The Effect of Video Games on the Brain
Biology 202
2004 First Web Paper
On Serendip
The Effect of Video Games on the Brain
Eleni Kardaras
The effect of video games on the brain is a research area gaining popularity as the percentage of children and adults who play video games is on the rise. Some people believe violence in video games and in other media promotes violent behavior among viewers. While there is not sufficient data to validate this claim, there are a number of studies showing that video games can increase aggressive behavior and emotional outbursts, and decrease inhibitions. From a few of these studies, and from my own observations of children playing video games, it is quite obvious that the video games do have at least some effect on the behavior of the player. The extent and long range consequences of these behavior changes after one has turned off the video game are not so easily deduced. One source states that "While research on video games and aggressive behavior must be considered preliminary, it may be reasonably inferred from the more than 1,000 reports and studies on television violence that video game violence may also contribute to aggressive behavior and desensitization to violence" (1). Another study reports that "Hostility was increased both in subjects playing a highly aggressive video game and those playing a mildly aggressive video game. Subjects who had played the high-aggression game were significantly more anxious than other subjects" (2).
I had a chance to observe the effects of video games first hand on two boys, ages eight and ten, when I babysat them earlier in the semester. They were playing the video game "Mario Cart," which is really not a very violent game; the object is to win a car race by coming in first while maneuvering through different courses. When the younger brother won, the older brother got up and started kicking him and yelling insults! Later on that day, the younger brother was playing another video game by himself and when he could not beat the level, he threw down the controller and screamed at the t.v. screen, "Why are you doing this to me...?!" and burst into tears. I was very shocked by this reaction and was not quite sure how to handle the situation. This game had brought an eight year old boy to tears, right in front of me. "Certainly, video games can make some people go nuts. You just have to look at some enthusiasts playing video games on their cellular phones, mumbling to themselves heatedly even though others are around them. At game centers (penny arcades), frustrated people punch or kick game machines without regard to making a spectacle of themselves" (3). From the above descriptions, it seems that players get somewhat "sucked" into the video game and become oblivious to their surroundings and much less inhibited to share their emotions. What types of changes are occurring in the brain to activate this behavior which one exhibits when "sucked" into a video game?
Akio Mori, a professor at Tokyo's Nihon University, conducted a recent study observing the effects of video games on brain activity. He divided 260 people into three groups: those who rarely played video games, those who played between 1 and 3 hours three to four times a week, and those who played 2 to 7 hours each day. He then monitored "the beta waves that indicate liveliness and degree of tension in the prefrontal region of the brain, and alpha waves, which often appear when the brain is resting" (4). The results showed a higher decrease of beta waves the more one played video games. "Beta wave activity in people in the [highest amount of video game playing] was constantly near zero, even when they weren't playing, showing that they hardly used the prefrontal regions of their brains. Many of the people in this group told researchers that they got angry easily, couldn't concentrate, and had trouble associating with friends" (4). This suggests two important points. One, that the decrease of beta wave activity and usage of the prefrontal region of the brain may correlate with the aggressive behavior, and two, that the decrease of beta waves continued after the video game was turned off, implying a lasting effect. Another study found similar results and reported: "Youths who are heavy gamers can end up with 'video-game brain,' in which key parts of the frontal region of their brain become chronically underused, altering moods" (5). This study also asserts that a lack of use of the frontal brain, contributed by video games, can change moods and could account for aggressive and reclusive behavior. An important question arises: if the brain is so impacted by video games as to create behavioral changes, must that mean that the brain perceives the games as real?
Perhaps looking at what effects video games have on autonomic nerves can begin to answer that question. "'Many video games stir up tension and a feeling of fear, and there is a very real concern that this could have a long-term effect on the autonomic nerves,' Mori commented" (6). Autonomic nerves are those connected with involuntary internal organ processes, such as breathing and heart rate. "Heart rate can be altered by electrical signals from emotional centers in the brain or by signals from the chemical messengers called epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine. These hormones are released from the adrenal glands in response to danger..." (7). Multiple studies have reported that playing video games can significantly increase heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen consumption. If studies show that heart rate is increased when playing video games, then it seems that the brain is responding to the video game as if the body is in real danger. Does repeated exposure to this "false" sense of danger have an effect on what the brain then perceives as real danger?
From the above studies and observations, video games do effect the players in some ways, since it appears that players get so wrapped up in the game that they forget their surroundings and begin to see the game as a real quest. Studies have shown that playing video games can increase heart rate and blood pressure, as well as decrease prefrontal lobe activity while the person is playing the game. This could account for changes in the player's mood and cause him or her to become more aggressive or emotional. However, the extent of these effects on the body once video game playing has ceased are preliminary and need to be confirmed.
References
1)Mediascope website, highlights data from various scientific studies concerning video games.
2)Mediascope website, violent video games causing aggression.
3)Japan Today News website, an interesting news site and discussion board.
4)Mega Games website, a hardcore gaming site, including cheats, demos, and facts.
5)Beliefnet website, centers around spiritual, religious, and moral issues.
6)Sunday Herald online, a news resource.
7) Freeman, Scott. Biological Systems. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc., 2002.
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01/19/2006, from a Reader on the Web If you have evidence of video games causing some form of harm to anyone, then who should be blamed. Or what action, in any, should be taken? personaly, i play video games 2-3 hours a day, and i am a nice kid. i do well in school and i don't let anyone push me around. i think it is the kids who base their life on video games and have low self-esteam are what people see in the news today. And it is not all video games, it is the one's that are rated "mature" that parents are getting for their kids. i think it is the parents fault in some way at least. thank you for your comments and i hope you thank mine. sincearly, "Ivan"
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I agree with Ivan, although I tend to play more than he does. While there are some problems with playing video games there are benefits of playing them as well, such as; better hand eye cordination, tend to think faster, quicker, and others i dont remeber at this time ... Jake, 18 April 2006
personally i feel the same way im 11 and i full heartedlly support your opionon ... Jelanie Hill, 21 September 2006
Change in attitude and reaction cannot be considered an effect on the brain from video-games. The attitude that one shows when he/she loses in a video-game, is a natural reaction that he/she personally has to change. This attitude is represented in almost everything you would consider a game. It's called poor-sportsmanship. Many people take losing pretty hard and find creative ways to express their frustration. Trash talking during a video-game, is no different than trash talking in any other game. You can't blame video-games for the physical reaction either. If a poor-sport played a game of basketball, he/she would get all of it's frustration out on their opponent, because basketball is a contact game. In a video-game, the physical activity is only limited to the hands, so they can't get it all out. This behavior is, again, result of poor sportsmanship.
Video-games are an easy thing to blame for people's personal problems. You can't base a judgement on an observation that could be the result of almost anything. Point Proven? ... Mrey, 2 November 2006
After playing videogames 2-3 hours I experience drastic mood swings. So I cut down. thanks for opening my eyes ... Aaron Smith, 10 January 2007
i think that video gaMES ARE blamed 2 much kid make there own choices , id know i am one . life gives you problumes some deal with it difrently ... Erik, 23 January 2007
thanks to serendip, i was able to find plenty of research to back up my science fair project!! ... Bob, 1 February 2007
Over 50 percent of the populations kids regularly play video games.
Every now and then one person does something stupid like kill somebody and the blame instantly goes to video games because "They cause violence."
No one thinks of the bad parenting or bullies and such at school but because they have played video games, that is what caused it.
Let me take for example Columbine, a tragic event to many a person but the blame was instantly pinned on the fact they played DOOM the video game.
No one thought about the parents that let all the planning and weapons go on in there own house.
People should stop assuming every violent act a kid does is based on a video game ... Jordan, 16 February 2007
Same here. Lol, and I think it can also stimulate your brian. My friend's did a science fair project about this and the results showed that they did better on a math test after playing a video game ... Zane, 20 February 2007
Hi my name is Pamela and what you said about how violent games affect people is like my brother he plays video games for 3 hours and then after that if someone talks to him he will hit you or something like that ... Pamela, 4 May 2007
I do know that there are specific incidents where people are sucked into a game, and are mad when they don't win. I strongly belive that kids can play video games such as "Halo" and "Shadowrun" and still be nice. I have spent this summer playing video games, somewhere between 3-5 hours each day. Yes, there were some times where I outbust in anger, but only when I was thinking about how much time I spent on this game, and lost. So I went and beat on a pillow. I started taking bike rides in the middle, which, in the end, took my mind off things, and so I could return and play calmly. I am going to enter the Denver Metro Science Fair this year with a project relating to this. I wish this website the best of success ... Jon Zulanas, 11 August 2007
i agree with the former person. video games don't really result in violent behavior. it is the parents fault sometimes. when they but their kid a game that has intense violence and gore and language the child might get messed up ... Japlowsky, 23 October 2007
8 year olds who scream and yell at a screen obviously has another problem than just video game rage which no one wants to point out that video games don't cause rage its that people get too involved ... David, 1 November 2007
Your report on video games is heavily flawed. I'm sorry. One thing, it's not the kids fault. It's the parents buying M Rated games for four year olds. It's true, my cousin has done it for his little boy. And the violence is just bad sportsmanship. That's heavily common. And for "Penny Arcades". Arcades have been dead since the late 90's. There are only a few places in a state that actually have arcades with GOOD arcade games. And can you really blame the kid for getting mad? Throwing down a week's allowance worth of quarters, almost getting to the end of a game to see the ending, and then dying? It sucks, it really does. No one can be blamed for that. And why do you act like gamers are mindless zombies, slaves to the game? Us respectable gamers don't just sit there drooling in front of the TV. Most gamers don't. And hell, anyone gets mad after dying in a level 50 times. But you know what we do? We get ticked, sware softly to ourselves, and realize the best course of action is to turn the game off, and walk away. You mention too much of studies too. Studies aren't always right, and most studies just waste money. Did you know the bathroom is the most dangerous room in the house? Well, yeah. Electrical appliances, razors, scissors... Just because something has been studied, doesn't make it true. In short, you tried really hard, I can see that, but you have to take in the factors of parenting, and how behaved the child is. You focused more on the trivial ideas more then the basic ones ... Sam, 15 November 2007
Hi there. I'm essentially a lifetime gamer, and I used to play as much as I possibly could in my free time. What you're saying correlates fairly well with my experience, low self-esteem, anxiety, and latent aggression. However, I'm not really like that any more, and not because I've stopped playing games. The people I came into contact with while growing up changed me, and my behaviors. So now I still play games, but at a far less rate than I did (yay for jobs). The point I wish to bring up is that I don't think it's video games especially that are bad for people, but the way they are reacted to. Granted, they lower Beta waves and raise Alpha waves, but who says that can't be changed by interaction with people and actually using the brain for thinking/working? I also wonder if it's the change in video games from the past and the video games today. Video games have indeed been dumbed down, and are made to feel more life-like. I mean, I played Dig Dug, but I don't think that had much effect on my brain waves, unless of course in the regard that it required me to think and plan where to go next... But yes, I do agree that video games, like television and everything else, should be used with moderation and not wholesale commitment to them ... Scott, 24 November 2007
my view is that there are both positive and negative spins to this argument. I play vidoe games alot a few hours a day and it does not seem to have any negative effects on me. infact i feel it helps me vent anger not cuase it. say im mad i might pop on my Wii and play a few levels on a game, after that i feel alot better. another thing, the computer/console games i play have greatly helped me on my hand i caurdanation skills, i feel because of vidoe games i can type better, and actualy make contact with a golf ball. and one final thing i must stress what i notice is that when i get angy at a vidoe game once the game is off i imediditly feel better ... Mathew Giso, 6 December 2007
Blame everything
Violence among people came as soon as our ancestors could clench a fist, rock and stick (or as early as Cain & Abel for the bible-minded). History doesn't lie. Mankind is brutal. They lived and died by the fist, arrow, sword, gun and missile from the beginning to the present to the future.
It's been a peculiar thing of the past century onwards (a time marked by two horrendous world wars and countless/endless atrocities) to start blaming individual violence and debauchery on movies, pulp fiction paperbacks, comic books, reefer, TV, rock and roll music, punk music, rap music, the internet, and yes, video games.
One would think we must've had generations of well behaved peaceniks before all these brain wracking technologies were invented. I guess back in the day, they just blamed it on the witches and burned them alive.
Video Games
I do have 2 sisters that would stay up till 3 am and play videogames then be up around 10:30 eat then go back on, They fought over the game at times. Only being eight and five they knew how 2 play really good. The usually played Star Fox, sims games and mario party's.. and sometimes mario cart and mario golf.. i was pretty amazed at how good they were. i Own a xbox 360 and i wonder why they werent really interested in the games. i showed the eight year old a game called Alone in the Dark, which was she actually did enjoy it and it did have scary parts and at times she laughed at them. I tried lettng her play but she just wanted 2 watch me. Im a 16 year old girl and i started playing computer games and video games at the age of 7 i love them.. i still 2 this day love them. i'm on games all day, i do hate when i get told 2 get off and i do get mad.. its like video games makes me happy not mad... good day.
wow
this is way too many ppl who honestly care about video games go get a life and move on its a video game
The psychological affect of
The psychological affect of video games differ from person to person
VIDEO GAME HIGHLY ADDICTIVE
1 Direct behavior of video game addict like myself is com⋅pe⋅ti⋅tion [kom-pi-tish-uhn]
–noun 1. the act of competing; rivalry for supremacy, a prize, etc.: The competition between the two teams was bitter.
2. a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage: Both girls entered the competition.
3. the rivalry offered by a competitor: The small merchant gets powerful competition from the chain stores.
4. a competitor or competitors: What is your competition offering?
5. Sociology. rivalry between two or more persons or groups for an object desired in common, usually resulting in a victor and a loser but not necessarily involving the destruction of the latter.
6. Ecology. the struggle among organisms, both of the same and of different species, for food, space, and other vital requirements. all of these happen when you have took your anger out on the video game and finally one you feel like ur the man like i did in CALL OF DUTY 5 FOR PS3(PlAYSTATION 3) WHEN YOU GO ONLINE THERE IS A LOT OF COMPITITION AND UR EAGER WHEN YOU LOSE I KNOW WHEN I LOST DA 1ST TIME WHEN I WAS A COMMANDER ONLINE I WAS MAD THREW DA CONTROLLER DOWN TOOK DA PILLOW AND HIT MY COUSIN WHO WAS 13 YEARS AND I WAS SO MAD I TOOK THE GAME BACK GOT MY $60 BACK AND BOUGHT A NEW GAME. SOME PEOPLE TEND TO HAVE ANGER WHEN PLAYING A RATED M "MATURE" OR T "TEEN". WHEN YOU ARE PLAYING WAR GAMES YOU FEEL LIKE U ARE ECSIALLY THERE BUT WHEN PLAYING MULTIPLAYER CAMPAIGN MODE WHEN U LOSE U BLAME IT ON THE OTHER PERSON AND HAVE A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE THIS COMMENT IS 4 EVERYONE PLEASE RESPONED IT IS 4 MY SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT SHARE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT HIGHLY ADDICTIVE TEENS BYE ^_^
????????????
i think when you play way to much you start to act like you did in the game in real life, little kids look at the shooting stealing and violence of the games and say to them them selfs, Can i do this in real life,? what would happen , i am going to go steal or try some of this! , kids get to used to this and start forgeting that there are in real life, there have been incidents when a teenagers took guns, went and shoot some one at night with freinds and all of them were playing grand theft oto. Kids are getting to think that this is all right to do i have done this in a game so there character or behaiver changes!
Effects of video games on people for senior project
hey im doing my senior project on the effects video games have on people and im looking for a mentor to help me with my senoir project could any one tell me of some one that can help me with it. I live in NC Leicester and I go to Clyde A. Erwin High School if you could help me out i would greatly apriciate it.
Games in general
I have to agree with most of you, so far in the past few years all I've heard is that video games are destroying my mind or something. (I'm 16 and also this is my topic for a persuasive essay) The amazing thing is that everyone places the blame on violent video games alone, specifically the GTA series or some other violent video game series. It seems to me none of the people that say games are killing our minds have really thought it out. There is violence in almost every part of our lives! You lose a basketball game, you'll get mad at someone. You lose at a drill competition (I'm the company commander for my JROTC group as well) and you'll be mad. Its a natural instint to get mad if you put so much hard work into something only to have it blow up in your face. For example, my cousin does not get mad, he's one of the most non-violent people you'll ever meet, but give him something like Pokemon to play for an hour at least and he'll be off getting the strongest Pokemon he can. Then if he loses he'll get mad at the game. It happens at every point in our life, we'll get mad at something and lose it eventually, so stop complaining about how games have ruined your life or something and actually DO something about it! I used to play games as much as I could but instead I write stories, play football (I only weigh 100 pounds though because of my metabolism), and hang out with friends. If you're a parent, realize your kids are worth more than games, or if your kid plays too much limit the time he/she plays. Its simple as that. As for all of you who constantly blame games for their anger problems or the problems for society...just know this, violence is EVERYWHERE!!!! In sports, hobbies, and life in general. Before you start throwing the blame on games for some sort of anger issues, think about that, it MIGHT be from something else!
Video games, and effects?
It's a bit naive to blame social problems on a child. The first thing that comes to mind is addiction. Addiction, can occur with anything, potentially, taking drugs, randomly chewing aspirins, or video gaming. But why is it that these "addictions" are blamed on the goods instead of the people? All addictions can be controlled, if and only if whatever you're addicted to does not interfere with your way of thinking. Let's take heroin for example, it's known as a highly addictive illicit drugs. And once you consume/inject it, it chemically messes the way you're wired, and your way of thinking. Even so, who's fault is it for not being able to control yourself, even after knowing that it's addictive?
Kids have taken drugs, unaware of their side effects, and this is normally blamed on the parents, not the drugs. So why is it the video games' fault that kids are addicted to games? How many 4~15 year old kids do you think can walk out, buy 500 dollars worth of game console + accessories, walk home and play all day?
Video games can be obviously be very attractive to people who want a vacation from "real life", and so millions people do play video games. It brings fun, and it can get addicted. But, in the end, it's your choice, it's no one else's to play all day until you are addicted, or misbehave, following game characters. It's no one else's. And games have ratings for a great reason. If you let your 8 yr old kids into R movie sex tapes, and horror movies, do go buy them games, when they're clearly not old enough to distinguish between right and wrong. Because the chances are, they're already screwed up in the head already.
Video games can cause problems, but it is naive to conclude that they ARE the cause, because most likely, it's the problem with parents, or children themselves, not the nature of the videogame. Why? Because we all have choices for our actions, and we all have consequences. If decide to swing a knife on a crowded street, and cut someone, you can't blame it on the knife. It's you who chose to swing it, it's you who chose to bring it out to the streets.
Ive been playing video games since i was 8
When i was 8 years old my step brother gave me his old sega dream cast, i played video games for 2-3 hours a day and they were pretty violent games such as phantasy star online (a game were all u do is run around and hack n slash monsters), skies of Arcadia ( a turn based strategy game based on a imaginary point in time where boats fly and pirates rule the world again) skies of Arcadia is still my favorite game to this very day. i am now 18 years old and i fit in the category of playing games 5+ hours a day. i am in my first year of college and im doing very well, i don't have millions of friends but that's more of a personal choice then video game influenced one. my sister was always very popular and she would always be pissed off about random drama, so i try to keep the people i hang out with to a number of 15 and below so i can hang out with them more and make more life long friends then temporary people who just get u in trouble. i go to the gym for an hour Monday Wednesday and Friday. over all the only downside to me playing video games is my constantly messy room and my dislike of mowing the lawn but i don't think that's to odd. in my opinion its not the video game that changes people, its how much people allow it to effect who they are.
I think the effect on
I think the effect on behavior is a varying circumstance through which it effects each child differently. There can be situations where it is used as a form of escapism, but there are also good aspects to that as well. The reality is that there is no right or wrong answer. I'm currently in progress of writing a persuasive essay about how video games DON'T effect children to have negative behavior, but after reading the reasearch about it, it's clear to me that 1. People use video games as a way to blame their negative behavior on something. 2. There is a psychological effects that video games do have on people, but the same brain reactions can happen through other things as well. As stated in a comment above, it's a natural reaction to dislike losing, in anything we do. May it be Basketball, or Street Fighter 4, everyone and anyone is striving for the goal of being the best. The best inference I can come up with is that there is a possibility of problems due to video games, but does it have the effect people claim it to have? I think not.
Okay...
Its customary for those who complain to actually plan on DOING something about the problem...
People are so interested in the whole "Destroyed frontal lobe" thing that they only RESEARCH the problem. If your kid is "Losing his Life" to games, its called limit them, take them away. Your the parent. You control the formation of your child's lives, not the screen.
Can it be acceptable to have
Can it be acceptable to have violent acts with detailed gaphics replayed over and over again--at the level, frequencey, intensity, and specifically violent acts(i.e. literally looking down the barrel of a gun scope to shoot someone in the head and then a close up of the head and blood oozing out) of today's media/games? As far as I know the body reacts to it as if it is actually happenning. It is like the mind be programmed over and over again to do something.
Secondly, much of this is falling into very young peoples' hands for various reasons. Is it acceptable to train young people to be assains--is that entertainment?
What things are being missed when extreme violence is looked upon as mere entertainment. There are people in the world who have to live everyday with the horrors of war and violence and do everything to get away from it. Shall we trivialize it so easily and say---it's only entertainment?
Disagree!
I am a gamer (xbox360), Call of duty and halo for a while. And i know i dont take in any of that. I am not a big fan of violence at all, In fact i am against it.
So i think violent games dont have an effect. That's just on me.
I am going to upset many
I am going to upset many here but as a mother of a teen addicted to video games, I see exactly what is mentioned in this report especially paragraph 3. You may not see it or accept it of yourself who does at any age. With all this said to be fair my son does play longer than 3 hours and it is a war to get him off. The video game my son is more addicted to is online WOW.
And now I am going to upset
And now I am going to upset YOU. The fact that your son plays more than 3 hours of video games each day is YOUR fault. Sorry, I am a parent as well, of a 6 year old. He asks me if he can play a video game before he plays. So in other words, if he is playing a video game its at my consent. Absolutely, he can get frustrated at the game and yell sometimes. But at those times I usually have him shut down and take a breather, or we talk about why he is getting upset and try and think about the problem in a constructive manner. Its a chore to get him off at times, but that is where your parenting comes into play. If he doesnt want to get off his games when I ask him to, well I just wont let him play next time he asks. Bottom line, put your foot down, drop the blackberry, stop putting work ahead of your kid and BE A PARENT. This is a perfect example of idiots putting the blame everywhere except where it belongs. By the way you tell it, there is nothing you can do about your son playing video games. Like you have no say in it. YOUR HIS PARENT!!
I'm just saying
The point of this article is to let people know the affect that it does have on the brain. The fact that they have proven that it does have an affect in a negative way should say a lot. Whether it is a violent game or not it will affect the beta waves in the prefrontal region of the brain. This being the area that contorls the mood. Well when you really get into it, it will lead you right into Quantum Physics which states that our thoughts affect the area around us. As one is playing these games to the brain it is real. The imagaes being projected are causing the emotions to rise which is directly affected by the process of thouhgt. The person leaves the game with this same thought process and it will affect how they interact with others around them. One gentleman said in his reply that it helps with hand and eye coordination and helps to think quicker and react quicker. This may be true but what good is it if one doesn't know how to apply these things in the proper context. If you know that it does do some type of damage, whether great or small, you will begin to question the play time and decrease the play time all together. I did like what you said that you will talk to your child about their reaction to the game. But the simple fact still remains is that it is having a negative effect and it is causing a negative reaction.
No, it isn't bad
I believe that video games can have negative affects if you let them control you. I personally have been plaing video games since I was two, and I have played every day almost for at least three hours. Yet I am completely fine, I am still in high school yet I am close to getting a college degree. I have many friends and still am very active. I dont let the games control me or my behavior, they are just a source of entertainment. I have played some brutal games too, you got the Gears of War games, the Silent Hills, the Resident Evils, the God of War seires, Dead Space, and other bloody and violent games; yet I function just fine in society and am in fact ahead in my education.
I believe that games do need to be kept in moderation if need be. But people are more than capable to know what is acceptable and what isn't, and even if they don't Parents should know what not to put in front of their kids that will affect them in a negative way.
Videogames
Video games are awesome and if you have a problem because you can't stop playing or you get aggressive or any of that other crap, then i suggest you stop playing videogames. Otherwise, don't mess it up for the rest of us who genuinely enjoy gaming as a hobby and past time.
i agree video games damage
i agree video games damage the brain , but only for those gamers who make a big deal out of games , like me , the more you get sucked in the more you feel empty and useless after hours of playing , sure it feels good at first , but after years and years you just become motionly corrupted , i believe there are two types of games :::
a_ your playing a game that take you on a quest to save the world you feel that it's your "job" to finish that quest , you get sucked in, after beating the game you have a feeling of relief and accomplishment if that's sounds fameliar then you have a problem ,
b_ you mostly play competive games , and games that are not real enough plot-wise , sure you can get addicted and become a bit agressive but it depends on how you take losing , it's just about pride , this kind of games doesn't do as much damage to your personality
what i want to say is , it's about how real the games are , the realistic games are dangerous , the more you play them the more you get tired of "reality"
this is just my openion though
i disagree
it depends on wat games. If u play rpg's u will never have to worrie about them ending so there for u never git sucked in to much...
Something I've noticed
As I have Read everyone's responses it seems to me that they all are going off of personal experiances, which automaticlaly sways your side of the argument.
If you havn't started gaming
If you havn't started gaming don't it'll ruin your life
REAly don't try
I totally agree with this, when i leave video games for a week or 2 i feel better in my health(body, sleep time)and my concentration but when i return to it i....i................. :(
This is all very interesting .....
But i have seen evidence that Video games and the use of such also help stay later life issues one of which is Alzheimers. I do believe there should be moderation and that one should know when to walk away if you are getting sucked in to much. (i.e. there is a world outside the box your staring at.) I play video games and to be honest to blame Video Games or TV or Movies for a childs reaction to their emotions I say... BULL! Take responsibility parents. You have to RAISE your children not the electronics that surround them. (BTW i am a father of 2 children) This boils down to an escape situation sometimes for the Parents, as a crutch or scape goat for lack of or just plain bad parenting; and sometimes the child, to escape issues that the parent should try and help them through. Even if they dont think the parent should be involved.
It pains me to see parents crying over what their kid has done and then turn and blame the media (TV, Movies, Music or Video games) for their childs behavior. Where were they? The are the Parents right? By the way parenting does not stop at birth, changing diapers and burping. It does not stop at booboo's or teaching them how to walk. It certianly does not stop at the difficult teenager who does not want to talk and wants to be left alone all the time either. Be a Parent! No one is perfect, you will make mistakes, but you have to keep on trying. The only real way to fail at parenting is to stop. I just get fed up with the excuses of bull that come out of parents mouths when it concerns their children. Are my kids perfect? Hell no, I fail, but I keep trying and going forward. Am I perfect, no, but again I keep trying.
As far as my video game playing. Have i ever been sucked in? Yes! Do i realize it? Yes. So i keep reality and video games in check. Its all in Moderation. If you use the TV, Movies and Video Games to baby sit your kids then you might have a problem. Look to yourself and ask "did I fail somewhere?" not "What can I blame this on?"
Sorry off my soap box now. :)
Parents...
The problem here is not the child as so many people have said. the problem is that parents should get into their childs lives and they don't, heres an example, if you lived in some forest for all your life and you had no parents, would you care if you hurt someone or did something else thats considered "bad" in society. The parents need to get off their ass and have a talk with theyre kids and that the kids need to understand that video games are supposed to be something you do when your bored and do other stuff, if all you do in your life is skip rope and thats all you did, if someone took that away from you you would be pretty frigen pissed off, its the same case in video games, the parents and the kids should take the initiative to help their kids do other things in theyre selves. If you only played 30 minutes of xbox a day, and you never played more and were limited you wouldnt care, but just as everyone has said you NEED to put MODERATION on video games before the only thing that strives the child when comeing home from school is playing the game he has.
I disagree
When I play violent viedo games I behave the way I have alwaysed behaves, but i do get sucked into the game and become oblivious to time and I hate it when people brag about themselves and I destroy them at one game or another.
Ok, this may be true... but
Ok, this may be true... but im not taking sides...
I play a lot nowadays on games like "Gears of War 2" and "Halo 3" and "Fallout 3" and other games rated M, (though i am 13). I have always been compassionate to others who seem to be upset, but lately ive become... well... "Badder". People who've known me a while are still my friends, but since playing certain games ppl who havent known me avoid me... Coincidence?
Games still do affect the mind
Maybe you play video games for hours a day. but still haven't killed anyone or done any crime, has never turned mad.
But games still do affect the mind, in a bad way. That's what the article highlights.
It depends on the game
You comment, and this article, are addressing violent action games. While it's true that this is a very common kind of video game, it's not the only kind. Some video games exercise the brain in good ways, and are not violent. I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just clarifying.
Mixed Views
I personally believe that adults need to monitor their kids time on video games. Video games are okay in moderation! The kids that I meet are shocked to know that my parents only allow me 30 minutes of playing time per week. I am glad that my parents monitor my time, when they don't I tend to become more short-tempered and have less patience with my younger sibling. I think that it depends on the person. No, a video game doesn't have control over our actions but it can have influence on the way we think. What people think, they tend to act out. So, it is the parent's fault for not monitoring their child's time and having better judgment on what their kids play and it the kid's fault for not realizing that their actions are wrong. They should have at least some grasp on what is right and wrong.
No, personally I don't think
No, personally I don't think it has such a big effect as most people think.
Playing games teaches you hand-eye coordination, boost your reaction time up, and if you pay attention it can help you control your emotions.
I used to be scared to watch any kind of horror movies or play in dark, mysterious, and thrilling kinda game. I learned though that after playing my first one and about haven a heart-attack at age 10 that it's just a game. Everything that happens isn't real. I slowly started to get less and less scared of games. Now there are very few games that can even get my heart to start racing.
Yes, if the game is "good" it could change your mood, maybe get your heart-rate up.
How about this, if you are a former fan of UFC like me then you should know what goes on in that octogon. I've been in a few UFC fights my self, (actually octogon, referee, and gloves). One of the main things I had to go through was controling my fear. If I was to get in there and fight with nothing but fear in me I would most likely lose. I had to remain calm but also keep the adrenaline going.
Games can teach you that. The only issue is whether or not people actually learn it.
It's up to the person playing the game to be able to identify whats actually happening to him.
Term Paper
As an adult who's grown up playing video games (the Atari 2600 came out when I was a kid, as did the Commodore Vic 20 and Pong), I have experienced a lot. I think even Dungeons and Dragons faced similar flogging when it became popular back in the late 70's early 80's.
Although I never had issues relating to video/fantasy games as a child, I did have friends who did. Looking back, I do feel that parenting skills may have played a big part in the kids' problems. As a parent of a gamer now, I try to keep my son grounded in reality, and this has payed off (at least for me it has).
I came across this article while helping an online friend look for information for a term paper. I am surprised at the number of young people who have addressed this issue, and I am impressed. I am wondering if playing video games as children causes what I see a lot of now in adults. I am talking about poor sportsmanship, lack of team play skills, severe anger at losing or doing poorly (watch some adults on a bowling league sometime... I've seen people throw their 16 pound bowling balls in anger.), and other behavioral issues.
addicted
i was addicted to games this past summer...i would stay in my basement for the entire day in front of the tv screen. after a week of doing this if anyone tried to take away my games i would be very very violent! i would throw stuff, push, and even punch in some cases...evencually i got therapy and stoped gaming...im 15
i think that yes, you can
i think that yes, you can get "sucked" into a video game but that happens with everything, work, school etc.
i thuink a young kid should not play video games because yes sometimes it does create mood swings. I am old enough to understand that it's just a game and people need to stop beign so anal about something so stupid
And hell whats up with all
And hell whats up with all the little kids agreeing, apparently they're all searching something to blame for their illicit unfulfilled lives.
Give me a break
Games are a form of entertainment, if they were taken as real or perceived as real, then there was something already wrong with the person. Games are simulations, however you as the consumer should be able to differentiate. When one gets angry at a game, that is ones own fault not the games, I have never gotten angry, when I lost at a game, I either keep trying or I turn the damn thing off; no big deal. If you think games are affecting your social life, its not, its the fact that you have no social life since you don't know when to turn off the god damn system and learn to go out, and don't tell people that its out of your control, games are not addictive they have no chemical affect on you, its your choice whether to turn off the thing or not; however since you have no social life and have nothing else to do, hell you might as well be a drone. Stop playing the blame game, it only results in one thing, your own fault; even if you were three, the only reason why you kept on playing games, was obviously because either 1) nobody liked you 2) you liked no one 3) You were too fat to do anything else; and no that last one was not a joke. Personal experiences are too varied, there is no way to conclude a theory with it; and trust me we've all seen the guy who smacked the arcade machine, but hey not all of us are angry and obscene enough to do that.
Yo Video Games do cause a
Yo
Video Games do cause a violent mind-set. My brother was a perfectly nice guy and we were always doing stuff together until he got the game CA for the computer. Now, everytime he doesn't get his way he responds with violence or anger.
you know i play video games
you know i play video games for up to 6 hours or longer I not sure i dont really keep track of time but to be honest i have good steady grades and really im agressive and a little random just as me hours before i play video games during school so i think there something more too it
What the heck...
I don't know about you all, but is it just me or am I seeing a lot of spelling errors and grammar errors in the posts of people who think this is bunk? I don't mean to insult your intelligence or anything, and I saw a few that actually used proper English, but you really don't help the cause if you are going to rail on this article about how "vilonce isnt a efct uv vido gams" or something ridiculously close to that. I play video games as do a lot of my friends. I am aware of the dangers and consequences of my choice to play video games. I am also aware that there are people who are poor sports. I don't throw my controller if I lose or shout at the top of my lungs at my screen. I simply channel what little aggression I have from being defeated into the drive to beat the level or person who defeated me. Parents need to learn that they can control their kids, as ridiculous as it sounds in today's culture. Why don't parents teach their kids values and morals today? This creates a nice kid that is great to be around. I'm not saying there is a perfect way to raise your kid, but punishment of children such as spanking (yeah, I said make physical contact with your kid's southern region because technically, uh, they are part of you carried on to the next generation so feds, lay off)and grounding should be enforced. The problem with the latter is that it provides a thinking ground (just like jail) to plan how they won't get caught next time. I personally prefer physical contact but with a twist. Unlike what the anti-spanking people who believe this is an excuse to beat up your kid, try loving your kid and not neglecting. Yes, this requires some effort on the part of parents, horrific I know. This is just classical conditioning with your kid. They make the active choice to stay away from the bad values and choose to do the right thing. After spanking your kid, tell them why you had to do it and how much you love them. Ask them to not do this again. Presto! Your kid now tries to stay away from the bad choice, or in this case, bad sportsmanship. I know I got a little carried away from the original subject but I am trying to make a point. When parents spoil their kids, they neglect the real needs of the child and the child becomes someone that no one likes. They don't behave as themselves and they never have any confidence in what they do. Some channel this into video games and find themselves having a false sense of confidence because they are leading something or they have control over their own circumstances. Same with kids who are from the exact opposite situation of being this. So if you found the correlation between you and your kid or parents linked to neglect and you play video games, maybe you need to change your way of thinking about video games and actually try interacting with the people you are supposed to interact with everyday. I play video games for fun, some more addicting than others. But if a game incites you to yell at the screen, like (cough)Stuntman(cough), just stay away from that game. You do have some power over yourself. You just need to convince yourself that you do. There are two types of people: those who look at their situation and say, "This is how it always was and that's how it's going to be..." and those who say, "This is how it was and that's why I don't want it to be this way." Before you talk, think about what you are trying to convey. If you are a good debater, you look at the whole picture, not just your own words. Look at what they say and then try to see where they are coming from. There are a lot of tests and there are a lot of people. Say your contradictory theory in respective tones. More people listen to this than to someone railing on about how "this person is #%$@^ and should be #%@*@& in the @&$*!" Don't be stupid. Play smart. Think smart. Be SMART. More will listen. I think Eleni has a point to a point. Parents should watch what their kids do but allow the freedom if these characteristics aren't factors. They are the ones who decide whether or not their kid is mature enough. Kids who are mature know their limits as well. Why not use the smarts we have to work together? You are part of a family. Why not try acting like one?
Disagre with Alecia Bex
Well i understand that you do not apperciate the violence that is apparent is videogames, many videogames do infact improve hand eye coordination and does not cause violent behavior. It has been proven that the generation growing up durring the videogame craz of 1993-present, actually has the lowest rate of teenage violent crimes. Violence is increased in already unstable or mentaly abused children, or who have had violence issues in the past. You may not know it but in many games you have choices to make, kill the prisoner or free them, for example is in many games. If the child was rased by abusive sadistic parents, they will kill the prisoner. If they were raised by loving parents who cared about them, they will free the prisoner. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT INCREASES LUST TO FREE PEOPLE WHOM ARE IMPRISONED, it means they want to help that person. Also, when killing is involved, most games have you killing some form of evil characters or zombies. Does that not mean that they should stand up fpr justice and the benifit of good judgement? I play many violent videogames, Gears of War (killing subterantian creatures who want to kill humans), HALO (1,2,3) (killing Aliens bent on Galactic sterlization and clensing), Oblivion (killing monsters, zombies, bandits). I have never actually gone out on a murderous rampage. And usualy names are capitalized (alecia bex)
-Richard Dunn 16yrs of age
18, February 2008
I agree entirely.
I completely see what you people are talking about. I may not have succumbed to such a threat of your mind being screwed, because of the simple fact that I was born in the SNES ages. Nineteen ninety five. I played the less violent of games then, but now, since I know my brain has matured more, I manage to maintain control of it for longer periods of time. I am on the computer constantly, whether I am at school or at my house. These studies I would approve partially, as these sorts of things are normally the case. Otherwise, though, the person would just overall have been violent at birth [mind problem, in other words]. This is a very accurate informational webpage, right here, and I approve it of being accurate. Thank you for typing this documentation.
my experience
i have been playing video games for 7 years now and i have never had a single thought about killing someone or anything like in fact i have probably learned more playing video games than in life outside of video games besides school and nobody is going to become some samuria warrior with a katana and go out on the streets and kill people that is the truth and it will never happen i am 16 years old
NAH
i do not think games cause violence nor do they make the players dysfunctional, i do think on the other hand Excessive Gaming is just a blanket for people who have underline problems. at home at school on the job ect, they most likely want some form of control and amusement. Making up for some part of life that goes down the shitter; that they have no control over. of course not all gamers are like this and weak minded people are more likely to be dysfunctional and lead excessive game-playing, just like those freaks on X-play
Sometimes...
I have been playing video games ever since I could hold a playstation controller. (Age 4.) I am not violent in any way, and I even play Halo. It depends what kind of game you are first exposed to. I played a lot of Sonic the Hedgehog, and I used to always want to be Tails, so my personality greatly reflects his. My brother used to play a lot of Call of Duty, so he is kind of violent. To me, its not the games youre playing now, its the games you start with.
half and half
i get what the article saying a bout people get mad at video games because my little bro srceamms and cries when hen is losint and he is 13 i myself like to play video games all the time and when i was i did not show any signs of that it depends on your brain
ok umm....
i play video games once in a while and im fine... but my step father mike yells and cusses and even throws the controllers when he plays.
I believe this article was
I believe this article was made to bash on gaming and the effect on the brain. The article is an arguble topic yet the article only takes one side and doesn't point out anything positive. What about the fact that the game tetris helps with trauma when played for a short time after the injury.
i have a friend who has
i have a friend who has recently gotten an xbox360. he told me when he was at school he kind of lost his memory and couldn't remember where he was or who everyones name was, even his own. according to him that went on for about five minutes until he started to recognize everything. his mom and my mom talked about it and blame video games for that. now im pretty much grounded from video games. do you think what happened to my friend was because of video games?
Nothing to do with the
Nothing to do with the games, maybe he should see a doctor.
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