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Essays on the affects of video games on the brain
Negative impacts of video games
Negative impacts of video games
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Video games, are they a godsend or are they a menace? Research has shown that they are, in fact, doing a lot of good for the human race. Effects such as better memory, increased hand-eye coordination, and a greater cognition are a few notable examples that video games have been shown to improve. The implications of video games on people are positive because it has effects such as better memory, it gives an increase to hand eye coordination and it helps people relieve the stress that they accumulate during the day. To begin, the effects of video games on people are positive because it gives a beneficial outcome of a better memory. A recent study done by neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley has shown that the answer is yes, it is good for us. Gazzaley and his team at the University of California in San Francisco have developed a video game called Neuroracer. The game consists of two objectives, the first being that a player must control a car and avoid obstacles, the second being that you must press a certain button that randomly flashes on the screen. The first test of the game involved 174 different individuals, ages 20 to 70, and they wore electroencephalography caps while playing the game. These special caps read the electrical activity of the brain. After the test was over, 16 older adults age 60 to 85, were given the game to take home and play three times a week for a month. Cognitive tests done before and after the tests showed that these adults have actually gotten faster after the month than they did before the month. The electroencephalography cap showed that the brains of the 16 elderly adults were reacting faster than that of the 174 people who participated in the first test of Neuroracer. The study shows that these elderly... ... middle of paper ... ...deo Games Can Be Social." Positive Effects of Video Games on Society » How Video Games Can Be Social. UNC Office of Arts and Sciences Information Services, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. . Rochester, Alan B. "Video Games Speed up Reaction Time - Futurity." Futurity. University of Rochester, 13 Sept. 2010. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. . "Video Games Play May Provide Learning, Health, Social Benefits, Review Finds." Http://www.apa.org. American Psychological Association, 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. . Vossos, Tasos. "Effects of Playing Video Games on Hand-Eye Coordination."EHow. Demand Media, 01 June 2011. Web. 21 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
There are many people who say that videogames and TV will rot your brain and cause brain damage. Plenty of research and articles are against children playing video games, but there are some that are in favor of video games, and that number is growing every day. Video games can have some medicinal uses from helping patients in physical therapy to improving ones vison. Many people do not see these uses and for every one for video games there are five who are against it, however as that number is slowly growing.
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
“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 made an impact my generation by making gamers more social because in the article Elite Gaming, states that in past most the video games where single player now they’re mostly all multiplayer. Now they can play together. When they play together they can develop social skills with other people. They can also use the social skills in the real world. Now that they’re so social, they can partner up and compete in challenges. Now that electronics are more accessible
There is much persistent debate throughout culture these days concerning video games. Common questions asked are things like ?Where should the lines be drawn in terms of content? and What audience, if any, is this appropriate for? As lawyers fight, bizarre crimes are blamed on video games, constant studies take place, and technology continues to evolve, the video game world continues to thrive and be extremely profitable. While there is near-constant focus on the supposed ?negatives? of games like simulated killing, drug use, or sex, most people, especially those completely outside of gaming circles, fail to acknowledge that gaming of any kind can possibly have positive effects on players. While increased hand-eye coordination is a common benefit attributed to gaming, one particular study conducted revealed a mixed bag of possibly positive and negative effects.
AsapSCIENCE. “Can Video Games Make You Smarter?” Youtube. 10 January 2014. Web. 1 May 2014.
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.
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...
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...
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.
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.
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 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.