The long lasting effects that video games have on the brain will be debated in excess until substantial research can be conducted. The small amount of research that has been completed is not enough to make a clear judgment. Researchers are still analyzing data to shine some light on an issue that contains so many different variables. This essay will contain data on the impact of video games on the brain’s function, its impact on those functions, and on the brain itself. The brain is broken into different sections and lobes. The lobe that would mostly become impacted by the use of video games would be frontal lobes. The frontal lobe portion of the brain is responsible for problem solving, judgment, and motor functions. This lobe goes hand in hand with the cognitive function that excess video game usage could possibly affect. According to Michael M. Merzenich, “There is growing direct evidence that intensive use of video games results in significant generalized improvements in cognitive functions” (Merzenich 763). This statement proves that video games are exercises for the brain’s many different functions.
Some researchers have found that video games that contain high perceptual, high speed, motor load, and with an emphasis on
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In fact, using video games in education and rehabilitation made researchers feel somewhat optimistic. Using video games to help people recover from illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia in its early stages. These games are designed to address neurological impairments that apply to the specific learning issues that the doctors have identified. These games are internet- based so that they can be closely observed and progress can be monitored. It will not be long before video games and interne-based trainings will be used in schools and hospitals on a full time
Firstly, studies have shown that grey matter in the brain increased when playing video games. It has been estimated that the average person will spend about 10,000 hours playing video games until age twenty-one; there is evidence that shows that only 10–20 hours of engagement in video games can improve performance on our attention span, and also improve tasks that require executive control. (Kühn, Gleich and Lorenz) In cross-sectional study done on males, they found an increase in grey matter in the entorhinal cortex, and the occipital cortex. They predicted that grey matter volume in the entorhinal cortex would be higher in players that were more interested in certain video games. Forty-eight participants were recruited by means of newspaper and internet
This article of Lisa Bowen on American Psychological Association in 2014 significantly discusses the mental effect of video games regarding the development of personal health. The influences and outcomes of gaming techniques do not only improve the cognitive and decision-making skill but also, help to enhance the social interaction. Moreover, under-researched data and statistical information collected from psychological studies across the level of university and medical college, the biological progress that video game is starting to change within human mind is fascinating. In compelling with my original thesis, the article of Bowen stands out as a scientific framework that supports the logical flow of the paper. Statistical data can also be used in term of solid and credible evidence for real life
Video games are a enormous part in the world today. “More than 150 million people in the United States play video games regularly or for at least three hours per week. The number of sales has increased and in 2016, 24.5 billion games were sold, up from 23.2 billion in 2015.” “This Type of Video Game May Actually Harm Your Brain.” written by Mahita Gajanan is my positive article and “How Video Games Affect the Brain.” written by Hannah Nichols is my negative article. In this essay I am going to talk about video games and their impact on the brain (Nichols).
Everybody in this country plays video games almost every day. It does not matter what the age is, even though they are not young and have free time they would play video games and enjoy themselves. People and society says that through video games children’s and also some adults become more aggressive and violent. Video games are contributing the act of violence all over the world and they are thinking to stop video games for their benefit. The media makes false assumptions. They are not giving details of video games and missing the benefits of the video games. According to medical daily new research indicates that certain video games actually boost the brain power and improve strategic thinking. Unfortunately, our parents and society does not approve the use of video games and it has been decried by many parents and it creates destructive garbage. It also improves the cognitive flexibility which is the mental faculty of creative and lateral thinking. According to Ericson, “Our paper shows that cognitive flexibility, a cornerstone of human intelligence, is not a static trait can be trained and improved using fun learning tools alike gaming”.(Medical Daily) This is the necessary part of our human brain and it can be achieved by video games and other fun learning activities. There are many advantages just like these from playing video games. They should also look at the benefits and not just focus on the disadvantages. It also helps from
To begin, video games can be used a way to escape the reality when times are hard for someone. In the article, “Playing video games is good for your brain” by Mark Griffiths, a Washington Post journalist, states an example on how video games can be used as a way to forget about what’s going on in the real world. For example, when Mark says, “Because video games can be so engaging, they can also be used therapeutically.” (Mark). In other words, video games can be used as a way to get your mind off of things during bad times. Another example is when Mark says, ”In another experiment, they trained gamers who had little previous experience of playing action games, giving them 50 hours practice. It was shown that these gamers performed much better on perceptual tasks than they had prior to their training.” (Mark). To clarify, multiple experiments were used to
Everyday both adults and children play video games. Some people argue that video games have many negative effects including poor eyesight and inattention. The TED talk by Daphne Bavelier (2012) discusses some of the current research regarding the effect video games have on your brain. Bavelier (2012) talks more specifically about the effects of action video games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops and similarly formatted games on a person’s vision and attention span. This paper will explore both the TED talk by Bavelier (2012) and other relevant research on the subject.
The third section talks about how parts of your brain is affected by video games and tv. Researchers studied the different patterns that are processed through the brains.“...exploring an
Gaming may be used for more than just simple entertainment. As studies have shown that playing video games and in this experiment Mario 64 have shown to help people with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s dementia. What neurodegenerative diseases does is makes you lose the function of neurons which utilmy cause a loss to memory and decision thinking. And one of the big neurodegenerative diseases is Alzheimer’s dementia and symptoms include loss of memory behavioral problems and loss of self-care and eventually death. The point of the treatment is people who play video games have shown an increase gray matter in the right hippocampal formation. And the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and bilater cerebellum. So since playing video
"The Truth About Video Games And The Brain: What Research Tells Us".Scientific Learning. N.p., 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.
North America has spiraled into an unhealthy obsession with video games. The value of the video game industry in 2015 was over seventy-one billion dollars in the United States alone, and its worth has only increased. Polls show that 63% of American households have persons who play video games for a minimum of three hours a day. But do exposure to those games affect the brain in a negative way? Video games are shown to be more influential to the brain than television and movies, and research shows that video games shrink essential parts of the brain, such as the hippocampus. This diminution influences cognitive functions, whose effects will carry on into later life.
People have long debated whether or not video or computer games have a beneficial effect on the brain, as it relates to behavior. Is there any evidence to substantiate and prove how these beneficial effects improve the cognitive function of the brain?
Video games impact the brain in a wide variety of ways. Some people could, and have, made the argument that video games are destructive for children and that they become a distraction from actual educational work (Bavelier, Green, Han, Renshaw, Merzenich, & Gentile, 2011). On the other hand, one could certainly argue that video games could be a valuable tool in the learning environment (Bavelier, Green, Han, Renshaw, Merzenich, & Gentile, 2011). At any rate, there are several different, and accurate views on the subject.
Video games can improve visual skills and brain function. Video games increase spatial awareness. When playing different video games eyes are focused on a video game a person are more likely to gain different eye strengths after training the brain. Action video games train the brain to better process certain visual information. When people play action video games, they’re changing the brain’s pathway responsible for visual processing (Masnick 1). Video games change brain functions. Researchers today are reporting that first-person-shooter
In today’s society, the concerns for the effects of video games have acquired quite a terrible reputation. Worried parents around the world assume video games make their children do poorly in school, and create violent, desensitized, antisocial children. The increase in violent games, usually get the blame for aggressive behavior, shootings and violence in schools and young individuals. Most beliefs about video games effect on the brain and emotions are very common misconceptions. I strongly believe that video games are an essential tool to learning and gaining much-needed skills. When people look at the studies that have been done on video games and the brain, it will be apparent that some myths about video games have been blown out of proportion. It has come to my attention that there are studies that prove the negative effects of video games may only last the duration of game play. Kids can improve in general knowledge with educational video games like Leap Frog. Video games can train specific areas of the brain as well as increase brain flexibility and memory. Gaming actually has more beneficial effects than negative effects. Video games are excellent educational implement used in elementary schools. It is extremely helpful in brain development and helping kids with trouble reading improve. Memory retention can be improved and increased with the use of strategic, thinking games. Video games, as funny as it might sound, even promote
Playing video games is among one of the favorite pastimes of many people around the world. Some play games to kill time with simple tasks found most commonly on the phone, while others play them to challenge their mind in the form of complex puzzles or to practice management skills, some play them to experience a sense of adventure that they just can’t find anywhere else, and many use them as a way to communicate or have fun with friends both near and far. Whatever the reason someone may have for playing video games, they may not think that games can have an effect on their brains. Some would say that playing video games can lead to negative effects such as harming the player’s cognitive skills or causing them to become much more violent than normal. Others would argue that playing video games quickens the minds of their players, leading to higher mental performance or an increased attention to detail. Thanks to this hotly debated controversy many studies have been conducted over the past years in order to settle the debate once and for all. So what effect can playing video games have on the cognitive skills of their players, and are these effects positive, negative, or somewhere in the middle?