Video games can improve our lives
Introduction
A popular segment in modern day options for mass communication is in form of audio visual media and video games form a crucial chunk in it. It has often been criticized about video games that they cast a direct impact on mental health of youths. The given notion is extremely biased and non generic for a very small number of video games as major researches in this field has confirmed that video games result in giving optimistic results for well being of the youths. The current day world has enough evidence to ratify the usage of video games for improving social, emotional, psychological and interpersonal aspects of individuals like optimism, resilience, reflex, concentration, decisiveness, self-competence, self-acknowledgement, social interface, etc (Kollet 24). . Ample studies conducted in this field have confirmed that the factors like how the game is played, with whom the game is played, where and when the game is played are more significant in impacting the lives positively, rather than that of what is played.
This paper aims at ratifying the improvising impact of video-games over the lives of gamers by assimilating inputs from video gamers and corroborating them with already conducted primary research in this field. The relevance of this research lies in first ascertaining the positive impact on lives of youth and for their well being, followed by a validation of using video games as a mode of mass media communication which can be used to treat the mental and psychological health issues in youths (Kollet 2).
Literature review
Impact on real life performance: The development of video games as mode of mass social interaction has already been implemented as major video games are multiplayer in nature and they have collaborative efforts from players. Addition of online video gaming to the above category has resulted in extending the social connectivity of multiplayer games beyond geographical limits as well. Further, video games range from a wide range of categories like sports game, strategy games, team building, etc. The most acknowledged segment in video gaming lies in the that of sports oriented games and earlier research in this field have ascertained the positive impact of such video games I real life sports as well like Bowling, Golf, Billiards, Archery, etc (Wegner, Blader, Hofman, Schwake, Sieman and Schmid 3).
Gamification : The video games present an experience of a virtual environment which encircles the combined impact of design elements (graphics, visual effects-VFX, colour schemes, background designs), audio-elements (sound effects-SFX, musical scores, alerts), and facility/networking options (multiplayer modes, multi-console operation, information interface). The modern day game development world uses the enriching boost of experiential inputs by playing on the above three factors in video games. The notion of Gamification adds to the overall experience quotient or the ‘take-away’ value from a game , thereby augmenting the gaming experience with joyful and playful learning values (Deterding, Bejork, Nacke, Dixen and Lawley 2).
The primary challenge to enhanced Gamification is to minimize the stressful intrusions and to maximize the rejoice factor in video games. Further, the inclusion of above mentioned key elements in eclectic ratios can create the desired results of adding on to the overall joy element and enhance gaming attributes like reflex, focus, decisiveness, strategy building , team work, leadership, etc (Deterding, Bejork, Nacke, Dixen and Lawley 1). The field of Gamification can lead to researches for developing games which m cast precise amount of predestined impact over the gamers.
Persuasion power and impact of mass media communication: Denis Mcquail’s theory of mass media communication presents a rational correlation between usages of mass media to develop an effective mass communication. The theory distinguishes the primary difference between ‘effect’ and ‘effectiveness’ of any form of media which is used for mass communication (Mcquail 20). Where the former refers to the observed list of resultant impacts of the chosen communication, the latter speaks about degree of success in attaining the desired objectives behind the communication ,say political, social, commercial motifs (Mcquail 11).
The overall estimate of effectiveness is dependent on the prudence of five key aspects of the communication like communication mode, inclusion of social realities and social protocols, capacity to garner immediate response from the receivers, notional value of change proposed, and resultant change intended in society or individual(Mcquail 8). In case of video games the above notion can be utilized in determining the extent of effectiveness of audio visual gaming which can be used to create situations close to reality and provoke individuals to give their best.
Impact on social and cognitive performance: The nature of video games has changed drastically from only violence based games to increasingly complex in decisiveness, high over reflexes, including more diverse genres in strategy, motivations and emotional values(Granic, Lobel and Rutger 69). The overall impact of such video games can be enhacing the individual performance of gamers over their cognitive, spiritual, psychological, emotional, and social interaction. The games can be used to induce, regulate, augment and harness the response of individuals in these aspects of social interaction. Thus, the video games can be developed by including change on social norms to change the social well being(Granic, Lobel and Rutger 67).
The study aims at evaluating the impact of video games on improving the lives. To ensure a quantifiable deduction for the same, an interview questionnaire is developed which entails a list of specific questions aimed at developing , affirming and ratifying the role of video games in improving various aspects of human behaviour like social interaction, better decision making, enhanced team work, etc. The interview is randomly conducted with 20 gamers met at random locations and their responses are manually ticked into given options. Finally, the chosen responses are counted for observed conclusions.
Findings
The evaluated responses for above stated questions were quite in sync with the earlier done studies and primary research in this regard. The following findings are concluded from the interviews conducted:
80% of the interviewed gamers started playing video games within the age band of 7-11. Out of these approximately 75% used video games as a distressing agent and these people also noticed an improvement in their all of social attributes like social interaction, concentration and helping behaviour, etc.
65% of gamers chose multiplayer sports gaming as their preferred genre of video games and all of them experienced a direct impact of improvement in their real life sports.
25% of gamers chose multiplayer war and strategy games as their preferred genre and all of them also vouched for an improvement noticed in their social attributes like team efforts and decisiveness.
70% of interviewed people voted for video games improving their social interaction while other 20% voted for concentration being improved.
100% of interviewed people felt that specific video games can be used to affect chosen traits and all of mental abilities of individuals like social interaction, emotional stability and collaborative efforts.
Summing up, it can be concluded from the above observations that almost all the video gamers have experienced improvement in various skills like social, behavioural, psychological, etc. and they have acknowledged the role of video games in bringing up these changes. A very favourable response is garnered regarding scope of using video games for treating people who lack the above mentioned traits.
Conclusion
The status of enhanced brain activity due to focussed involvement in response augmenting audio visual mode of mass communication has been ratified by measuring the activities of gaming individuals in terms of electrical signals(Johnson, Jones, Scholes and Carras 24). It has also been ratified that deployment of specific mode of mass communication, which have enhanced involvement from gamers by using their behaviour, social interaction, decisiveness may result in increasing their overall well being. Those who have some barriers to access for such medium can be intentionally subjected to specific communication and their response can be calibrated in return.
Video games are one of most affable mode of mass communication amongst youth and are readily accessible in both, developing and developed worlds. No separate arrangements and resource inclusions are to be made for ensuring a premeditated impact via video games , as digital game playing has already been pervasive in general lives via gadgets like cell phone, TV, computers, etc (Kollet 27). The impact of such focussed communication via video gaming can definitely augment to the earlier testified observations of better personal relations, social interactions, virtual environmental handling skills, and emotional regulation with self acceptance.
There is an ample scope still left uncased regarding treatment opportunities for mentally challenged and in inducing the specific mental traits over individuals who are required to perform under exceptional conditions (Johnson, Jones, Scholes and Carras 29). The development of war related important reflexive skills, decision making, team work and motivational response are already in process by using leading international multiplayer games like Counter Strike, Call of duty, Delta force, etc. Now the future research can focus on development of video games catering to improvement of specific mental, social, psychological and interpersonal relations of individuals with their surroundings is the next possible step in this regard.
Works Cited
Deterding, Bejork, Nacke, Dixen and Lawley. “Designing Gamification: Creating Gameful and Playful Experiences”.2013. Web. Jan 02. 2016.
Granic, Lobel and Rutger. The Benefits of Playing Video Games.2014. Jan 02. 2016.
Johnson, Jones, Scholes and Carras. Wellbeing: AComprehensive Review. 2013. Jan 02. 2016.
Kollet, Cathleen. Video games and wellbeing.2012. Jan 02. 2016.
Mcquail, Dennis. The influence and effects of Mass media.1979. Jan 02. 2016.
Wegner, Blader, Hofman, Schwake, Sieman and Schmid. “Video Games can Improve Performance in Sports - An Empirical Study withWii Sports Bowling.”.2008. Web. Jan 02. 2016.
