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Effects of video games on children
The effects of videogames on the human psyche
How video games affect the minds of teenagers
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“Why Games Are Good For You” by Steven Johnson explains how reading is on the decline and video games are becoming increasingly more popular in the modern world. At the beginning of this article Johnson is quick to share his view that video games are more of a waste of time as they are not as beneficial to the brain like reading is. He mentions that readers are generally more active and interested in events and the world around them, while gamers tend to live a more sedentary lifestyle. Johnson then attempts to illustrate a parallel universe where video games are released into the world before books are. In this alternate world people are outraged when books are released. Children are locking themselves in their rooms and shunning themselves …show more content…
He explains that they may not actually be a complete waste of time. Not only do they improve hand-eye coordination, but they also develop manual dexterity, and even visual memory. On the flip side, people who play video games tend to get very frustrated and even mad for a good duration of time when they are stuck at a certain part. Beating the game is now no longer about fun and becomes torturous. Johnson then makes the point that even though some games may have a lot of freedom and allow you to use your creativity, millions of guidebooks are sold to lead and direct players to their final goal. Readers on the other hand are given descriptions of setting and characters, but no actual vision of what these things actually look like. This allows the reader to paint their own picture with their imagination and let their mild run free as opposed to it being restricted to the visuals on the screen. At the end of the article Johnson reveals the potential science behind the addictiveness of gaming. It is easy to get hooked on a game due to all of the cliff hangers that force you want keep playing and discover what is next. Little rewards like unlocking new levels releases a chemical called dopamine which essentially makes you feel happy and satisfied. When dopamine levels are low, gamers grow disappointed and tend to crave that next unlockable making it difficult to put the controller
He asks the audience to try a thought experiment where video games were invented and popularized before books. Children have been playing games for centuries and then books came along. He believes the argument would claim that reading books chronically understimulates the senses, that they are tragically isolating, downright discriminatory, and that they follow a fixed linear path. He acclaims, “Only a small portion of the brain devoted to processing written language is activated during reading, while games engage the full range of the sensory and motor cortices” (Johnson 483). Johnson doesn’t agree with the argument, but believes its contentions are somewhat true. It was risky for him to include this argument in his essay because of the negative effects supporters of reading may encounter. However his intentions were to get his audience to consider a different way of
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
As a result, multiple case studies have been developed to understand what video games do to the brain and what it does to individuals. However, that has not changed the fact that video game addiction is not currently listed as a disorder of the mind or body (Wood, 2007, p.169). According to Richard Wood (2007), this concept is supported by the media, parental concerns, and some profile cases of people who obviously play too much video games. Richard Wood (2007) analyzed multiple case studies to find that the criteria used to measure video games and addiction in some of them was pathological gambling screens. For instance, there are huge differences between gambling and video game playing (Wood, 2007, p. 170). Gambling involves wagering a certain amount of money to win more of it. However, when the subject continues to lose, that person bets even more and it begins to lead into debt and stress (Wood, 2007, p.170). On the other hand, video games do not involve money and is different from gambling. Hypothetically, if there were money involved in the game, than it would automatically be deemed gambling. Wood also has a difficult time interpreting how excitement of video games can be increased, like gambling. Another issue arises when using the Addiction-Engagement Questionnaire that concludes an overestimation of prevalence (Wood, 2007, p. 170).
Video games have become a hot topic recently. There have been a lot of controversy over whether to play or not to play. The controversy is due to them being arguably more captivating than all other forms of entertainment. Video games narrate an epic tale like no other form of entertainment can. You can become immersed in video games, because of this they are both a highly entertaining escape from the real world and a complete waste of time.
“Most reported effects of videogames – particularly in the popular press – appear to centre upon the alleged negative consequences… Research has consistently shown that playing computer games (irrespective of genre) produces reductions in reaction times, improved hand-eye co-ordination and raises players’ self-esteem,” (Griffiths p. 47), states Mark Griffiths in his article, “The educational benefits of videogames”. When people think of video games, they often tend to think about the negative side effects that video games can have on a person. Will Wright in his article, “Dream Machines” also defends video games by providing positive effects that video games have on those who play them. Wright presents
Video games have improved a lot since they were first introduced. They have also made a lot of impacts in our generation by making gamers more social, teaching children through educational video games, and how video games can improve our health. Furthermore, the articles show many different ways that proves that video games aren’t bad for you physically and emotionally. Since video games were introduced they have changed our society.
“On Tuesday, November 2, while the rest of the country was voting, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in Schwarzenegger v. EMA, the landmark case in which the state of California is petitioning for the re-instatement of a California law banning the sale of deviant or morbid violent video games to minors” (Macris). This case is a current example of the opponents of video games trying to prove video games are a bad influence on children and teenagers. Violent video game opponents have always tried to disprove the positive effects of video games. They also have been known to make up and mislead with tales of terrible side effects. This essay will prove to the reader that many of these various statements against video games and their creators are false. Contrary to opposition arguments, video games actually present benefits to gamers by reducing stress, providing entertainment, and helping to develop motivation that could not otherwise be achieved through conventional means.
Video games have gotten a lot of negative attention in the media as a scapegoat for what is wrong with children. Are video games really as bad as they are made out to be? Alice Park, writer of “Little By Little, Violent Video Games Make Us More Aggressive” published on time.com, believes that video games are making people more aggressive. But within her article there are many flaws with her arguments; it makes a poor attempt to blame video games for events like the columbine shooting, racism, and hostile behavior. Park makes poor unsupported claims about the quantity and quality of games being played by children and the effects these games are having on them.
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.
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.
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.
There are several negative stereotypes associated with video games and those who play them; some of these may often hold true. However, there are plenty of learning opportunities in video games. While the direct purpose of some games is to educate or train, other games that do not directly have this purpose can still become a learning experience for the player. As Ntiedo Etuk, president of the educational video game company Tabula Digital said, “The traditional view of video games has been that they are distractions from the task of learning” (Electronic Education Report 1). Video games are an effective tool for learning and retaining skills both inside and outside the classroom environment. The basic cycle of game play--the introduction to the game, game play, collaboration, improvement of these between each round, and evaluation at the end of the game (Klievink and Janssen 159)--are nearly parallel to the traditional classroom learning cycle of reading a textbook or listening to a lecture, taking a quiz, studying, focusing on items missed on the quiz, and taking a test or exam. Within this cycle, there are many opportunities to develop and perfect both educational, life, and occupational skills.
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”).
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.