Nebeker 1
Jasmin Nebeker
Collin Hull
English 2010
Research Paper
6 December, 2011
The Effect of Video Games
Video Games are all around. They are on the web, computer, hooked up to the TV, in arcades and even on our phones. 72% of American households play some form of video games (The 2011 Essential Facts 14)“In a typical day, 8- to 18-year-olds spend an average of [1 hour and 13 minuets] playing video games on any of several platforms” (Rideout, Foehr, and Roberts 85).That totals to about 8 hours a week, and that does not include the time adults spend on video games.For all the time spent playing video games, there must be an effect. Effects that could result from playing video games, such as the ones labeled in Figure 1, are both positive and negative.
The Positive
Positive benefits can come in many different forms. As Allen Weiss, M.D., president and CEO of NCH Healthcare System states:
Being immersed in a video game, and having your brain stimulated, can encourage creative solutions and adaptations. These beneficial ideas and thoughts can then be applied to real life situations. The results can be surprisingly positive for individuals, communities, and society as a whole. ("" 14)
Video games can be beneficial to everyone and cause them to think and come up with more imaginative solutions to problems.Three benefits one might get from playing video games are; problem solving, hand eye coordination and education.
Problem Solving
Gamers may gain the skill of problem solving when they play games that challenges their abilities to think through different situations.Games such as The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass require you to think hard while traveling through dungeons with puzzles that you must solve in order to get to the other side.
Hand Eye Coordination
Gamers may gain this skill by playing games that require them to do multiple things at the same time. First person shooter games are a good example because it requires you to run, shoot and track multiple objects at the same time(Good and Bad Effects 6).
Education
Video games may also be used for educational purposes. Typing games for instance can be found on the web and computer. These games are fun ways to improve typing speed. There are also computer games that are more specifically geared toward education that you might find taught in the class room, such as math, science and geography. The Brain Age series for the Nintendo DS is all about improving the age of your brain. Dedicating “minutes a day” doing the training in the game will help your brain function better by challenging it with math, memorization and other fun tasks. It also gives you tips to help train your brain when you are not playing.
The Negative
When video games first came out there was a lot of research done on how it impacts children negatively. Video games can have bad effects on the mental and physical health of the player. Those who are prone to seizure for instance, should consult a doctor before playing because seizures may be triggered by the rapid scene change and bright flickering lights.
Aggression
Violence in video games is one of the most talked about effects, especially where children are concerned. Many parents are concerned about the result of their children playing video games. As Harris reports:
Indeed, their effect on aggressive behaviour has become the most commonly studied phenomenon surrounding computer games, including some work looking at how self-esteem correlates with these variables. However, the studies do not all point conclusively in the same direction. It is true that findings from the majority of the studies – especially on very young children, as opposed to those in their teens upwards – tend to show that children do become more aggressive after either playing or watching a violent computer game. But, other research uncovers no evidence of computer games having this effect on children’s behaviour. Indeed, one survey has apparently found that heavy computer game use has a calming effect in providing an outlet for aggression and the open expression of competition. (Harris 30)
What can be understood from Harris’s remark is that while violent video games can make that child aggressive, it is only temporary and has not been shown to effecttheir behavior.
Addiction
When gamers play to exclusion of all else there is a problem, and it is called addiction. Some people have fallen into the trap of playing non-stop. Just like being addicted to anything else there are place to go to get help. When someone gets addicted their anxiety and depression may increase, which can lead to a decrease in socialization.
The Middle Ground
In between promoting and discouraging use of video games, is the middle ground. It is where compromise comes in, mainly between children and parents. Most studies bout video games are, as Cheryl Olson, puts it, mainly to point out how bad video games are(180-87).Another large chunk of what is written about video games is directed to parents and advice on how to limit or control the use of video games in the house hold
Time
How much time someone spends is one of the factors that influence what effects and how much of them you get. According to Entertainment Software Association, 80% of parents place time limits on their kid’s video game use (The 2011 Essential Facts 14).Everyone can benefit from learning time management. It will help in trying to keep the time spent on video games to more reasonable levels.
Video games may be a positive or negative factor in one’s daily life. Depending on what is right for the individual, and if they can use it appropriately. Learn more about video games will help in understanding this new found age of technology.
Works Cited
Harris, Jessica. "The effects of computer games on young children – a review of the research."RDS Occasional Paper. 27 (2001): 30. Print. (Harris 30)
Kent, Steve. The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokemon--The Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World. Random House, 2001. 608. eBook. (Kent 608)
Olson, Cheryl. "Children’s Motivations for Video Game Play in the Context of Normal Development."Review of General Psychology. 14.2 (2010): 180-87 (Olson 180-87)
Rideout, Victoria, Ulla Foehr, and Donald Roberts."GENERATION M2 Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds." (2010): 85. Print. (Rideout, Foehr, and Roberts 85)
The 2011 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry. Entertainment Software Association, 2011. Print. ("" 14)
The Good and Bad Effects of Video Games."Raise Smart Kid. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2011. < (Good and Bad Effects 6)