When I first saw this question in a New York Times article, I thought the answer was an obvious “No!” Why in the world would video games be considered a sport? But as I read some of the arguments against my answer, I started to understand a bit of why one would consider video games a sport. However, I still stand my ground. I strongly believe that video games shouldn’t be considered a sport.
Scrolling through the article replies, I noticed the major argument for the “Yes, video games should be considered a sport” side. Their main argument was that, although not all video games require physical activity, many do require lots of brain work (i.e. thinking and focusing). I agree that some video games require high-level mental work. However, Oxford defines “sport” as “an activity involving physical exertion…” To be qualified as a sport, there has to be physical activity involved throughout. Not just mental work.
Some may argue that there are video games with high physical activity involved. And, although I cannot think of one from the top of my head, I can agree with that statement. There probably are many video games out there that require lots of physical movement. However, “some” doesn’t speak for “all”. The ratio of video games requiring high-level physical exertion compared to those that do not is too low to be considered.
“What about hand movement?” one may argue. “You need to move your hands when you’re playing video games. Isn’t that physical movement?” This statement seemed completely ridiculous to me at first, but as I thought about it, I realized that there was a point. Moving your hands is most definitely physical movement. So wouldn’t it fulfill the criterion of physical exertion? To this, The Tribune states, “While playing a video game requires skill and some coordination, it does not incorporate enough physical aspects to be a sport.” Although there is some physical movement involved, there isn’t enough to call it an actual sport.
Ultimately, I don’t see why video games should be considered a sport. The definition of “sport” itself requires physical activity, something most video gaming cannot fulfill. Instead, I think video gaming, along with other activities involving high-level mental work but not quite physical movement (like playing chess and solving Rubik’s cubes) should have its own category.
Works Cited
Burton, Adam, et al. "Point-counterpoint: Are eSports really sports?" The Tribune, 23 Feb. 2021, www.thetribune.ca/sports/point-counterpoint-are-esports-really-sports-02232021/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
Gonchar, Michael. "Should Video Games Be Considered a Sport?" The New York Times, archive.nytimes.com/learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/04/should-video-games-be-considered-a-sport/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
Wow Irene! You really bring up a good argument here. This made me think about both sides of the argument, instead of simply sticking with an automatic answer of no. I agree with the fact that video games and other material of the sort should be separated into a different category. What do you think that this category would be called?
ReplyDeleteGood job, Irene! You did well explaining both arguments and the reasoning supporting both of them. I think video games are definitely not a sport, mainly because there isn't much physical activity, but this made me consider both points.
ReplyDeleteI like how you started off with stating you original think of it as not a sport and then going into how you did research and now you can see both sides. I also like how you put a variety of different sources from both sides of the argument. I can also see both sides of the argument, although videogames aren't very physically taxing, there are also some activities that are considered sports that also aren't very physically taxing (e.g. beanbag tossing or pool).
ReplyDeleteHi Irene, great job! I liked how you brought up several counter arguments, and the arguments against them I would agree with. I like what you said at the end, that the kind of mental "sports" such as cubing or chess should have a category of their own!
ReplyDeleteI also wrote about this topic, and I eventually decided that it should be considered a sport. I understand why you say that it should not be a sport, and I would have agreed with you, but I found one piece of evidence that changed my perspective on the matter. The International Olympic Committee has classified Chess as a sport because it requires "immense skill, mental acuity, strategic thinking, and even lasting physical endurance required to remain focused for the duration of matches that can last for hours". These qualities can also be shown through video games, as you have mentioned in your blog post. Even though Chess is not very physically demanding, it is still classified as a sport. For this reason, I don't see why video games shouldn't, since they both require around the same amount of mental strain. Perhaps this new viewpoint could change your perspective? Either way, you did great with your blog post, and I liked how you took the time to consider it, using the definition of sport as reasoning.
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