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The Effect of Video Games on the Brain
Biology 202
2004 First Web Paper
On Serendip
The Effect of Video Games on the Brain
Eleni Kardaras
The effect of video games on the brain is a research area gaining popularity as the percentage of children and adults who play video games is on the rise. Some people believe violence in video games and in other media promotes violent behavior among viewers. While there is not sufficient data to validate this claim, there are a number of studies showing that video games can increase aggressive behavior and emotional outbursts, and decrease inhibitions. From a few of these studies, and from my own observations of children playing video games, it is quite obvious that the video games do have at least some effect on the behavior of the player. The extent and long range consequences of these behavior changes after one has turned off the video game are not so easily deduced. One source states that "While research on video games and aggressive behavior must be considered preliminary, it may be reasonably inferred from the more than 1,000 reports and studies on television violence that video game violence may also contribute to aggressive behavior and desensitization to violence" (1). Another study reports that "Hostility was increased both in subjects playing a highly aggressive video game and those playing a mildly aggressive video game. Subjects who had played the high-aggression game were significantly more anxious than other subjects" (2).
I had a chance to observe the effects of video games first hand on two boys, ages eight and ten, when I babysat them earlier in the semester. They were playing the video game "Mario Cart," which is really not a very violent game; the object is to win a car race by coming in first while maneuvering through different courses. When the younger brother won, the older brother got up and started kicking him and yelling insults! Later on that day, the younger brother was playing another video game by himself and when he could not beat the level, he threw down the controller and screamed at the t.v. screen, "Why are you doing this to me...?!" and burst into tears. I was very shocked by this reaction and was not quite sure how to handle the situation. This game had brought an eight year old boy to tears, right in front of me. "Certainly, video games can make some people go nuts. You just have to look at some enthusiasts playing video games on their cellular phones, mumbling to themselves heatedly even though others are around them. At game centers (penny arcades), frustrated people punch or kick game machines without regard to making a spectacle of themselves" (3). From the above descriptions, it seems that players get somewhat "sucked" into the video game and become oblivious to their surroundings and much less inhibited to share their emotions. What types of changes are occurring in the brain to activate this behavior which one exhibits when "sucked" into a video game?
Akio Mori, a professor at Tokyo's Nihon University, conducted a recent study observing the effects of video games on brain activity. He divided 260 people into three groups: those who rarely played video games, those who played between 1 and 3 hours three to four times a week, and those who played 2 to 7 hours each day. He then monitored "the beta waves that indicate liveliness and degree of tension in the prefrontal region of the brain, and alpha waves, which often appear when the brain is resting" (4). The results showed a higher decrease of beta waves the more one played video games. "Beta wave activity in people in the [highest amount of video game playing] was constantly near zero, even when they weren't playing, showing that they hardly used the prefrontal regions of their brains. Many of the people in this group told researchers that they got angry easily, couldn't concentrate, and had trouble associating with friends" (4). This suggests two important points. One, that the decrease of beta wave activity and usage of the prefrontal region of the brain may correlate with the aggressive behavior, and two, that the decrease of beta waves continued after the video game was turned off, implying a lasting effect. Another study found similar results and reported: "Youths who are heavy gamers can end up with 'video-game brain,' in which key parts of the frontal region of their brain become chronically underused, altering moods" (5). This study also asserts that a lack of use of the frontal brain, contributed by video games, can change moods and could account for aggressive and reclusive behavior. An important question arises: if the brain is so impacted by video games as to create behavioral changes, must that mean that the brain perceives the games as real?
Perhaps looking at what effects video games have on autonomic nerves can begin to answer that question. "'Many video games stir up tension and a feeling of fear, and there is a very real concern that this could have a long-term effect on the autonomic nerves,' Mori commented" (6). Autonomic nerves are those connected with involuntary internal organ processes, such as breathing and heart rate. "Heart rate can be altered by electrical signals from emotional centers in the brain or by signals from the chemical messengers called epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine. These hormones are released from the adrenal glands in response to danger..." (7). Multiple studies have reported that playing video games can significantly increase heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen consumption. If studies show that heart rate is increased when playing video games, then it seems that the brain is responding to the video game as if the body is in real danger. Does repeated exposure to this "false" sense of danger have an effect on what the brain then perceives as real danger?
From the above studies and observations, video games do effect the players in some ways, since it appears that players get so wrapped up in the game that they forget their surroundings and begin to see the game as a real quest. Studies have shown that playing video games can increase heart rate and blood pressure, as well as decrease prefrontal lobe activity while the person is playing the game. This could account for changes in the player's mood and cause him or her to become more aggressive or emotional. However, the extent of these effects on the body once video game playing has ceased are preliminary and need to be confirmed.
References
1)Mediascope website, highlights data from various scientific studies concerning video games.
2)Mediascope website, violent video games causing aggression.
3)Japan Today News website, an interesting news site and discussion board.
4)Mega Games website, a hardcore gaming site, including cheats, demos, and facts.
5)Beliefnet website, centers around spiritual, religious, and moral issues.
6)Sunday Herald online, a news resource.
7) Freeman, Scott. Biological Systems. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc., 2002.
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01/19/2006, from a Reader on the Web If you have evidence of video games causing some form of harm to anyone, then who should be blamed. Or what action, in any, should be taken? personaly, i play video games 2-3 hours a day, and i am a nice kid. i do well in school and i don't let anyone push me around. i think it is the kids who base their life on video games and have low self-esteam are what people see in the news today. And it is not all video games, it is the one's that are rated "mature" that parents are getting for their kids. i think it is the parents fault in some way at least. thank you for your comments and i hope you thank mine. sincearly, "Ivan"
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I agree with Ivan, although I tend to play more than he does. While there are some problems with playing video games there are benefits of playing them as well, such as; better hand eye cordination, tend to think faster, quicker, and others i dont remeber at this time ... Jake, 18 April 2006
personally i feel the same way im 11 and i full heartedlly support your opionon ... Jelanie Hill, 21 September 2006
Change in attitude and reaction cannot be considered an effect on the brain from video-games. The attitude that one shows when he/she loses in a video-game, is a natural reaction that he/she personally has to change. This attitude is represented in almost everything you would consider a game. It's called poor-sportsmanship. Many people take losing pretty hard and find creative ways to express their frustration. Trash talking during a video-game, is no different than trash talking in any other game. You can't blame video-games for the physical reaction either. If a poor-sport played a game of basketball, he/she would get all of it's frustration out on their opponent, because basketball is a contact game. In a video-game, the physical activity is only limited to the hands, so they can't get it all out. This behavior is, again, result of poor sportsmanship.
Video-games are an easy thing to blame for people's personal problems. You can't base a judgement on an observation that could be the result of almost anything. Point Proven? ... Mrey, 2 November 2006
After playing videogames 2-3 hours I experience drastic mood swings. So I cut down. thanks for opening my eyes ... Aaron Smith, 10 January 2007
i think that video gaMES ARE blamed 2 much kid make there own choices , id know i am one . life gives you problumes some deal with it difrently ... Erik, 23 January 2007
thanks to serendip, i was able to find plenty of research to back up my science fair project!! ... Bob, 1 February 2007
Over 50 percent of the populations kids regularly play video games.
Every now and then one person does something stupid like kill somebody and the blame instantly goes to video games because "They cause violence."
No one thinks of the bad parenting or bullies and such at school but because they have played video games, that is what caused it.
Let me take for example Columbine, a tragic event to many a person but the blame was instantly pinned on the fact they played DOOM the video game.
No one thought about the parents that let all the planning and weapons go on in there own house.
People should stop assuming every violent act a kid does is based on a video game ... Jordan, 16 February 2007
Same here. Lol, and I think it can also stimulate your brian. My friend's did a science fair project about this and the results showed that they did better on a math test after playing a video game ... Zane, 20 February 2007
Hi my name is Pamela and what you said about how violent games affect people is like my brother he plays video games for 3 hours and then after that if someone talks to him he will hit you or something like that ... Pamela, 4 May 2007
I do know that there are specific incidents where people are sucked into a game, and are mad when they don't win. I strongly belive that kids can play video games such as "Halo" and "Shadowrun" and still be nice. I have spent this summer playing video games, somewhere between 3-5 hours each day. Yes, there were some times where I outbust in anger, but only when I was thinking about how much time I spent on this game, and lost. So I went and beat on a pillow. I started taking bike rides in the middle, which, in the end, took my mind off things, and so I could return and play calmly. I am going to enter the Denver Metro Science Fair this year with a project relating to this. I wish this website the best of success ... Jon Zulanas, 11 August 2007
i agree with the former person. video games don't really result in violent behavior. it is the parents fault sometimes. when they but their kid a game that has intense violence and gore and language the child might get messed up ... Japlowsky, 23 October 2007
8 year olds who scream and yell at a screen obviously has another problem than just video game rage which no one wants to point out that video games don't cause rage its that people get too involved ... David, 1 November 2007
Your report on video games is heavily flawed. I'm sorry. One thing, it's not the kids fault. It's the parents buying M Rated games for four year olds. It's true, my cousin has done it for his little boy. And the violence is just bad sportsmanship. That's heavily common. And for "Penny Arcades". Arcades have been dead since the late 90's. There are only a few places in a state that actually have arcades with GOOD arcade games. And can you really blame the kid for getting mad? Throwing down a week's allowance worth of quarters, almost getting to the end of a game to see the ending, and then dying? It sucks, it really does. No one can be blamed for that. And why do you act like gamers are mindless zombies, slaves to the game? Us respectable gamers don't just sit there drooling in front of the TV. Most gamers don't. And hell, anyone gets mad after dying in a level 50 times. But you know what we do? We get ticked, sware softly to ourselves, and realize the best course of action is to turn the game off, and walk away. You mention too much of studies too. Studies aren't always right, and most studies just waste money. Did you know the bathroom is the most dangerous room in the house? Well, yeah. Electrical appliances, razors, scissors... Just because something has been studied, doesn't make it true. In short, you tried really hard, I can see that, but you have to take in the factors of parenting, and how behaved the child is. You focused more on the trivial ideas more then the basic ones ... Sam, 15 November 2007
Hi there. I'm essentially a lifetime gamer, and I used to play as much as I possibly could in my free time. What you're saying correlates fairly well with my experience, low self-esteem, anxiety, and latent aggression. However, I'm not really like that any more, and not because I've stopped playing games. The people I came into contact with while growing up changed me, and my behaviors. So now I still play games, but at a far less rate than I did (yay for jobs). The point I wish to bring up is that I don't think it's video games especially that are bad for people, but the way they are reacted to. Granted, they lower Beta waves and raise Alpha waves, but who says that can't be changed by interaction with people and actually using the brain for thinking/working? I also wonder if it's the change in video games from the past and the video games today. Video games have indeed been dumbed down, and are made to feel more life-like. I mean, I played Dig Dug, but I don't think that had much effect on my brain waves, unless of course in the regard that it required me to think and plan where to go next... But yes, I do agree that video games, like television and everything else, should be used with moderation and not wholesale commitment to them ... Scott, 24 November 2007
my view is that there are both positive and negative spins to this argument. I play vidoe games alot a few hours a day and it does not seem to have any negative effects on me. infact i feel it helps me vent anger not cuase it. say im mad i might pop on my Wii and play a few levels on a game, after that i feel alot better. another thing, the computer/console games i play have greatly helped me on my hand i caurdanation skills, i feel because of vidoe games i can type better, and actualy make contact with a golf ball. and one final thing i must stress what i notice is that when i get angy at a vidoe game once the game is off i imediditly feel better ... Mathew Giso, 6 December 2007
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| This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. |
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Comments
Great Article
I find this information very intriguing, I am looking for a topic to write on for my English paper (that is due tomorrow lol) and this has a lot of useful information.
I am 18 years old and I do play video games very often. (Modern Warfare 2) It is rated M and is very violent. I do get angry at the game when I fail to beat a mission, or lose online. But I know that everyone gets angry when they fail at something. Whether you lost a basketball game, lost a video game, or lost your wallet there will be a few curse words and dissatisfaction. But the fact that kids are constantly playing video games means that for extended periods of time the are going to be failing to complete the task time after time. Which means that they will be having higher levels of aggression over and over again. I can see how this can have a physiological effect on the brain. I don't think that whether its rated M or E has a huge effect as long as you are mature enough to handle the subject of the game. Like I said I'm 18 years old and I bet I get a lot more pissed off a tetris than I do at call of duty or halo.
But I do agree that if there is a 10 year old playing mature games it can have an effect them greater than it has an effect on someone as old as me. The problem is, is that kids start playing these games at ages where their brain is still developing. The mature content, the habits, the anger of losing to a video game is actually DEVELOPING into their fresh mind.
Parents should help their kids with learning moderation, and helping them stick to ESRB guidelines.
And sort of off subject, I think it is hilarious how there are tons of kids commenting on this page, and they keep saying this information is stupid, or completely false. But in the comment they leave they bolster the whole point of the article. There are several articles from kids saying how video games don't effect them at all, then they tell us how pissed they get at video games. How they swear and punch a pillow haha.
So overall I agree with this article, I play video games quite frequently and I can feel something physically and mentally different with me when I play them
My Life Experience with Games. The Exceptional
I have played video games since I was 1.5 years old. I had horrible social skills during my elementry years, and also had bad social relationships. I tended to be a loner throughout my life too. Not so much now as I did back then. I've been reading through several studies from the effects of video games and it's addiction. Typically, I have an addiction when it came to gaming, as well as computers. I used to be addicted to tv, computers, and games. Now I've managed to break away from TV almost entirely, somewhat broke away from a computer, but can't because society over uses them, and gaming is still a part of my life. thing is, I grew up with good morals, and still manage to get MOST of my work done and done right. However, I still portray some problems that others show, such as irritability, forgetting to do some responsibilities, and have less than moderate, but not poor, social relationships. I don't have it as severe as the others. I have quite a bit of friends, and have my best friend that I've had ever since I was 2. I still manage to get work done, however I don't really do any of the Homework at home. I've somewhat gotten into the bad habit of either doing it in school or not at all. I don't blame that entirely on video games. I just noticed that in the working world, many people really don't ask you to get stuff done at home, you either go to work and work, or you stay home. I believe that my work should stay at work. I am beginning to be more away with video games, but that's because, I believe, that I've begun hanging out with friends more. It also helped knowing that some friends I have also play, because then it reminds us that we have friends that are with us, and we can go out and do stuff. Also, another Saving Grace for me is that I've participated in Taequandoe for 3 years. I've made many friends there, and have learned how to physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally fight and become stronger. However, I still have some problems starting conversations, and making new friends. Honestly, If the gamer side of me had started at a more mature age of 15, I believe I would have been better off. If people could make a change to allow kids to play when they are old enough to get their temps, I believe that moderation, and stability could be sustained. The years from being born to 13 are developmental years, and 14-21 where acceptance and a real stress for social relationships happens among people. I believe that 15+ Have better handling of the gaming experience if that's when they start, but also will understand by then that other things are important, and already SHOULD have good social relationships with the people around them. You probably think that this suggestion is coming from a parent, but I'm a life long video gamer of age 17 who grew up with good morals, and started understanding life better at age 16. You could get addicted to a lot of things, but video gaming, tv, and electronics are sadly accepted addictives because people love them too much and grew dependant on them. I believe that a lot of the same blame can relate to tv, overusing computers in society, and games. Those 3 can be just as addictive as smoking, and drinking, and are just as harmful to the brain and socially.
games are ment to be
games are ment to be challenging and like all people if they keeping trying to do something for 3 jours and they cant get it they will get mad too. video games have a rating system for a reason yea a 10 yr old child should not be playing a video game that is ment for 17+ cause they are not mature enough to comprehend what is a game and what is real. - ben 18
Video Games
I've been playing video games since I was about 4 years old. I started out with the nintendo and super nintendo playing games like mario and zelda. I probably play about 3 hours per day and see no side effects in my social or personal life, other than being able to relaxe while playing. I'm very out going and get good grades, I've never done any drugs and I don't get into fights. I learned most of my vocabulary from video games when I was in grade school. So like I said, the only thing I've noticed a change in since I was little, is that video games help me to relax a bit. But is that really so bad?
Thanks
this is one of the only sites with info on this subjects so thanks and i argre totaly that it afects the mood.
LOL
I think I'm laughing so hard because this is quite funny.
The ones who agree can't spell, and the ones who don't can spell perfectly and use very colorful words and such just to demonstrate that video games hasn't made them idiotic and aggressive like the Hulk unlike what the author thinks.
I do get aggressive sometimes with video games-just as my brother.
But we get aggressive at all the things we lose at-it was how we were raised.
to chuck things at walls like our father.
Find out about the kids background history and life before you point fingers please-aren't you supposed to collect all the data? Before you conclude?
Hum. Oh no, dear, seems we forgot to do that.
We just want to say video games are bad and make ourselves sound smarter-in reality sounding more ignorant and stupid by the second.
Thanks
Thanks for all the info. and comments, this greatly helped me with my science fair project
Computer games
I think computer games should be banned until they do more research. I was a avid computer game player from a younger age. There were no warning's or guidance about them to warn people of the dangers. Just your mum always moaning that they'll rot your brain. God how she was right I should of listen to her. I have developed what they call a computer game brain. My frontal lobe and other parts have stopped working like normal. It has stunted my brain development, I have the mental age of a 14 year old, Im 26 years old now. I also have problems socializing with friends and never had a girlfriend. It also effects my work in a very big way. Like concentartion, organzing myself, thinking and my practical skills etc. I also have no feeling honest. Its bacsically ruined my life wish I never touched them. But things have got better but its taken 6 years. My advice dont touch computer games live life to the max.
The thing people should be
The thing people should be concerened about is realy how stressfull the game is, or how hard it is (not disregarding all other points made), for instance i used to have a game called "Fable 2" and i couldnt complete this one level where i had to kill a troll or somthing, and in the end i got so frustrated i lobbed the controlled at the console and completely tore up the game, redering it unplayable. Now i play games with optoinal difficulty settings and i am stress free. good ridance.
kids are succeptable to the
kids are succeptable to the things they do
if they are playing video games from a young age chances are they will get caught up in it and be prone to violent behaviours.
i personally dont play video games
but thats not to say i never have
i used to play video games with my brother
but he only liked to play violent games, shooting games.
i stoped playing games
he continued
and to this day i hear him cursing when he misses something, freaks out if he loses
also he droped out of school, he now spends all his time playing video games and hanging out with his friends.
when you spend so much time a day playing video games or watching tv, people tend to become isolated from things such as family. my brother only comes upstairs to eat, then hes back downstairs playing more games.
growing up he was always in trouble and always getting in fights.
when children see certain behaviour, especially when they see it in a game that is really popular it can lead them to think that behaviour is alright.
but i could also argue and say " teach his own" meaning video games are not completely responsible for peoples behaviour it could also have a lot to do with how they are brought up.
everyone is different and to prove something like this could very well be a biased opinion, whether or not it has been thoroghly examined. while video games do promote violent behaviour, it is still a personal decision to pursue your own life. thats also like saying parents are completely respobnisble for how theyre children behave, thats also not entirely true while parents do have a great impact on children, people make their own decisions. just because a parent is an alcoholic or abusive doesnt mean a kid will turn out that way, a lot of times they do but it takes a strong person to see that it isnt right and for them to change it - amanda 16
Okay, if people want to deny the scientific findings thats cool
espouse your love of video games and how little they effect you, but the scientific findings correlate the changes in the brain that occur to changes in behavior. The prefrontal areas are pretty damn important. And if you think that you're somehow "immune" imagine how much nicer of a person you'd be if you didn't have this ongoing brain retardation.
People like to say that all of humanity is naturally violent, etc, but they haven't considered that the percentage of violent criminal behavior has actually increased dramatically since the last 100 years.
Go ahead and say how it isn't real, but the scientific finding shows that it is the interaction with something, even as it is fake, that messes with your mind.
Case in point: Heath Ledger. Anyone remember him? OD'd on a narcotic due to depression right after playing the joker in batman. Look at all the hollywood stars that have chaotic lives and lack a personal identity. Most of the time they reflect the roles they've played. A lot of people might believe that they put themself in the role, but truthfully, playing a role causes you to take some of that back with you when you're off the stage.
If you spend 50% of your life pretending to be someone else as an actor, how can you know yourself apart from the roles you've played? people who play a lot of video games are no different. The mind doesn't care that its fake. by interacting with it, you're making it a part of yourself and internalizing it. Thus with all actions in life, from what you choose to say and who you choose to be around, friends, family, close relationships, or even 1 night stands, to what you choose to read or listen to.
People need to wake up and realize that their choices have reinforcing effects on their mentality and thought processes. Claim that video games are benign, because you turned out "okay", but neuroscience shows that every little thing in the world has an effect on us, and pathways are only reinforced and strengthened with continued use.
Ever wonder why the term "one track mind" came up? It's actually a human insight into the workings of the brain, based on patterns.
Okay, if you want to only tell half the story thats cool...
humanity IS naturally violent, yes the crime rates have gone up dramatically over the last 100 years, and are now higher than ever before recorded, you know what else has skyrocketed in the last century THE POPULATION, of course theres more crime now, theres more people to commit it. know what else has gone up in the last century both urbanisation and globalisation. so that means a greater percent of the population now lives in the city therefore it requires less effort to commit a crime as there are opportunities all around you. globalisation also allows people to commit cyber crime, which only came into existance last century. of course people are committing more crime, theres more of them and they are closer together.
while actors may base their lives on the roles they have played, that is only because they cannot live their own life due to the perpetual pressuring of the media. fortunately gamers do not have this problem as nobody cares about people who play games, and when the media does mention them they mention them in the same way they would a religion or any group of people. instead of always naming and shaming the same tired and weary people.
you are the sum total of your actions, the beauty of video games is that there are little to no consequences for your actions thus as there is less pressure in a video game than there is in real life the true character of a person is revealed, because instead of being compelled by society to do the right thing they do it because they want to do it.
i admit that the effect of video games is not 'benign' and it probably does have an effect on the human brain, but so do countless other things in life, which i would imagine video games being the least contributor to that list. think about the continual pressure put on people by themselves, family and society to do well in academics, or sports. self destructive and low motivational behaviors were around before the advent of video games, suicide has been practiced since before the bible, as has other self destructive behavior like optional prostitution and hedonism.
as long as there has been jobs there have been jobs there have been patterns, the human mind works in patterns, enfatuation is the minds indulgence in a pattern, the stock market has a distinctive pattern, people live their lives in patterns. one track mind describes how people live their lives rather than just a way to categorise certain people
seriously?
i play world of warcraft, xbox 360, playstation2 and i hav no problems in school or at home. i hav above average grades and i do not get into trouble often. video games really jus allow u to express ur anger and emotions without causing harm to anyone else. some ppl jus think that video game r bad cus they dont like violence. games jus reveal wat the real world is like. a huge mess of violence and confusion
I play video games for at least 48 a weekend
so what im saying is that i play video games for a whole weekend and i get good grades but i am also kinda violent but
this is how ive been my whole life so the people that say its bad for u ur crazy
well. . .
you admited that you are violent,
and while you may have been that way before
video games and other things like it allow people to feel that is how to deal with things.
studies do show that violence can be increased by watching and playing violent things along with children taking shortcuts even the way you type is proof,
but thats not to say that video games are the only cause of violence
people are all different
some let video games get to them
others know that it is just a video game
i think that video games affect people in different ways.
it depends on the person though.
At the very top of this page
At the very top of this page he clearly says theres not enough research to prove that violent games reflect violent moods so your completely wrong on that point. I play video games that are rated M about 4 hours a day and im 15. I have never been in a fight and im still very outgoing. As long as you still carry on a life along with playing games you will be ok. If you get sucked into them and treat them like they are real life then you start to have problems.
Josh, Jan. 5 2010
it only helped me
well i love video games i actually play the m with friends at school over the internet. i dont believe it causes violence i actually take my arression aou on the game ill kill stuff in game and no longer care about who said what at school. and ilearned tons of history from them
Blame everything
Violence among people came as soon as our ancestors could clench a fist, rock and stick (or as early as Cain & Abel for the bible-minded). History doesn't lie. Mankind is brutal. They lived and died by the fist, arrow, sword, gun and missile from the beginning to the present to the future.
It's been a peculiar thing of the past century onwards (a time marked by two horrendous world wars and countless/endless atrocities) to start blaming individual violence and debauchery on movies, pulp fiction paperbacks, comic books, reefer, TV, rock and roll music, punk music, rap music, the internet, and yes, video games.
One would think we must've had generations of well behaved peaceniks before all these brain wracking technologies were invented. I guess back in the day, they just blamed it on the witches and burned them alive.
Stop blaming violence on Video games- it's getting old.
Most people today blame violence on Video games, mostly Grand Theft Auto, Halo, Counterstrike, Cod(series), and many more. Personally i feel the opposite about these accusations. To me video games are a way to let go. It's not virtual reality but the 3-d representation of a false reality gives some people the incentive to try in life, gives them ideas for the future, and some of the most creative-on the spot thinkers are video game designers/addicts. It's people like Jack Thompson, a lawyer you blames nearly every crime he is appointed on video games, who just try to get a head in life by using false accusations. He blamed the Virginia Tech massacre(32 dead) on the game counterstrike. He stated that the shooter played it heavily and i quote "trained online for the attack". Now if anyone is a gamer they have played counterstrike and know that it is more or less not a good training game ha, all the hacks and running insanely fast just shooting holographic images persieved as enemies. Yet the case fell out because the shooter was never seen playing this game or any game for that matter, didnt own a console, no games on the computer, and no one that he knew said he ever played. Jack lied and said everyone he interviewed turned their stories around in court. If you are gonna blame any game for the cause of violence dont blame counterstrike. That game is extremely out dated and a horrible choice.
Honestly to Get people like Jack Thompson to stop this nonsense and other people to stop putting the blame on video games is one small thing. They make fishing licenses right? People that want to play those violent video games should Take an online quiz or something related and pay 10-15 dollars for a 6 month or 1 year License to play video games over a certain raiting based on the phsycological evaluation. In my opinion you cant blame the games, its the minds that let the games take them over, anyone who plays can get addicted but the stong minds who don't let the game be a life just a game. I myself play WOW(world of warcraft) at least 4-6 hours a day, and more on weekends but i also play Cod and Halo3 at the same time. I still make time for my friends, family, and relationships. You just have to have the mental power to keep games games and life life. Sure you yell and get angry during games but think of it as a sport. I quote an earlier passage, "it's just bad sportsmanship." Again its the mental stability of one that keeps the anger to the game and not people around them. When people kill or hurt other people what is the EASIEST way out. "I played video games and they made me do it." The dumbest but smartest thing to go with. Lawyers would jump on that case and sue every gaming co.
I think i back my points- ha if there is any, kinda abstract spil here. wanna talk email me
Video Games
I do have 2 sisters that would stay up till 3 am and play videogames then be up around 10:30 eat then go back on, They fought over the game at times. Only being eight and five they knew how 2 play really good. The usually played Star Fox, sims games and mario party's.. and sometimes mario cart and mario golf.. i was pretty amazed at how good they were. i Own a xbox 360 and i wonder why they werent really interested in the games. i showed the eight year old a game called Alone in the Dark, which was she actually did enjoy it and it did have scary parts and at times she laughed at them. I tried lettng her play but she just wanted 2 watch me. Im a 16 year old girl and i started playing computer games and video games at the age of 7 i love them.. i still 2 this day love them. i'm on games all day, i do hate when i get told 2 get off and i do get mad.. its like video games makes me happy not mad... good day.
wow
this is way too many ppl who honestly care about video games go get a life and move on its a video game
hey pal some of these people
hey pal some of these people might have lives because of videogames.you`d be surprised at the amount of people who work and have relatives who work for gaming companies.
The psychological affect of
The psychological affect of video games differ from person to person
VIDEO GAME HIGHLY ADDICTIVE
1 Direct behavior of video game addict like myself is com⋅pe⋅ti⋅tion [kom-pi-tish-uhn]
–noun 1. the act of competing; rivalry for supremacy, a prize, etc.: The competition between the two teams was bitter.
2. a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage: Both girls entered the competition.
3. the rivalry offered by a competitor: The small merchant gets powerful competition from the chain stores.
4. a competitor or competitors: What is your competition offering?
5. Sociology. rivalry between two or more persons or groups for an object desired in common, usually resulting in a victor and a loser but not necessarily involving the destruction of the latter.
6. Ecology. the struggle among organisms, both of the same and of different species, for food, space, and other vital requirements. all of these happen when you have took your anger out on the video game and finally one you feel like ur the man like i did in CALL OF DUTY 5 FOR PS3(PlAYSTATION 3) WHEN YOU GO ONLINE THERE IS A LOT OF COMPITITION AND UR EAGER WHEN YOU LOSE I KNOW WHEN I LOST DA 1ST TIME WHEN I WAS A COMMANDER ONLINE I WAS MAD THREW DA CONTROLLER DOWN TOOK DA PILLOW AND HIT MY COUSIN WHO WAS 13 YEARS AND I WAS SO MAD I TOOK THE GAME BACK GOT MY $60 BACK AND BOUGHT A NEW GAME. SOME PEOPLE TEND TO HAVE ANGER WHEN PLAYING A RATED M "MATURE" OR T "TEEN". WHEN YOU ARE PLAYING WAR GAMES YOU FEEL LIKE U ARE ECSIALLY THERE BUT WHEN PLAYING MULTIPLAYER CAMPAIGN MODE WHEN U LOSE U BLAME IT ON THE OTHER PERSON AND HAVE A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE THIS COMMENT IS 4 EVERYONE PLEASE RESPONED IT IS 4 MY SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT SHARE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT HIGHLY ADDICTIVE TEENS BYE ^_^
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i think when you play way to much you start to act like you did in the game in real life, little kids look at the shooting stealing and violence of the games and say to them them selfs, Can i do this in real life,? what would happen , i am going to go steal or try some of this! , kids get to used to this and start forgeting that there are in real life, there have been incidents when a teenagers took guns, went and shoot some one at night with freinds and all of them were playing grand theft oto. Kids are getting to think that this is all right to do i have done this in a game so there character or behaiver changes!
Effects of video games on people for senior project
hey im doing my senior project on the effects video games have on people and im looking for a mentor to help me with my senoir project could any one tell me of some one that can help me with it. I live in NC Leicester and I go to Clyde A. Erwin High School if you could help me out i would greatly apriciate it.
I know your post is a bit old
I know your post is a bit old but I'm also doing a senior project on the effects on video games I go to Compton High School in Compton, California and I was wondering if you had any information.Anything you'd be willing to share would be great. Thank you.
Games in general
I have to agree with most of you, so far in the past few years all I've heard is that video games are destroying my mind or something. (I'm 16 and also this is my topic for a persuasive essay) The amazing thing is that everyone places the blame on violent video games alone, specifically the GTA series or some other violent video game series. It seems to me none of the people that say games are killing our minds have really thought it out. There is violence in almost every part of our lives! You lose a basketball game, you'll get mad at someone. You lose at a drill competition (I'm the company commander for my JROTC group as well) and you'll be mad. Its a natural instint to get mad if you put so much hard work into something only to have it blow up in your face. For example, my cousin does not get mad, he's one of the most non-violent people you'll ever meet, but give him something like Pokemon to play for an hour at least and he'll be off getting the strongest Pokemon he can. Then if he loses he'll get mad at the game. It happens at every point in our life, we'll get mad at something and lose it eventually, so stop complaining about how games have ruined your life or something and actually DO something about it! I used to play games as much as I could but instead I write stories, play football (I only weigh 100 pounds though because of my metabolism), and hang out with friends. If you're a parent, realize your kids are worth more than games, or if your kid plays too much limit the time he/she plays. Its simple as that. As for all of you who constantly blame games for their anger problems or the problems for society...just know this, violence is EVERYWHERE!!!! In sports, hobbies, and life in general. Before you start throwing the blame on games for some sort of anger issues, think about that, it MIGHT be from something else!
Video games, and effects?
It's a bit naive to blame social problems on a child. The first thing that comes to mind is addiction. Addiction, can occur with anything, potentially, taking drugs, randomly chewing aspirins, or video gaming. But why is it that these "addictions" are blamed on the goods instead of the people? All addictions can be controlled, if and only if whatever you're addicted to does not interfere with your way of thinking. Let's take heroin for example, it's known as a highly addictive illicit drugs. And once you consume/inject it, it chemically messes the way you're wired, and your way of thinking. Even so, who's fault is it for not being able to control yourself, even after knowing that it's addictive?
Kids have taken drugs, unaware of their side effects, and this is normally blamed on the parents, not the drugs. So why is it the video games' fault that kids are addicted to games? How many 4~15 year old kids do you think can walk out, buy 500 dollars worth of game console + accessories, walk home and play all day?
Video games can be obviously be very attractive to people who want a vacation from "real life", and so millions people do play video games. It brings fun, and it can get addicted. But, in the end, it's your choice, it's no one else's to play all day until you are addicted, or misbehave, following game characters. It's no one else's. And games have ratings for a great reason. If you let your 8 yr old kids into R movie sex tapes, and horror movies, do go buy them games, when they're clearly not old enough to distinguish between right and wrong. Because the chances are, they're already screwed up in the head already.
Video games can cause problems, but it is naive to conclude that they ARE the cause, because most likely, it's the problem with parents, or children themselves, not the nature of the videogame. Why? Because we all have choices for our actions, and we all have consequences. If decide to swing a knife on a crowded street, and cut someone, you can't blame it on the knife. It's you who chose to swing it, it's you who chose to bring it out to the streets.
Ive been playing video games since i was 8
When i was 8 years old my step brother gave me his old sega dream cast, i played video games for 2-3 hours a day and they were pretty violent games such as phantasy star online (a game were all u do is run around and hack n slash monsters), skies of Arcadia ( a turn based strategy game based on a imaginary point in time where boats fly and pirates rule the world again) skies of Arcadia is still my favorite game to this very day. i am now 18 years old and i fit in the category of playing games 5+ hours a day. i am in my first year of college and im doing very well, i don't have millions of friends but that's more of a personal choice then video game influenced one. my sister was always very popular and she would always be pissed off about random drama, so i try to keep the people i hang out with to a number of 15 and below so i can hang out with them more and make more life long friends then temporary people who just get u in trouble. i go to the gym for an hour Monday Wednesday and Friday. over all the only downside to me playing video games is my constantly messy room and my dislike of mowing the lawn but i don't think that's to odd. in my opinion its not the video game that changes people, its how much people allow it to effect who they are.
I think the effect on
I think the effect on behavior is a varying circumstance through which it effects each child differently. There can be situations where it is used as a form of escapism, but there are also good aspects to that as well. The reality is that there is no right or wrong answer. I'm currently in progress of writing a persuasive essay about how video games DON'T effect children to have negative behavior, but after reading the reasearch about it, it's clear to me that 1. People use video games as a way to blame their negative behavior on something. 2. There is a psychological effects that video games do have on people, but the same brain reactions can happen through other things as well. As stated in a comment above, it's a natural reaction to dislike losing, in anything we do. May it be Basketball, or Street Fighter 4, everyone and anyone is striving for the goal of being the best. The best inference I can come up with is that there is a possibility of problems due to video games, but does it have the effect people claim it to have? I think not.
Okay...
Its customary for those who complain to actually plan on DOING something about the problem...
People are so interested in the whole "Destroyed frontal lobe" thing that they only RESEARCH the problem. If your kid is "Losing his Life" to games, its called limit them, take them away. Your the parent. You control the formation of your child's lives, not the screen.
Can it be acceptable to have
Can it be acceptable to have violent acts with detailed gaphics replayed over and over again--at the level, frequencey, intensity, and specifically violent acts(i.e. literally looking down the barrel of a gun scope to shoot someone in the head and then a close up of the head and blood oozing out) of today's media/games? As far as I know the body reacts to it as if it is actually happenning. It is like the mind be programmed over and over again to do something.
Secondly, much of this is falling into very young peoples' hands for various reasons. Is it acceptable to train young people to be assains--is that entertainment?
What things are being missed when extreme violence is looked upon as mere entertainment. There are people in the world who have to live everyday with the horrors of war and violence and do everything to get away from it. Shall we trivialize it so easily and say---it's only entertainment?
very insightful and important
very insightful and important question.
Disagree!
I am a gamer (xbox360), Call of duty and halo for a while. And i know i dont take in any of that. I am not a big fan of violence at all, In fact i am against it.
So i think violent games dont have an effect. That's just on me.
I am going to upset many
I am going to upset many here but as a mother of a teen addicted to video games, I see exactly what is mentioned in this report especially paragraph 3. You may not see it or accept it of yourself who does at any age. With all this said to be fair my son does play longer than 3 hours and it is a war to get him off. The video game my son is more addicted to is online WOW.
You need to set up a time for
You need to set up a time for him to get off and remind him a hour before. If you tell him to get off in 5minutes he will be upset because WoW isn't a casual game, you can't get on and off. You have to get on and stay on until you are done with the specific thing.
Video games
me and my friends play V.Gs every weekend and ive been feeling sick latley but we play 4 about 15 hours a weekend so i just keep playing
that is way to much playing
that is way to much playing
And now I am going to upset
And now I am going to upset YOU. The fact that your son plays more than 3 hours of video games each day is YOUR fault. Sorry, I am a parent as well, of a 6 year old. He asks me if he can play a video game before he plays. So in other words, if he is playing a video game its at my consent. Absolutely, he can get frustrated at the game and yell sometimes. But at those times I usually have him shut down and take a breather, or we talk about why he is getting upset and try and think about the problem in a constructive manner. Its a chore to get him off at times, but that is where your parenting comes into play. If he doesnt want to get off his games when I ask him to, well I just wont let him play next time he asks. Bottom line, put your foot down, drop the blackberry, stop putting work ahead of your kid and BE A PARENT. This is a perfect example of idiots putting the blame everywhere except where it belongs. By the way you tell it, there is nothing you can do about your son playing video games. Like you have no say in it. YOUR HIS PARENT!!
sorry friend but all you`ll
sorry friend but all you`ll bring is a child who will afraid to make a decision. i`m 15 and I have friends like that who i`ve grown up with since i was 7 years old. they are always scared to make a choice because they were always use to answering to their mom and dad. what happens when you die? your kid will still be answering to you and when you`re gone. he will be broken and left with no one to answer too. how does THAT make you feel
I'm just saying
The point of this article is to let people know the affect that it does have on the brain. The fact that they have proven that it does have an affect in a negative way should say a lot. Whether it is a violent game or not it will affect the beta waves in the prefrontal region of the brain. This being the area that contorls the mood. Well when you really get into it, it will lead you right into Quantum Physics which states that our thoughts affect the area around us. As one is playing these games to the brain it is real. The imagaes being projected are causing the emotions to rise which is directly affected by the process of thouhgt. The person leaves the game with this same thought process and it will affect how they interact with others around them. One gentleman said in his reply that it helps with hand and eye coordination and helps to think quicker and react quicker. This may be true but what good is it if one doesn't know how to apply these things in the proper context. If you know that it does do some type of damage, whether great or small, you will begin to question the play time and decrease the play time all together. I did like what you said that you will talk to your child about their reaction to the game. But the simple fact still remains is that it is having a negative effect and it is causing a negative reaction.
No, it isn't bad
I believe that video games can have negative affects if you let them control you. I personally have been plaing video games since I was two, and I have played every day almost for at least three hours. Yet I am completely fine, I am still in high school yet I am close to getting a college degree. I have many friends and still am very active. I dont let the games control me or my behavior, they are just a source of entertainment. I have played some brutal games too, you got the Gears of War games, the Silent Hills, the Resident Evils, the God of War seires, Dead Space, and other bloody and violent games; yet I function just fine in society and am in fact ahead in my education.
I believe that games do need to be kept in moderation if need be. But people are more than capable to know what is acceptable and what isn't, and even if they don't Parents should know what not to put in front of their kids that will affect them in a negative way.
Videogames
Video games are awesome and if you have a problem because you can't stop playing or you get aggressive or any of that other crap, then i suggest you stop playing videogames. Otherwise, don't mess it up for the rest of us who genuinely enjoy gaming as a hobby and past time.
i agree video games damage
i agree video games damage the brain , but only for those gamers who make a big deal out of games , like me , the more you get sucked in the more you feel empty and useless after hours of playing , sure it feels good at first , but after years and years you just become motionly corrupted , i believe there are two types of games :::
a_ your playing a game that take you on a quest to save the world you feel that it's your "job" to finish that quest , you get sucked in, after beating the game you have a feeling of relief and accomplishment if that's sounds fameliar then you have a problem ,
b_ you mostly play competive games , and games that are not real enough plot-wise , sure you can get addicted and become a bit agressive but it depends on how you take losing , it's just about pride , this kind of games doesn't do as much damage to your personality
what i want to say is , it's about how real the games are , the realistic games are dangerous , the more you play them the more you get tired of "reality"
this is just my openion though
i disagree
it depends on wat games. If u play rpg's u will never have to worrie about them ending so there for u never git sucked in to much...
Something I've noticed
As I have Read everyone's responses it seems to me that they all are going off of personal experiances, which automaticlaly sways your side of the argument.
If you havn't started gaming
If you havn't started gaming don't it'll ruin your life
Hate to break it to you but
Hate to break it to you but just because it might have ruined your life doesn`t mean it will ruin mine or anyone elses
it wont it hasnt to mine
it wont it hasnt to mine