The Effects Of Video Games On Children

Lastly, people argue that it may ultimately lead to a complicated reality and fantasy. As such, there is a belief that it exposes peoples’ brains to constant fantasy embedded in the outside world. According to a study by Chen, today’s children are so much instilled in their games that they mistake fantasy for the reality of the current world (8). As such, the argument is that, when they repeatedly become exposed to the game, even in their

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

In today’s culture, people who regularly play video games have been stereotypically viewed as overweight, lazy, slobs, who can’t keep a job and never leave their homes. However, a majority of the population plays video games or owns a console. These stereotypes mostly apply to PC gamers, and MMO players in particular. While most people don’t develop such severe addictions to the game, there is a group of people who suffer. These people are usually imagined as overweight men in their parent’s basements, sporting acne and greasy hair. There are most definitely people that fit this profile, however, video game addiction can claim many different people from many different walks of life. It is most definitely a serious issue, but some people don’t see the degree to which it affects everyday life. Personally, I feel that I can elaborate on the matter with a different perspective, as I have been closeup and personal to video game addiction.

Whether gambling, alcohol or shopping, it is surprising to find video games being a part of this growing list. Video game addiction is a growing epidemic that is running rampant through the world, including parts of Asia. Death from video games is becoming more common and sounds like a horror story (Flanagan). Contributing to the increase are illnesses and social disorders, two well-known conditions being social anxiety and depression. By shutting themselves out from the real world, the only light being the screen of their television or computer and eyes glued to the screen, their basic needs are ignored.

Video game addiction is not yet recognized by the American Medical Association as a diagnosable disorder, but addiction has become a very real problem for many video game players. An addiction is when the person needs more and more of a substance or behavior to keep them going, and if the person does not get more, they can become irritable and miserable. Compulsive gaming meets these criteria, and there have been many studied instances where severe withdrawal symptoms in game addicts are seen when parents take away the child’s electronic gaming system. According to chapter three of the book, a study in Singapore of 3,000 middle schoolers found that the

While video games may be a fun distraction, playing them too often, as many people tend to do these days, is unhealthy, uneducational, and possibly even dangerous. The rise of technology over the past few decades has led to countless new ways of communicating and working, as well as countless new ways of distracting oneself from communicating and working. Video games are simply one of these methods of distraction. Although they can be a great way to destress when played every once in a while, the fact that they are now available on a huge variety of different devices, including mobile phones, means that most people now play them every day, multiple times a day. The amount of time, energy, and money people spend on these games is infinite, and can only lead them to another virtual level, rather than taking them anywhere in real life. I believe that there are many benefits to playing video games, but that focusing on them too much cannot be good for anybody.

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’.

From the past till now, video game never loses its popularity, from Gameboy to Wii, and from NDS to LOL, millions and billions of people are obsessed with this imaginary world. Some of the video games are created for educational purpose, however, most are created for the people who wants to escape from reality. “In a national Harris Poll survey of 1,178 American youths (ages 8-18), ISU Assistant Professor of Psychology Douglas Gentile found nearly one in 10 of the gamers (8.5 percent) to be pathological players.” ("Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) ") Not only the statistic shows the high rate of addiction towards video games, terrible consequences of the addictions are more than enough to be served. For example, an extreme case of an Chinese kid called Xioyi suicide because he lose in one of his game on December 27, 2004; where he left a note that said he wanted “to join the heroes of the game he worshiped.” Video game has the potential to ruin a person’s life, as well as their family, or even the

Advances in technology have forever changed the way that children play, communicate, and view the world. Have you ever told your child that it was time to turn the video game off, or to put away the cell phone? Of course you have. Did they become upset, aggressive, or even depressed? These are warning signs indicating a potentially dangerous addiction. Addiction is characterized by the intense need for a substance and the experience of withdrawal symptoms when that substance is taken away (Rauh). Video games fill the player with strong feelings of pleasure and fulfillment. When considering the effects that video games have on your social, academic, and financial life; when do these fun technologies morph into a dangerous addiction?

The unusual hidden away nature of video gamers does have a severe emotional impact on their ability to function as productive humans. According to Document A, the teenager Steve has morphed into a lazy and alienated individual. He often avoids communication and has no real friends (Document A). “Steve plays at least 60 to 70 hours every week…”(Document A). This is all caused by his fascination with a virtual world in which he can be the best and respected by other players. Steve seeks his validation from invisible people, rather than forming healthy relationships with family and peers (Document A). His blurred sense of reality displays just how dangerous this, at first, casual pastime can become. The internet is also a quick way to communicate with people all over the world. While this can be confused as a positive way to connect with people it may actually isolate the person more. Looking back on a previous example of alienation, the person chatting may be hurting themselves by becoming consumed by a fictional world. With an increase in cyberbullying (Document B) it may also be a serious concern to parents and school districts. Constant connection with people has never seemed so lonely, until

Although we may not notice it, but people can be addicted to video games and it will have serious downsides on your health. Like gambling addictions, both video game and gambling addictions both fall under the same categories of disorders. An Impulse control disorder is defined as psychiatric disorders that are identified by a sort of an impulse- failure to resist a temptation, an urge, or an itch. Both Video Game & Gambling addictions are both recognized as Impulse Control Disorders, both are caused by the need for thrills and highs and the social status correlated with being a successful gamer. Even both addictions both contribute to an elevated dopamine level, which in turn goes into the brain’s reward center; relating to various activities most find pleasure in such as eating or consuming drugs.

CNN, Samantha Bresnahan and Will Worley in their article, “When Video Games Become an Addiction”, argue about how and why video games become an addiction. They support their claim by first talking about video game addiction in the US, then about who mostly get addicted and in what age it is more popular, and finally why video games are addictive. Bresnahan’s purpose is to explain video game addiction in order to find a solution for it. They establish a hopeful tone for the readers.

A report published by the Entertainment Software Association revealed that in 2015, 155 million Americans play video games with an average of two gamers in each game-playing household (Entertainment Software Association, “Essential Facts about the Computer and Video Game Industry”). With this massive popularity that has come alongside video games in mind, the question is raised: how are video games affecting today's people? With the current way video games are structured, the game rewards players for achieving certain accomplishments e.g. competitive video games reward players who achieve victories with a higher ranking. With this in mind, some gamers may place more emphasis on their gaming achievements rather than their happiness or success in the real life. This in turn might cause a gamer to become addicted; however, a distinction must be set between video game addiction and operant conditioning. Operant conditioning towards a gamer can be one of the factors contributing towards video game addiction; they are not the same thing.

The over usage of video games has appeared to affect the mind in the OFC, the striatum, and the sensory regions. Addict gamers appeared to have more of a impulsiveness control than the normal gamer. Players who had played online showed an increase of gray matter density from the other players in the left anterior cingulate cortex. Another thing I found interesting in this article was that higher amounts of dopamine appeared in addict gamers from the “reward process” in videogames than the casual gamer. The Cambridge gambling task ( which affects the brain in making poor decisions) was found higher in addict gamers. Not only that, but addict gamers appeared to have a slower information processing than normal players.

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.