Using Video Games to Fight Depression, and Other Emotional Disorders
Video Games are starting to see the light of day in modern society. They are everywhere, being developed yearly, monthly and even daily. The have started discussions on either how violent they are, how terrible for kids they are or why they should just be banned all together. I am proposing a discussion on how video games not only revolutionary can actually help combat many emotional disorders including depression. How video games are enlightening individuals and not teaching them violent tendencies. This literature review will focus on three major themes which emerge repeatedly: (a) Positivity through Games, (b) Gamers with Depression, (c) Games Developed Solely to Fight Emotional Disorders
Positivity through Games
This sections examines gaining positive traits through gaming.
Most theories of video games steam from bad tendencies. Brian Sutton-Smith author of The Ambiguity of Play(1997) believed otherwise. Sutton-Smith, a famed developmental psychologist, focused on the study of play. He believed that you could learn so much about a human condition from studying how they play. After six decades of questioning “what is play.” he came to the conclusion that there was no definition for such a thing. He explained that the “opposite of play isn 't work. It’s depression.”. Also Jane McGonigal(2015) was quoted saying “Video Game play is literally the neurological opposite of depression” she took inspiration
Video games are enjoyable for people and have good benefits for children who use their multiple skills to play and interact with others. In many parts of the world, the common video game is often seen by parents as something that is wasting their child's time or “rotting their brain”. It is a popular misconception that video games are bad for children. What parents do not know is the positive things about video games. Video games have a positive impact on people and help them learn things for experiences to come. People often do not understand that violent video games are not harmful to people because video games allow people to release their anger, video games decrease crime in youth, and because they allow people to be creative and test their
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 can have positive, therapeutic effects on players of all ages, especially those with mental or emotional problems. Games provide a chance to tune out the stresses of everyday life and decompress. Giving your mind time to rest is critical for emotional and mental well-being. Relaxation reduces the risk of heart problems and stroke, boosts memory, buffers against depression, and helps decision making. It even has physical health benefits, by suppressing
Near the end of their research monograph Kutner and Olson argue that kids get into trouble when they play games that are too mature for them. The authors give good advice on this issue by stating that parents need to consider their child’s developmental age as well as his or her calendar age (Kutner and Olson, 2008, 135). Kutner and Olson’s argument is also enriched when they incorporate depressed kids into their research pool. Many studies have suggested that video games help mentally disabled kids as well as depressed kids cope with life because it makes them
(2014). Video Games: Play that can do serious good. American Journal of Play, Volume 7. pp. 50-72.
Is video gaming a force for psychological good or for psychological harm? This is one of the issues discussed in the last thirty years. A lot of people, especially parents, would say gaming is harmful on a child’s psychology. Those people would say that video games make children aggressive; they are frustrating and highly addictive. The concerns are not only about children, they go for teenagers and young adults as well. Something which just a few years ago was only a way of unwinding and passing a bit of time has now become a much criticized lifestyle, with allegedly disturbing long-turn effects on people’s minds and perception of the world. One thing needs to be made
Today, many tend to believe that videogames have major negative effects on the brain and a person’s well being. People and scientists believe that videogames can be addictive after a while, they can make children antisocial, and they negatively influence young children and teens. Although many like to believe that videogames are more harmful than helpful, there are actually more positives than negatives. With video games, kids learn quick thinking, multitasking, problem solving, logic, and much more. In fact, some schools have adopted the idea of offering game design in the library as a way to help enhance children and teens thinking. These are just a few of the many traits that kids will need later on in life.
When it comes to the topic of how video games can affect us mentally, a bit of controversy is always found. Results range from positive to negative, but with no clear sign as to whether or not they can be beneficial or damaging to one's mental state. If you take a step back and look at the bigger picture, you may notice that it is not truly a proposition of either-or, video games can produce both a negative and positive effect on the human brain but to what extent? The reason why so much negativity comes from research, however, is due to researchers focusing their studies on certain attributes that may or may not be affected. In today's media, parents, politicians and even some gamers, tend to focus blame and attack the integrity of video games. This causes issues and obfuscates our outlook on how they may be hurting or benefiting us.
Many young children and teenagers have heard their mother’s incessant plead to get away from the screen and to go outside or pick up a book for once instead. The urge to play “just one more level” before starting that homework or doing those chores can be quite distracting. But are video games really as awful as Mom exclaims or as brutal as those TV ads depict? It turns out that video games can have a strong impact on participants’ lives in both positive as well as negative ways.
There is a lot of research into what affects gaming has on children's mental health, consequently there is research into both sides of the argument. Gaming has an effect on mental health, but not necessarily in a negative way. I strongly argue that gaming affects mental health in a positive way so accordingly I will set out to prove it. We will be discussing a wide range of sources, showing a collective of views, saying how video games are good for mental health, video games affect mental health in a violent way or whether it affects their social ability?
According to a recent study done by Isabel Granic and published by American psychologist, video games can foster real world psychological benefits. Granic suggests that the nature of video games
Experts have been hunting explanations for the outbreaks across America. Many fingers cannot help but to point towards video games. Video games over the years have advanced tremendously when it comes to their realistic qualities. Because some of these video games have such dark content, it raises concern in certain people. However in an article written by Ryan Dube, he states that. “Although it is a big claim to make, it is proven many times over that playing video games can relieve your stress, reduce your depression, and make you feel better”. By allowing
Due to the evolution of video gaming in today’s technological culture, many people, specifically the media and parents have questioned the positive impact of video gaming. People believed that gaming will only encourage addiction, lead to social isolation and result in physical and psychological complications such as obesity and developing a violent and aggressive behaviour. These difficulties could be a gateway to more serious problems such as suicide and death. However, in contrast to the detrimental effects of video gaming, others believed that it could improve coordination, multi-tasking skills and assist in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. So can the concept of video gaming prove to be more helpful than harmful to the human mind and body?
Video games are often used to help people focus on something other than life’s unsettling problems and issues. For a few moments, the players kind of lose themselves in their TV screen as they feel a release from the real world and then of being in control of their own. For some, the fantasy escape of video games is just a passing interest. For others, video games are much more than that, even a way of life.
“Every age has its storytelling form, and video gaming is a huge part of our culture. You can ignore or embrace video games and imbue them with the best artistic quality. People are enthralled with video games in the same way as other people love the cinema or theatre” (Serkis, n.d.). Video games have shot onto the scene within the past 50 years. With technology advancing as fast as it has today, video games are becoming more and more realistic, as well as inherently more violent. The pressing question of today’s video games is, are they good or bad for the people that play them? Many tests have shown that video games effect the thoughts, social life, school life, and health of teenagers in many different ways.