Second Skin : Separating The Real World And The Virtual World Essay

A great deal of research has focused on the identification of addicted adolescent gamers (Van Rooij, Schoenmakers, Vermulst, Van Den Eijnden, & Van de Mheen, 2011). Van Rooij et al. (2011) assumed to provide empirical data-driven to identify a group of addicted online gamers. The video game industry is among the fastest growing sectors of the US economy (ESA Entertainment Software Association, 2013). Both Korean and western researchers report specifically that Massive

Video games have become as pervasive an aspect of our society as television, with many people spending more time playing video games than watching television. There are many perspectives with which to gauge videos games’ effect on society, from a functionalist, conflict or interactionist perspective. (Schaefer, 2011) Each of these sociological theories can provide a different view of video games, how they affect society and the subcultures that develop around them.

The videogame addiction may seem funny or ridiculous, but in reality it is a dangerous obsession that truly exposes several needs that have yet to be addressed within the afflicted. Addiction is a damaging problem, and the impact of varying sorts of addictions, such as illegal and

Video game addiction has become a major problem in our society. Many children and teenagers play an excessive amount of hours of video games a day that they develop countless problems such as violent behavior, hostility and social isolation. These are but few of many examples of problems young teenagers face when they have gotten to the point of addiction. However, video game addiction is proven to be associated with academic achievements and social skills as well. (Chui et al., 2004). Gaming addicts experience huge fluctuations in behavior as stated by Chin & Wen-Bin (2007). These so called fluctuations in behaviors do not manifest on their own however. Many addicts have actually become hooked on gaming simply because

Video games have been around since 1950s and have gone a long way from what they are today. They are in no doubt a big part of our society and with doing so they have been criticized by many. Video games come in different categories which include: action, racing, adventure, role-playing, simulation, strategy, and sports. The purpose of these games can be casual, serious, art, Christian, and educational. You can play these games on different types of platforms as well to make it the gamers preference. In today’s society, it is common for one to play video games. Some people play causally and some play professional to make money. Even though, video games are now mainstream, they are still being stigmatized and it has been like that since the creation of them. Some people see video games as a waste of time and that they are unproductive, but after being studied thoroughly by researchers that is not true; video games are known to have benefits. It can help children with development and it can help adults perform better at their job. It can also help people with different disorders. Video games should not be stigmatized because of the advantages ranging from cognitive to social benefits for children, people with disabilities, and adults.

International studies have shown that between seven and eleven per cent of gamers show some symptoms associated with addiction. Some teens are heavy users of online role-playing games (RPGs) such as World of Warcraft and multiplayer games such as Call of Duty in which they interact with other players in real time. These teens will often neglect schoolwork and other aspects of their daily lives when they become immersed in these games. The American Medical Association has identified “video game overuse” as ‘behaviour’.

The film Second Skin provided a large coverage of the effects of massive multiplayer online games on the players and the people around them. This film was used to shed light on what actually occurs in a gamers’ life and their perspective on their “hobby”. The point that jumped out the most would be the fact that excessive gaming can be as addictive as drugs and as a result can have mental and social repercussions. The fact is that online gamers find it difficult to draw the fine line when a game is for passing time and when it officially becomes a problem.

Video gaming has explosively risen in popularity since their creation in the 70s. In Mark Griffiths’ 2010 essay, “Online Video Gaming: What Should Educational Psychologists Know,” the concept of addiction is explored in the relatively new context of video gaming. Griffiths, a well-known researcher in the area of the psychological effects of video gaming, attempts to establish his credentials by highlighting his “two decades of research… examining offline video games…[and] more recent research examining online video games,” which should reinforce his expertise in his field of study. With his research findings, Griffiths, wishes to address concerned parents of online gamers. He uses an ethical appeal to character to calm the hysteria around

Video Games cause social isolation, for example a 15 year old boy in Sweden pass out after playing World of Warcraft for 24 hours straight, he passed out because he started experiencing social withdrawal, the kid was lacking contact with other humans, and his body’s response to the problem was to pass out. On an extreme level, Ruya Cunningham, a college student spent twenty hours a week playing video games, she eventually “dropped out of school, stopped exercising, and even stopped bathing” (Marcovitz 70). Later on, Ruya Cunningham developed depression, but she kept playing video games because she was addicted to the game. When people are addicted to a game, there is a spiraling vortex sucking the gamer away from society and from sanity. As a consequence of playing violent video games, many teen gamers struggle with real world relationships, this is because they form close virtual relationships with people they meet online. A man in Wisconsin has formed a tremendously close relationship with a group of guys he plays online with, he discusses politics with them and they send each other Christmas gifts even though they do not know each other (Marcovitz 70-72). Video games can also affect the players mental and their physiological state.

The following is an analysis of the idea of “video game obsession disorder”. This will bring to light three variations of video game obsession as well as whether or not it’s actually commonplace. Video game obsession can be somewhat related to that of drug addiction, with cases of withdrawal symptoms and/or dangerous actions to keep up on their “fix”, rather than giving it up, or of cases where video games have driven people to some pretty dark places. Now before we continue any further into the subject, I must note that my opinion of this is that a large proportion of the cases I will list will be of people who have severe psychological problems, not necessarily an average person who plays Candy Crush too much. As well as my passion for video

Although the addiction to video games is not fully recognized as a diagnosable disorder, I chose this topic because I know quite a few people that play video games on a regular basis. A few of them have had negative outcomes in either their work or personal relationships, in some cases both, as a result of playing video games daily. I personally have had a similar experience in my relationship with my significant other, although in this case he was the one playing video games and I was the one experiencing the results of it. Recently, I have read several news articles regarding parents ignoring their children and their needs as a result of playing video games. In addition, I have also recently heard of an interesting documentary produced

The controversial topic of video game addiction is what I have decided to focus my multi-genre research project on. Although a multitude of people do not even know of the existence of such a problem in today's society, I can assure you that this is becoming an increasingly greater problem effecting people around the world of all ages. Through my multi-genre project, I intend on proving the uselessness and detrimental qualities of playing video games, and I am going to explore some healthy alternatives to such a problematic habit.

Gaming has been a way for adolescents and adults to escape reality and pass the time. It not only provides them with a recreational hobby, but also allows them to connect and communicate with those alike. The field of gaming is constantly growing and allowing new opportunities for creative ideas. There is such a large variety to choose from, making it a truly diverse and engaging world. The question of whether video games can be addictive is left unanswered because many articles and studies provide evidence that supports both sides of the debate.

When it comes to emerging adulthood, video games is controversial topic on whether it is beneficial, non-beneficial, or possibly a mix of both. Emerging adulthood can be defined as the period of someone’s life from the age of 18-25, in which they explore the possibilities of multiple life decisions. My early emerging adulthood years consisted of playing multiple video games, to be specific, massive multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG or MMO for short). There are many different versions of MMO but they all share the characteristics of keeping up with multiple variables, swift decision making, and retaining a vast amount of information. These requirements had long lasting beneficial effects on my mental processes, decision-making, memory, perception and awareness. On the other hand, it negatively affected my self-esteem, physical fitness and connection with my family. This paper will ultimately examine the effects of video games on my late emerging adulthood years within the context of the four domains of human development, cognitive, social, emotional, and physiological.

There are many addictions in the world, ranging from hard drugs to extreme exercise. Some are life-threatening, while others only affect appearance or lifestyles. Video games aren’t something most people would see as an addiction, but after witnessing it myself, I have done research to learn more about how video games can rule lives. The causes and effects show just how much lives can be altered.