There is a common misconception that video games “brainwash” kids and do nothing but damage their intellect. Although that is not the case, video games have been proven to improve one’s everyday motor skills and even improve vision. Some parents may believe that their son/daughter will grow up to be some sort of lonely psychopath due to video games, but that is not the case. The truth of the matter is that video games do little to no damage to kid’s brains. There are many more things that improved rather than decreased. There is even scientific evidence to support of this. With tests showing gamers develop the ability to use the smaller and faster portion of their brain to process situations and make decisions. It was also apparent that, with the right amount of play time, video games can even vastly improve the weakened skills of dyslexics. Several tests went to show that the same basic skills that are hampered in dyslexics, can be easily recovered through sessions of action gaming. With all of this to improve one’s basic and complex abilities, one should see how video games do not "brainwash". Video games are not “brainwashing,” rather they help increase one’s mental capacity by expanding their motor skills and can even improve a dyslexic’s abilities and match their intelligence to their classmates. Multiple studies have gone to confirm that video games can help improve vision, coordination, awareness, and reaction skills. Rochester University ran an abundance of tests on this subject, and they all concluded that there were many more aspects improved than there were hampered. Rochester ran one test where 24 non-gamers were split into two groups. One of the groups of 12 played action games for 50 hours while the other 12 pl... ... middle of paper ... ... accidents both on and off the road. In conclusion, video games are not all that bad; without the violence they could become great tools of influence for all. Works Cited "Daily Tech - Study Finds That Playing Video Games Improves Decision-Making." DailyTech - Study Finds That Playing Video Games Improves Decision-Making. Daily Tech, 15 Sept. 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. Davis, Ronald D. "37 Common Characteristics of Dyslexia." Test for Dyslexia: 37 Common Symptoms. Dyslexia.com, 1992. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. Kwan, Nicole. "Study Suggests Video Games May Improve Learning Skills in People with Dyslexia." Fox News. FOX News Network, 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. North, Geoffrey. "Current Biology at 20." Current Biology 20.24 (2010): R1049-1051. Print. Trudeau, Michelle. "Video Games Boost Brain Power, Multitasking Skills." NPR. NPR, 20 Dec. 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Video games do not make us more intelligent. They may however, make us more prone to violence and sex. Video games are preventing us from screening out distractions and making thinking deeply a difficult task. Our brains become overwhelmed when multitasking. Moreover, Johnson states “... a modern video game can take forty hours to complete”. Forty hours keep kids from homework and as Rachael Rettner states in livescience, “The results show that boys given a PlayStation II are slower to progress in their reading and writing skills and have more learning problems reported by their teachers than those not given a system”. The sole reason studies come back positive for video games being productive is due to the fact that they test a regular video gamer with a non-gamer. Regular video gamers will do better in the study because the more they play, the better they get. Not many realize the effect of these “fully realized imaginary worlds”, it is making it harder for people to differentiate their virtual life with their real
AsapSCIENCE. “Can Video Games Make You Smarter?” Youtube. 10 January 2014. Web. 1 May 2014.
But the question is why? While some people believe that video games are just good clean fun, others believe that these games greatly affect our generation in a negative way, increasing aggression and sometimes pushing consumers to the edge causing events like the forever notorious shootings in Virginia Tec.
McClellan’s (2005) article reports that according to Johnson’s study, computer games are essentially brain exercises that improve the psychological fitness holistically because they require continuous focus, strategic decision-making, and creative thinking. Video games, another form of screen technology, have also been found to improve these aspects which are important as children often find gaming fun and this must be utilised productively to aid the development of cognition / mental acumen. An example of this would be Assassin’s Creed, alternate versions of history role playing game, which develops spatial skills, strategic thinking, and executive
Videogames are looked down upon by parents who see them as a waste of time and experts on education who believe that games corrupt the brain. Many say violent video games are to blame for young people being so violent. Psychologists and scientists believe that videogames have a lot of benefits. One benefit being that it make kids smart and cause them to use high-level thinking skills. Video games requires many skills that aren’t taught in school but, also enhance skills that the gamer already has. Skills that are enhanced by video games include following instructions, problem solving and logic with games like angry birds and cut the rope. Hand eye coordination, fine motor skills and spatial skills used in shooting games. Research has shown enhanced skills in surgeons and fighter pilots. Planning resources management and logistics encouraged by the game SimCity.
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.
At this day in age we bask in the luxury of having easy access to advanced technology at our disposal. From the World Wide Web, to cell phones, music, movies and video games the human race has thought of any and everything to keep us entertained. Over the years studies have shown reasonable concerns regarding the long-term effects of video games. These games can desensitize gamers to real life violence, which is usually seen in the younger crowd. The studies especially hit on the games containing player-on-player violence. Though these games are extremely entertaining and can get kids to settle down for a while, if not properly supervised, they can produce adverse effects. Other studies have shown that video games can be used as way to yield positive outcomes such as, good problem solving skills, cooperation in a group and the ability to flow. Although there has been psychological research on children learning through the actions of others some believe that children are automatically able to distinguish between what is just a game and what is reality. The longer they are allowed on their game system the more they become convinced that their games are real. Some researchers believe violent video games can channel the aggression of the child but the parents are to blame for what happens to the child after playing an excessive amount over a period of time. Children can become preoccupied with these violent video games which have been proven to be the cause of poor social skills, uncontrollable aggression and a false reality.
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 challenge the player and expand his ability to react fast with very little lag time. With years of practice the player becomes quicker and more accurate with the movements. Thus hand and eye coordination is better, the player sees something on the screen and has to physically react to it. Not only is hand and eye coordination improved but so is manual dexterity (Taking Children Seriously). For example Madden 2004 is a football game, which requires fast reactions. If the player does not have the quick reaction skills develop then the other team will most likely sack him. The player needs to realize he has a limited time to throw the ball and most get the pass off quickly, he needs to scan the field, look for a possible escape route, and watch for the defense closing in. Another type of game, which improves hand and eye coordination, is shooting games. Although these games, such as Time Crisis 2, are being criticized for its violent content, these games force the player to quickly scan the screen for criminals to shoot before they are shot. The police force uses similar methods to train their officers to raise reaction speed when they are out on the streets. Related to h...
The battle of researchers, depicting whether video games are beneficial or detrimental to children seems to be a new but ongoing argument. With advances in technology and the overwhelming effect of video game entertainment, whether on a computer, video game system, or hand-held device, it is increasingly difficult for parents to monitor their children while occupying their time playing these games. There is more negative research versus positive especially since the topic is just now being researched by psychiatrists, medical personnel, and educationists. Most of the information found on the internet and in publications is starting to take a turn for the positive due to the change in programming and game designs. In this paper we will discuss both sides of this issue with the intent of improving the knowledge of each person’s perspective and shedding some light on a topic that is still in its infancy with regard to research.
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”).
Video Games have been accused of making youth violent and aggressive, making people isolate themselves from society, and for lowering the attention span and the ability to concentrate in youth. These claims have yet to be supported by several well organized studies and have never been more than a correlation to any of these claims, and in fact have been disproven on several occasions. Adam Eichenbaum (2014), author contributing to the American Journal of Play, concluded a discussion on the research on video games say that “Today’s video games are much more than entertainment. They are also weapons in the fight against declining mental capacities in old age. They promote job-related skills. And they are a model of how to teach children complex and difficult tasks and abilities. As with any technology, video games are neither intrinsically good nor intrinsically bad.” (pg. 67) Video games are not the waste of time that they are accused of being, nor are they damping the development of today’s youth. If anything is to be said about video games is that in them lays a great potential for good; that video games serve as tools for people who want to make a change in society, whether the changes are positive or negative lie in the hands of those that choose to use video games as tools. These are not unrealistic or histrionic claims; video games, after all, are more than just
Many people believe that too much time spent watching television or playing computer or video games can be detrimental to children’s development. However, video games can also be beneficial. Gaming, in moderation, helps improve cognitive skills, such as attention, vision, and multitasking.
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.
First of all video games can benefit the person playing the game. Video games strengthen reading and visual skills. In the article “what video games can teach us” by Emily Sohn, Sohn says “because kids are interested in the game, they often end up reading at a level well above their grade.” This statement is true about anything, a person will do things as long as they think it benefits them. In a kids case they believe that reading during the game will help them beat the game. Therefore they will read even though they may not realize that they are improving their literacy skills at the same time as playing the game.A game may improve your visual skills as well. A study made by researchers from the University of Rochester came to the conclusion that video game players gain better visual skills than people that don’t play them. Video game players can keep track of more objects at a time. As well as pick out objects quicker out of a cluttered environment.