Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Video games positive effects
Video games benefits
Effects of video games on mental health essay
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Video games have been argued about for decades. Some people have argued that video games are linked to violence. However, new research shows that video games can be used for therapeutic purposes, exercise, stress relievers, positive interactive learning, hand eye coordination, and different types of patient treatment for people all around the world. When playing video games, the coordination and concentration can physically, socially, and mentally benefit the user. Research today shows that certain video games can reduce fat and therefore promote weight loss. Other sources state that doctors have instructed parents to let their children play video games to help control focus. It is found that video games can improve hand eye coordination and have been used for rehabilitation of wounded soldiers. Gamming has developed in technology, and created many new positive effects. Over the years video games has become popular, the history of gamming continues all the way back to board games, new equipment has created constructive and entertaining learning experiences. Video games are used to improve physical health. Playing video games does not mean being inactive. New and improved video games involve and incorporate different types of movement in the actual game. Certain video games can reduce fat causing global weight loss (Recio 143). By turning game systems into exercise, new generation games draw people into activities and get heart rates pumping. Schools have incorporated video games into part of their physical education program. Children’s waists lines have gone down by inches due to playing video games in gym class. In gym, the machines teach things like balance, timing, and coordina... ... middle of paper ... ...e dealing with technology everywhere and their whole lives. Video games help make kids feel comfortable with technology. Video games now provide a fun and social form of entertainment and are used all over the world for positive effects. Gaming has had positive effects on aiding weight loss, improving the efficiency of visual skills, controlling anger, creating fun interactive learning environments, and has become a new way of therapy to help rehabilitate patients. The new Wii programs will certainly develop and continue to perform more incredible effects on different people. New gaming technology is being developed every year; the effects can only get more enhanced. Source "Video game play may provide learning, health, social benefits." American Psychological Association. February 2014, Vol 45, No. 2 http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/02/video-game.aspx
Researchers, however, have found that gaming may not be completely bad for adolescents. A recent study by Paul J.C. Adachi and Teena Willoughby points out that video gaming may satisfy the same criteria for positive youth development as traditional organized activities such as sports, music or clubs. In direct contrast to this analogy, they demonstrate that there may be significant social benefits of gaming, that adolescents are motivated to play video games and that this type of play requires concentration and mental effort (Adachi and
The average person who plays video games regularly is thirty-three years old (Issitt). This topic is important because video games have been given an unfair stereotype. Video games have the stereotype of taking over the lives of teenagers and making them violent. However, the benefits of video games outweigh the negatives.
...ing Health Benefits of Playing Video Games.” Youtube. 14 November 2012. Web. 1 May 2014.
Video games have been proven to help kids deal with stress and anger. An article written in the Psychiatric Times by Cheryl K. Olson, Lawrence Kutner, and Eugene V. Beresin who all are experts in their fields of Child development, Psychology, and Psychiatry discussed how a foundation surveyed kids to better understand why they play games and how they affect them. The survey showed some really valid points to the benefits of video games. For example, “‘To relax’ was chosen as a reason to play by the majority of boys and close to half of girls. ‘To get my anger out’; was selected by 45% of boys and 29% of girls; 25% of boys and 11% of girls said that they played to ‘cope with anger.’ Violent video games might provide a safe outlet for aggressive and angry feelings”. The kids that were surveyed also said that they would play these games after having a really tough day at school and it would help relieve the stress. Everybody has some kind of outlet they use to relieve stress and anxiety even young people. I’ve personally used video games to relieve stress. When I 'm having a bad or just am really angry about something I can go play a game and it takes my mind off of it and then I start to calm down and feel one hundred times
Recently, there have been many active video games that have become popular amongst children that can encourage exercise. Video games such as the Wii and the Xbox connect engage children in a whole new way in which the whole body is actively involved. The scientific journal JAMA Pediatrics conducted a study to evaluate the effects of active video gaming on the physical activity and weight loss in children. The research group conducted a 16-week study on seventy five overweight or obese children that were enrolled into a community-based weight management program. The average age of the participants was 10 years old, the average BMI score was 2.15 and the percent of overweight form the median BMI was 64.3 percent. The participants were broken down into two groups to assess the effects that active video gaming could have on weight loss; however both groups received the family-based pediatric weight management program Join for Me. The participants in the program and active gaming group received a game console and motion capture device and one active game at their second treatment session. They also received a second game in week nine of the program. Participants in the program only group were handed the hardware items and two games at the completion of the 16-week program. The results of the study concluded that the participants in the program and active gaming group exhibited a great increase in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity but the program only group saw a decline or no change in their physical activity levels. In both groups, participants exhibited significant reductions in percentage overweight and BMI scores but the program and active gaming group exhibited a significantly greater amount (JAMA Pediatrics, 2014, p.1). This...
Videogames are amazing they promote creativity, team-work and social interaction. Video games actually work to increase how good your eyesight is. One study done by scientist’s Daphne Bavelier and her team found that playing five to fifteen hours of action games (e.g., Call of Duty) a week increased how good the participants vision was in two ways "The first way is that they 're actually able to resolve small detail in the context of clutter… The other way that they are better is actually being able to resolve different levels of grey”. Sure games have violence in them but honestly what doesn’t, films and TV are chock full of it, heck even Tom and Jerry promote violence and animal abuse plus there is a reason that those big shiny red “18” stickers are put on games so that it is clearly shown that children aren 't supposed to be given access to these specific types of game. As for the “waste of time” nothing is really a waste of time if you gain something from it such as
There have been several studies conducted on learning and serious games, for example, a recent study by the Office of Naval Research found that video game players performed ten to twenty percent better in perceptual and cognitive ability than non-game players, and that video games helped adults process information faster(Steinberg,2012). Another study by the Federation of American Scientists found that students re...
Video games can give players experience and knowledge, but they can also, at the same time, drain energy from a player by taking away vital sleep the night before a game . Video games can be a great source of basic athletic skills, improving hand eye coordination and visual search skills. Young athletes, who have been playing and practicing with sports video games have a greater understanding than older sports stars did when they first began playing a sport, but video games cannot create an athlete. Video games help athletes become better at their sport, but the video games cannot help a person become an athlete. "A better analogy for virtual training [sports video games] could be weight lifting: It’s an activity that won’t turn you into a professional athlete, but if you are one, it will make you better at your sport" (Suellentrop 20). Sports video games impact sports performance positively, but a balance must be found between video games and real life practicing, as video games can cause harm just as much as improvement for and athletes sports performance
Since the Early 70’s video games have been giving a bad name. Parents state that video games rot the minds of children and are influencing them do be violent. These accusations are far from the truth. In my research I found that there are many positive effects of gaming. Some of these effects are increased skills, creativity, general knowledge, and also help those in need. Parents can also take proper precautions and look into a game before buying it to see if it meets the criteria discussed in this paper.
Nowadays, video games are frequently accused of having detrimental effects on children and adolescents. The main arguments against video games are that they lead to addiction, that they provoke violence, and that they impair social development. Whether or not such claims are true has not been determined with certainty as scientific studies have produced contradictory results. Nevertheless, video games also have beneficial effects, which tend to be underrated, as they do not receive the same level of media coverage that adverse ones do, and are thus unknown to the general public. Some of the positive effects of playing video games on mental development include: stimulating analytical thinking, improving concentration, and encouraging planning and anticipation (“Video game controversies”).
Many people believe that video games change people and mislead them to do bad things, such as drugs and alcohol, but it is the opposite. Gaming prevents people from such acts and actually helps to keep them away from the substances. Lots of people, mainly parents, believe that video games harm people so they try to keep their children away from them. In reality, video games make your life better. Video games can provide many benefits to your lifestyle as “numerous academic studies indicate that playing video games has many psychological and even physical benefits” (Guarini). Gaming helps stimulate the brain and advances your problem solving abilities. There are disadvantages to gaming, which is true, but the amount of benefits outweigh them by far.
Video game have been claimed as addictive, a waste of time, and a distraction. While this does apply to some people, others have found the benefits to playing video games. These benefits include simulating working environments, helping people escape working environments, and giving great experiences. Although these benefits seems to be beneficial, it still stands that video games are a waste of time in which other things can be more productive.
In recent years, technology has developed very rapidly. This has led to many arguably both positive and negative changes in our everyday lives. One such change was the increased accessibility of personal computers and gaming consoles as well as the introduction of numerous video games. Due to their entertainment value, these games gained popularity among children and teenagers. Although many concerns have been voiced related to playing video games, especially those that are violent, [e.g., increases in aggressive behavior in children (Anderson & Bushman, 2001)], this paper will argue that certain video games also have beneficial effects. They should thus be played by children, teenagers and adults alike albeit with caution.
This being said, it can be proven that advancements come with positive and negative effects. The video games of twenty-five years ago have evolved into something different and in some cases something dark. Research has shown in many cases that video games have negative effects such as: increased aggressive behavior, desensitization, and poor physical heath on adolescents. Many researches also think part of the problem arises because adolescents do not receive enough parental supervision with these games. After discussing these negative effects it will be obvious that more vigilance and regulations are warranted.
The experience of game play can be described as an activity in which the player is virtually embodied in the game world. Anyone who has experienced the world of gaming knows how the engaging experience can manifest itself with “sweaty palms and chills down the spine” (http://www.eludamos.org/index.php/eludamos/article/viewArticle/80/147) when coming face-to-face with alien creatures; or with the adrenaline rush we get when racing a high speed automobile head-to-head with a friend. Gaming is an excellent source of entertainment. It provides an opportunity for social growth, provides a meaningful form of exploring expression, and provides heightened sensitivity.