural tourism to prosper.

Another area of concern that the government may use to justify the restriction of tourists access to certain areas is health. It is argued that by allowing access to certain areas, tourists may either compromise their health due to the poor condition of hygiene in the places they visit. It is also argued that tourist may transmit pathogens to local communities from the areas where there are outbreaks of communicable diseases. However, this argument is weak bearing in mind that in todays advanced medicine, most communicable diseases have or can be easily contained. In addition, tourists visiting foreign countries are expected to receive specific immunizations and vaccinations that protect them from any form of communicable diseases that may be available in the areas they will be visiting. As a result, any directive to restrict tourist access to certain areas only serves to deny families that depend on tourism as the chief source of income.

Critical evaluation of impact of video games in exercise, education and training

Entertainment is an essential component of human life. It is common for people to listen to music, play a video game or watch a fascinating movie after a long day at work. In addition, entertainment and video games have become useful in activities such as exercise, education, and training. However, several scholars have argued that these forms of entertainment often result into development of violent characters as a result of lack of real social contact for people who play video games. This section of the essay seeks to support the use of modern entertainment tools such video games in education, exercise, and training and reveal how they are more beneficial to society than critics try to downplay their benefits. The areas that this section of the essay will focus on are in mental health and business.

According to Tavinor (2010), video games have great potential in entertainment and teaching specific skills to students and adults alike. While the majority of reports in the mainstream media concerning video games are often negative, Tavinor (2010) notes that research that dates in the 1970s show specific benefits related to engaging in video games. According to research studies conducted by Tavinor (2010), playing computer games has been shown to improve hand and eye coordination. In another research study by Tavinor (2010), computer games have been found out to improve the self-esteem of the player. In addition, the entertainment value of video games such as curiosity, challenge and fun cannot be underestimated especially in a world where most people are busy and do not have time to spend time playing traditional games such as football, swimming, and tennis.

Video games have been known to consume the time for teens and children. However, research studies also show that video games have educational value, especially in research. This is due to the fact that well-designed games have the ability to provide learning experiences for children and teenagers. As a result, video games have been termed as educational media. In addition, video games have been used to train students in specialties such as surgery which considerable outcomes.

Apart from entertainment purposes, researchers to measure specific aspects of mental health such as reaction times and assessment of mental health condition for patients have often used video games. They have been used by mental health practitioners to determine the level of self-esteem of patients, the conception of self-concept and goal setting capability of patients. In addition, video games improve interactivity and can be used to stimulate learning in children and help them to improve their performance in different areas of their lives.

According to a research study by Tavinor (2010), on the benefits of video games, it was noted that video games could help people with learning difficulties to improve their language skills through sharing and interacting with other players in a multiplayer game. In another research study by Tavinor (2010), on whether video games have any impact on the improvement of mathematics skills for children, it was determined that student who played computer games were more apt in mathematics than those that did not engage in computer games.

Video games have been extensively used with children with special needs and learning challenges. For instance, children with challenges in social interaction have shown improvement in social skills after playing computer games that encouraged them to share and interact with other players in a game (Studying videogames, 2009). Commands printed on a computer screen as the computer game progresses also help improve reading skills for children.

Video games play a critical role in the business world as computer game programmers earn their income by designing and developing games that are engaging and interesting to a wide variety of players (Tavinor, 2010). In addition to programmers, the computer game industry is a huge business that employs marketers, project managers, and customer care staff. Businesses also pay to have their products and services to be displayed on the computer screen as the game progresses, which mean they are able to reach a wider audience. In addition, specific computer games can be used to teach business skills such as decision-making skills, which are essential to managers in a competitive business environment (Tavinor, 2010). Some computer games are also used to simulate business situations and require business managers to strategically think of the most effective and optimal solutions to the problems. As a result of playing such games, business managers are able to gain insights which are useful in the real world business environment.

Video games are increasingly being used in the exercise. The term exergaming has recently been used to describe the use of video games to stimulate people to engage in exercise activities. According to a research study by Tavinor (2010), exergaming has been known to improve exercise by up to 7 percent. However, Tavinor (2010) notes that in order to obtain optimal results with exergaming, it is necessary for one to choose the right game in the market. However, active video games are still in their infancy and research on outcomes is still scanty.

References

Biggs, D. (2010). The Tourism Society's Dictionary for the Tourism Industry. Tourism Management, 31(4), p.556.

Meyer, D. (2005). Tourism statistics. Tourism Management, 26(2), p.294.

Park, S. (2013). The cultural moment in tourism. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 11(3), pp.231-233.

Studying videogames. (2009). Choice Reviews Online, 47(01), pp.47-0105-47-0105.

Tavinor, G. (2010). Video games and Aesthetics. Philosophy Compass, 5(8), pp.624-634.