If you thought that a career in video gaming only meant streaming your sessions on one of the many online platforms like Twitch and YouTube, then you’re mistaken. The rise of eSports has been absolutely booming in the past few years, with tournaments taking place all over the world. And now, schools and colleges are finally opening up to the idea, and eSports in schools is becoming more popular.
You may think, as many people do, that playing video games in school is not good for the students. You may think that it will distract students and make them not write their essays or do their assignments. In reality, this is just not true. A student is more likely to use a custom essay service because the essay’s topic wasn’t explained properly rather than because of gaming. Using an essay writing service is not an indicator of students’ performance going down because of eSports in schools.
Writing a quality research paper is definitely important for students, but they sometimes just don’t have the time to do so. So, in order to get their work done, they may ask a professional writer to help them out, especially if they don’t understand the topic. These custom writing services do give people more time to practice their gaming skills as the benefits of eSports are becoming more and more prominent to them.
When Did eSports Become Popular
eSports became very popular somewhere in the last decade when professional tournaments for video games started being held. This popularity is now on a very steep trajectory upwards. While a couple of years ago, it was thought that gaming could only negatively affect student performance, now schools for gaming are becoming a thing. There are more than 170 schools in the USA that offer eSports programs. To attract more students, they also offer around $16 million in scholarship money per year.
As a result of this massive popularity, college tournaments are also held throughout the year in which college teams take part. This is such a massive market, in fact, that a few colleges and universities have also developed special arenas for their teams to practice on-campus.
The Benefits of eSports in Schools
● More Engagement from Students
Schools that take eSports seriously on-campus are able to reach out to more students. There are many young people who like to play games but are often disengaged from their peers and prefer to play in isolation. By accepting and including this activity, schools can attract these people to common spaces such as computer labs and libraries where they can play while engaging with other students. Such people are likely to be a lot more active in their classes and more likely to graduate from college.
● A Sense of Inclusion
Students who like to play games and put actual hard work into their skills can feel much more included in their school if eSports is made a part of the education. As a result, they are also likely to take part in other activities taking place in their school as well, leading to more involvement on their part.
● It Leads to STEM Interest
One of the top benefits of eSports is that many colleges have reported that students who take part in it develop a greater interest in STEM fields. In 2018, it was revealed by Riot Games that two-thirds of their players that played League of Legends had chosen a STEM field as their major. Those who are invested in gaming often get drawn to the broader technology behind the making of these digital masterpieces, which is thought to be a big reason for this.
● An Alternative Career Option
If colleges invest in eSports research and more schools for gaming are created, then students can find a very good career opportunity in this activity. There are already countless players who have turned this passion of theirs into the source of their livelihood. Many gamers use platforms like Twitch and YouTube to continuously grow their audiences, get sponsors, and also play in professional tournaments.
Conclusion
Gaming was always thought to have been bad for academic performance in the past. Today, however, the fact is that gaming has taken the form of eSports in which professional video game players from all over the world compete, just like any other sport. The inclusion of eSports in schools has led to it becoming a legitimate career option for many young people who are invested in becoming the world’s best gamers.