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Effect of video games on youth
Effect of video games on youth
Effect of video games on youth
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Introduction
When you hear the words “video games” automatically you think of every negative aspect that there is in the games. Although this is very true, there are also educational things in some games. Studies have shown that video games can benefit and harm some people in a variety of different ways. So the question is, what is the actual effect that video games have on our brain?
Positive Effects
Believe it or not, there are a lot of positive aspects in a video game. Acording to the “ DANA Foundation” educational games help children count, add or subtract, learn their colors, shapes and much more. Leapfrog Leapsters have a lot of educational value in them. The games that are made for it are to help young children learn all the basics before starting school. You have games such as Professor Layton where they have you solve different math problems and puzzles before you can solve the mystery( The Truth about Video Games, 2012.) Another example is spongebob, the spongebob game helps you count money, teaches children to type, which is a very important skill to have when entering high school. In every video game there are steps you have to follow in order to be successful in that particular game, so that involves following instructions which is a major aspect children need to understand. Many video games involve memory in order to advance to a higher level. Memorizing is a good characteristic to have when it comes to school for taking tests or having to do a speech, whatever it may be memorizing is important!
Education is not the only positive aspect, there also is fitness. The wii is a great gaming device to help you stay healthy and in shape. You have games like Just Dance, a fu...
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...e choice of a more aggressive game will have a more negative impact on us then if we were to choose an educational game that will have a more positive affect. If video games are a necessity to your family be smart when choosing them! Go with the games that will impact your children in positive ways and teach them things that will be beneficial for them in the future.
References
Gentile, Douglas. Ph.D. “Video Games Affect the Brain-for Better and Worse.”
The DANA Foundation. July 23, 2009. http://www.dana.org/Cerebrum/2009/ “Raise Smart Kid.” (n.d.). Raise Smart Kid. Retrieved March 5, 2014, from http://www.raisesmartkid.com “The Truth About Video Games and the Brain: What Research Tells Us.” (n.d.).The Truth About
Video Games and the Brain. Retrieved March 6, 2014, from
http://www.scilearn.com/blog/video-games-brain.php
Adachi, Paul J.C. and Willoughby, Teena. “Do Video Games Promote Positive Youth Development?” Journal of Adolescent Research 28.2 (2012): 155-165. Web. 12
...While there are violent games out there, children could, with the help of their parents, play cleaner games such as The Legend of Zelda or any game in the Mario series, and in the end, be benefited from it. Whether their stress is relieved, their brains stronger, or their connections with their families made unbreakable, video games can truly be a good thing for kids.
... games do have an important and distinct impact on the psychological development of children. Some of the positive effects of social, educational, cognitive, and physical uptake are substantial and far outweigh the occasional negative showing of aggression and lethargic behavior. As with all things, the situation and content should always be considered, especially in the developing stages of young minds. With the landscape of the video game industry changing year-by-year, there are constantly more dimensions of this puzzle needing to be assessed. However, there has already been a shift in their potential effects even as recently as the past 10 years. With more research in this field, we can start to note trends (relative to sex and age) and begin to create and environment where children enjoy the process of growing up while developing good health and social habits.
“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
In today’s society video games have a bad reputation and a negative connotation because research has said that video games promote violence. Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill by Dave Grossman and Gloria DeGaetano is a book about the negative effect the entertainment industry has on children’s, “We should not be surprised that half the video games that a typical 7th grader plays are violent”(1). Well violent games do not make a child violent, however if you have a violent kid already then a violent game may make them more violent (Zichermann). It has also been said that video games can distract kids and cause anti-social issues. Dr. Dimitri Christakis from UW states, “Children habituated to games may find the real world underwhelming and under stimulating.” Which means that children will be out of touch with what’s going on around them because they are too consumed in their video games.
One way in which video games can be beneficial is by supporting individuals’ intellectual development in the areas of problem solving and logic. Games like Cut the Rope, Angry Birds and The Incredible Machine require players to solve a puzzle under time limited conditions. When people are playing these games, they practice their critical thinking skills and creativity, which are both important components of intelligence.
By far the largest concern of technology today is video games. There have been so many experiments and studies to try and figure out if video games have a negative or positive effect on our children. A growing body of research is linking violent video game play to aggressive cognitive, attitudes and behaviors (D.A. Gentile, 2004). Video games can obviously be dangerous for our children causing aggression, bad performances in school and obesity. Although we cant blame all of these problems on the use of video game...
I have been playing video games for as long as I remember. I started by playing the original Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System with my older brother and sister. I’ve stayed up way past my bedtime in elementary school playing Pokemon on my Gameboy. I continue to play video games even today, from the Wii to the Xbox and even on my computer. Being this avid and long-time gamer, I became curious about the effects that video games have on people like me. And so, I did some research
Tommy scuffles through the front door, drops his book bag on the floor and plops down on the couch with a scowl across his face. As his PlayStation fires to life, he replays scenes from the day in his head of being shoved into the lockers by Billy, unable to form the words to impress Sussie, and sitting alone at lunch listening to the popular kids laugh and joke, ignoring him as if he did not exist. No one understands him. No one cares about him, because he is not strong, charming, or popular. All that is soon avoided as Tommy dives into a world where he controls everything and everyone either fears or loves him. If he fails, all he must do is reset. Here he can be anything he wants, and he can do and have it all.
Video games have been an influence part of our society since the early 70’s. The bad named that they are given is false, the only reason they have this bad name is because kids like games, so anything that is fun is bad for you. If a child loved playing chess he or she would be rewarded but it to is a game. Video games can help the learning process and should be incorporated in to the school system. If a child loved playing chess he or she would be rewarded but it to is a game. Video games can help the learning process and should be incorporated in to the school system.
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.
I have been playing video games since I was in kindergarten and I believe that they have been invaluable to my intellectual development. I owe about one third of my English vocabulary to video games. Strategy games such as Age of Empires and Age of Mythology have taught me planning and resource management, as well as a great deal about the history and culture of human civilizations. Shooters such as Counter-Strike and Unreal Tournament have taught me how to quickly make decisions while under stress, and have enhanced my hand-eye coordination and spatial orientation. Adventure and puzzle games such as Darksiders and Minesweeper have taught me problem solving and logical reasoning, in addition to improving my ability to concentrate and greatly increasing my perseverance.
...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.
Over the years gaming has become a widely popular aspect of our culture. Kids and teenagers have replaced riding there bike or playing with dolls for video games that connect people together all over the globe .We have all been there at one point and time, there are games for just about anybody. Video games are for all age’s yes us adults love to play them to. Playing video games are fun but not a lot of people realize the impact video games can have on the body physically and mentally. Excessive playing of video games can cause decreased social skills, deterioration in health and increased aggressive behavior.
Video game play can have both positive and negative effects on children and adolescents, and adults should seek to minimize the negative effects while maximizing the positive effects by staying informed about games and establishing rules about the amount and type of video game play.