Video games are almost always present in any house that is home to an adolescent child. While video games are popular among people of all ages, adolescent children are usually the most involved. An article was developed by three members of the Psychopathology department at a university in the Netherlands. While addressing the use of video games the statement was made that “Today, in the United States, 91% of children between the ages of 2 and 17 play video games”(Granic, Lobel, Engels). Children may spend countless hours sitting in from of a television screen, participating in the electronic activities. While there are many different genres of video games, perhaps among the most popular are those that contain a high level of violence and hostility. Along with the violent content and commentary, these videogames create a hostile mindset. Video games have the ability to cause negative effects in the way young people think and act socially. In support of the belief that video games benefit people intellectually, there is a claim that game play provides cognitive, motivational, emotional, and social benefits (Granic, Lobel, Engels). In partial response, video games cannot offer cognitive benefits because they do not offer real life lessons. Yes, game play may allow someone to gain knowledge that will later be applied to the video game, but there are no positive real world techniques to be obtained. Playing video games will not increase and individuals motivational
If you are a parent during this time of information and technology, chances are you have a child who has played, is playing, or will be playing video games. The video game industry is a rapidly growing market that went from being worth $100 million in 1985 to $4 billion in 1990 (Gartner, 2013). Prior to the 1980’s, there were rudimentary computer games, commercially sold coin-operated games, and home consoles. Shortly after the North-American Video Game Crash of 1983 the industry took a big hit until the Nintendo Entertainment System induced a resurgence in popularity that has only continued to grow (Cesarone, 2014). In the years since, the gaming world has expanded and divided into numerous categories. There are casual, serious and educational games in mediums ranging from console games to online RPG’s also known as role playing games to the most recent and flourishing market of mobile games. In 2013, the worldwide value of the industry totaled $93 billion (Metrics 2.0, 2007).
Prolonged scenes of massive violence, graphic sexual content, and animated blood are examples of statements that the Entertainment Software Rating Board uses to depict the content in over fifty- five percent of the video games rated yearly. The debate of whether the aggressive nature of these video games influences youth violence in our country has been heatedly battled for decades. Since the mid 1980’s, it has been suggested that high profile cases of violence are due to an aggressor’s excessive video game use. However, much like a cold case the type of connection between video game use and youth violence remains without a definite answer. Most believe that video game use negatively influences child aggression acts in our country. Others firmly declare that video games provide a realm of opportunity for child development. Ultimately, it is impossible to say that video game use affects every child the same way. New studies suggest that video games do not affect every child that plays a game. Although violent video games are innocuous for the majority of adolescents between the ages of twelve and eighteen, the effects of these games are aggravated in those with pre- existing antisocial or depressive traits.
This paper will explore the psychological benefits that video games have on individuals based on research conducted online (Internet) and offline (non-Internet) . The research will focus mainly on cognitive , motivational , emotional and social benefits that individuals gain by playing video games. Furthermore it will compare gamers with those that don 't play video games or normal teaching methods and what helps better retain the skills gained. The research conducted is based on console gaming (xbox, playstation, wii) and pc. The research will focus on first person shooters, role playing, racing games.
(White, 2009, p. 2) Video games also cause children to develop social problems. Their empathy decreases and they are less willing to help others. Children become antisocial spending less and less time interacting with family members, friends, and playing. They are controlled by what is occurring on the screen in front of them, locking themselves up in their rooms, or away from others just to play endless hours of video games. Video games have progressed over recent years becoming far more violent, sophisticated, and addictive. Studies have shown that the effects of video games and aggressive behavior follow almost the same pattern as that of studies with violent media such as cartoons.
Side effects of video games number just about as many types of video games that people play. In Lisa Weber’s article “Positive Effects of Video Games on Children,” she states several benefits that children obtain when they play video games. Some of these advantages include the areas of social development, education, and an emotional outlet. As a result, Lisa clearly displays her stance on the positive side of the opinions of video games. However, electronic gaming contains a voluminous amount of pernicious effects. When young adults and children partake in video games, they come across numerous experiences that could have a negative influence on their lives.
It is agreeable that there are some correlation between teenagers playing video games and how it affects the youth mentally. Heavy consumption of violence video games does indeed stimulate a change reaction in the brain waves, but there is no hard evidence stating that those changes causes teenagers to act aggressively and violently. On the contrary, it is a popular beliefs that violence video games does indeed causes teenagers to displayed unpleasant behaviors and actions because that is what they learned and observed from the games. Therefore, parents should limit and regulate the amount of time their teenagers are playing violence video games so that they can protect their children from negative behaviors.
The advancement of technology in the contemporary word has increased the use of video games by children, teenagers and young adults. The video games have existed for almost three decades and the controversy of their causing violent behavior spans the same period (Porter and Starcevic,422). The release of Death Race game in 1970s initiated a debate with organizations, governments officials and other institution taking sides in the argument of whether violent video games cause violent behaviors. The issue has been a bond of contention and has attracted several scientific studies as well as psychological explanations. As a result, the media, regulatory authorities and professionals in mental health have debated the effects of video games on the behavior of those that play, especially the young people. This essay argues that video games do not cause violent behaviors.
Since the 1950s, the effects of videogames have been debated on whether it is harmful to kids.(Carey) During the years, various videogames have developed more gruesome content and have been blamed for crimes such as school shootings. But in recent searches people have found that studies connecting videogames and violence are frequently flawed. Additionally, people have stated that it influences kids into immoral behaviors but, it actually can improve their behavior. It is also scientifically proven that videogames are beneficial in various ways.
In recent years, technological advances have introduced many new forms of entertainment, one of the most popular being video games. Since their introduction, professionals and parents have become concerned with the addictive power that video games can have on people, particularly children and adolescents. Today, concern has shifted from the addictive effects of video game playing to the possible effects that they have on players’ aggression levels. As defining aggression as any thoughts or behaviors related with the intention to cause harm. Many scholars have been researching videogames' effects on children. The most popular aspect of videogame research is whether or not games increase aggression.
Video games have become a common pastime for children and adults of the modern world. However, there is widespread concern that children are becoming violent due to these virtual realities. There is a large amount of “grey area” in this subject, where the lines between right and wrong become blurred by confusion and misinformation mixed with uncertainty and big business marketing. The virtue of video games is being discredited or shunned by people who are against violent ones. A study was performed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison pertaining to the benefits of video games ("University of Wisconsin-Madison; Study Finds Violent Video Games Provide Quick Stress Relief, but at a
Since video games are a relatively new medium of artistic expression and entertainment, not much is known about the effects of continual exposure to them, especially at a young age. The effects of violent media on the psyche of kids and adolescents has been a pressing concern for many years now, as stated in a study conducted by Tortolero et al. (2014), where it is observed that most other studies done on the subject of video games were mainly focused on aggression (p.609). In the current attempt to identify a relationship between video games and the attitudes of youths, the researchers have decided to instead focus on levels of depressive symptoms and the amount of time spent playing video games through a cross-sectional analysis (Tortolero et al., p.609). The researchers have focused on the branch of psychology focused on mental health, clinical psychology (King, 2014, p.16), and the psychological problems associated with prolonged exposure to violent video games, specifically in preadolescents. The study was meant to observe the levels of depressive symptoms in children who played violent video games using the Major Depressive Disorder Scale of the DISC Predictive Scales to identify these symptoms which included lack of pleasure, lack of interest in activities, concentration difficulties, low energy, low self-worth, and suicidal ideation (Tortelo et al., 2014, p.610-611).
•With the recent violence across the world in schools, once again a concern has been stumbled upon in regards to whether or not video games can impact an individual’s demeanor, specifically in children and teenagers. However, when the concern is about children and violent video games, one thing is a sure fact: If parents keep getting these types of games the children will keep playing them, and companies will keep profiting from them and will keep producing more. In today’s society more than sixty-eight percent of our youth is addicted to video games. Most of these games are bought by parents or relatives not knowing that these could be detrimental for the child’s psychological development. Many games are based solely on violence; most games are about killing each other and promoting more violence by using expletive language.
In today’s generation, electronics have become a popular tool for entertainment. In particular, playing video games has become an increasingly popular pastime for adolescents. According to the American Psychological Association, 97% of American adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 play video games (Scutti). However, there are many controversies surrounding the idea of playing video games. In today’s market, video games often contain violent themes, such as killing or stealing. This would include many shooting games, strategic games, and role-playing games. It is a popular belief that these violent themes can negatively influence adolescents by encouraging violence. With an increasing number of adolescents spending hours a day gaming,
Video games have some adverse effects, but they are also valuable learning tools. Research about the role of video games as instruments of higher education is inadequate. The data is also limited by the lack of long-term studies and inconsistent findings. Anyone that has not participated in the activity of playing video games may look down on those that do, because it is not seen generally as a productive use of one’s own time. If playing video games were to be compared to other activities that are more obvious with the meaning such as exercising to stay in shape, having a job to gain wealth or going to school to gain further education. However, this way of thinking isn’t completely wrong regarding an alternative to what video games
Video games are making teens more aggressive and violent. Our children are at danger. Are the teens of today in jeopardy of being outrageous and physiologically aroused? Are we producing a violent youth? What are video games doing to our kids other than providing entertainment? What can we except from the generations to come in this video-game overtaken era? In this research paper, I will be demonstrating how video games make teenagers violent and aggressive and how studies prove it. An in-depth discussion on the negative impacts of video games on teens will also be done along with the good it brings to our children’s minds. Video games have been around for few decades. Has it done any good other