As many of you may know by now, esports are officially a Bachelor of Sciences degree for students, which will require students to take classes in kinesiology, communications, business, computer sciences, and more. Electronic sports are essentially competitive gaming across multiple professional platforms from streaming to tournaments.

“An Esports degree from UND will give you the foundation to step into the industry in a variety of ways; you will also find opportunities in media, such as broadcasting and analysis,” the University of North Dakota said. “Our Esports bachelor’s degree program will set you on the path to success in the Esports field of your choosing.”

Although there may be some pros to an Esports degree such as opportunities in broadcasting, educating, managing, and more, the cons outweigh the pros. You may be successful financially, but will you truly be happy and healthy too?

Staring at a screen for 12 plus hours a day from going to work at 9 am to gaming until midnight in your free time is extremely unhealthy for several reasons. We all know that staring at a screen for long periods of time is not good for your health because it can negatively affect sleep habits, cardiovascular health, mental health, and eyesight, and remaining physically inactive for an entire workday can also put one at higher risk for obesity and stress.

From Fortnite to Call of Duty, gaming is admired by people of all ages and can act as distractions from pain and psychological trauma according to WebMD, but it can stray you away from any community and fellowship one may yearn for. 

“There is growing concern about the potential of negative mental health consequences associated with playing video games,” according to Counseling Today. “Some of these concerns include gaming addiction, negative coping mechanisms, unhealthy lifestyles, loneliness and isolation, depression and even suicidal ideation.”

Steering away from the health effects of gaming, electronic gaming has been a huge advancement in technology. Technology is advancing more and more every day; there are more careers and activities that are going digitally each year, and with Covid causing people all over the world to work from home, it has caused technology to advance at an excessive rate. 

Esports may be the cause of further elimination of in-person activities such as physical sports. Who does not love going to a football game screaming and cheering in the stand, but the day will come when people will be watching Twitch Streaming instead of the NFL. 

“Esports carry risks for the body and, possibly, the developing brain,” according to The Washington Post. “The eight to 12 hours that many top esports players say they train per day has led to an increase in computer-related injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injury and back pain.”

All in all, esports will either be a great triumph or the demise of society as we know it. 

Kelsie Hildebrand is a Dakota Student General Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].